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Starting on day one of his second term, Trump started dismantling federal policies and programs created to advance racial justice and equity across our country — laws and policies that are necessary to make our democracy more inclusive and just.
The following are examples of the dangerous, fascist actions taken by Trump during his first two months:
Attacking the structure of federal nondiscrimination laws and programs developed over 60 years:
Since the 1960s, federal laws, policies, and initiatives have advanced nondiscrimination and equal opportunity across the country, although in ways that can be further improved.
When President Biden took office, his very first order recognized that equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy but systemic racism, persistent poverty, and other inequities prevent equal opportunity for all Americans. He ordered federal agencies to advance racial justice and equity by incorporating these values and goals into agencies’ plans and work.
On the first day of his second term, Trump rescinded President Biden’s order. He also started signing executive orders to intimidate universities, schools, companies, and other organizations into ending their lawful diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. He also had his subordinates in the U.S. Department of Justice reverse longtime policies in areas such as voting rights and nondiscrimination protections under federal civil rights laws.
Reversing executive orders to curb police violence and lessen economic incentives for mass incarceration:
With over five million people under criminal system supervision and nearly two million people in jails and prisons, the U.S. is a world leader in its dependence on incarceration.
During his presidency, President Biden issued executive orders related to police violence and mass incarceration. He banned federal law enforcement’s use of chokeholds and limited their use of no-knock entries, and he supported local government’s use of non-police public safety teams to respond to people experiencing mental health crises. He also ordered the federal government to phase out their use of for-profit prisons.
Trump immediately reversed these executive orders on Inauguration Day.
Pushing the fiction that people of color and women are less competent than white men:
During his State of the Union address — as he’s done before — Trump used a twisted, false characterization of “woke” to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion values and policies. He stated:
“We’ve ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and, indeed, the private sector and our military. And our country will be woke no longer. We believe that whether you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer, or an air traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not race or gender. Very important. You should be hired based on merit.”
WHAT IS TRUMP'S BIGGER PLAN?
He appears to be trying to destroy the legal structure of federal nondiscrimination laws established by Congress since the 1960’s. Under these laws, it is unlawful to use a person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability in employment decisions, whether such decisions involve hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, and the like. Indeed, it is not surprising that some of Trump’s employment decisions — such as the termination of the Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in favor of a less qualified white general — appear on their face to be potential violations of federal nondiscrimination laws.
WHAT THE ACLU OF OREGON COMMUNITY CAN DO
Frankly, the ACLU of Oregon’s racial justice and anti-oppression work is more important than ever before. Each and everyone of us has the power to fight back against Trump’s attempts to increase discrimination, inequity and exclusion, and division across our country.
Here are suggestions for action:
As more opportunities for resistance arise, we will let you know.
Thank you for doing the ACLU — Act, Challenge, Love, Unite — with us!