I’ve written a book on the science of racism – this is what facts say about Trump’s war on DEI in the workplace

On 21 January 2025, Donald Trump issued an executive order restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion training in federal agencies. open image in gallery Linda Fagan, the now-sacked leader of the US Coast Guard, at an event in 2022 Trump’s orders are very much grounded in the question of whether DEI efforts are unfair to men and White people, showing favouritism to women and ethnic minorities – a question that is outlandishly out of sync with all available facts. In light of these scientific facts, Trump’s questions about DEI being unfair to men and White people are not only the wrong questions, but Orwellian distractions from the real issues. If Trump was truly concerned with promoting a real meritocracy – the right question would have to be something along the lines of “what is the best way to address the scientifically proven bias against women and ethnic minorities in the workplace?” Or perhaps, even, “what strategies other than DEI could we employ to reduce the scientifically proven racism and sexism in the workplace?” open image in gallery Trump has caused outrage after blaming diversity and inclusion for the Washington plane crash These are the questions that could potentially take us toward a place which, as Trump’s executive order put it, could “protect individual Americans from discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin”. In light of these questions, the scrapping of all DEI work can be seen for what it truly is, a regressive policy that will serve to protect and perpetuate the scientifically proven non-meritocracy in which men and White people receive unfair advantages over equally qualified women and ethnic minorities.