On the January 22 broadcast of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) expressed to Mitchell that advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives should persist in urging government agencies to uphold these policies, despite an executive order from President Donald Trump that mandates a contrary approach.
To provide context, President Trump issued an executive order that starkly contrasts the policies established during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. This order instructs federal agencies that implement DEI initiatives—often characterized by some on the right as discriminatory against white individuals—to cease these practices and terminate their DEI programs immediately.
Mitchell inquired about this executive order, highlighting its broad implications for government operations and suggesting that it also serves as a directive for universities and corporations nationwide.
In his response, Durbin remarked that the order seems intended to undermine efforts aimed at enhancing diversity within both corporate and governmental structures. However, he refrained from addressing the coercive nature of the order or acknowledging that previous diversity initiatives have sometimes led to the promotion of unqualified candidates within organizations.
In a predictably dramatic fashion, the Democratic senator from Illinois conveyed to Mitchell that the pursuit of diversity within agencies and corporations would be hindered, stating, “There’s no doubt about it. It’s designed to discourage efforts to have diversity in the leadership of companies, as well as agencies of government.”
Senator Durbin further asserted that “diversity is America’s strength,” a claim he did not substantiate, and one that is increasingly contested by a significant portion of the American populace, particularly when “diversity” is perceived as a form of discriminatory DEI enforcement.
Senator Durbin articulated his perspective on fostering internal resistance within the Trump Administration, a strategy that previously stalled progress during the first term. He stated, “We should continue to encourage individuals and agencies and corporations to do the right thing anyway.”
The DEI Executive Order issued by Trump asserts, “Longstanding Federal civil-rights laws protect individual Americans from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. These civil-rights protections serve as a bedrock supporting equality of opportunity for all Americans. As President, I have a solemn duty to ensure that these laws are enforced for the benefit of all Americans.”
Furthermore, it states, “Yet today, roughly 60 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, critical and influential institutions of American society, including the Federal Government, major corporations, financial institutions, the medical industry, large commercial airlines, law enforcement agencies, and institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) or ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation.”
Additionally, it emphasizes, “Illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system. Hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American Dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex.”
The statement criticizes DEI initiatives as unlawful and discriminatory, asserting their termination. It claims, “These unlawful DEI and DEIA policies jeopardize the safety of American men, women, and children nationwide by undermining the significance of individual merit, skills, diligence, and resolve in the selection process for employment and services in crucial sectors of American society, including all levels of government, as well as the medical, aviation, and law enforcement fields. Time and again, the American populace has observed the dire repercussions of illegal and harmful discrimination that has favored individuals based on their origins rather than their capabilities. The Federal Government is responsible for upholding our civil rights legislation. This order aims to ensure compliance by abolishing unlawful preferences and discrimination.”
