Trump Launches War on DEI ... And Affirmative Action?

Trump's Biggest Accomplishment So Far? Moving the Overton Window

A tale with many ups and downs.

Despite some of the gloom at this present moment, trust in science remains high across most of the world.

“It was beyond anything we had expected to find in Egypt.”

During his Tuesday show, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel cheered on the woke, progressive Episcopal bishop who admonished President Donald Trump to go soft on illegal immigration and liberal social issues at an interfaith prayer service at the National Cathedral. Kimmel found a new desire that leaders follow the Bible and said of Bishop Mariann Budde’s performance, “That is the best; good for her.” Kimmel set up a clip of Budde by declaring, “Trump only likes mass when it's followed by the word 'deportation.' That is a fact. The reason he was upset, the reason he didn't say the Lord's Prayer, is because the bishop who gave the sermon forgot to put on her MAGA hat.”     The jump cut-ridden clip showed Budde imploring: Let me make one final plea, Mr. President [jump cut] have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now. [jump cut] Gay, lesbian, transgender children [jump cut] some who fear for their lives. And the people. The people who pick our crops [jump cut], who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. [jump cut] May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being. And speak the truth to one another in love [jump cut] for the good of all people. [jump cut] Amen. There’s a lot to unpack there. It’s kind of insulting to suggest Trump is a threat to children’s lives or that immigration enforcement is somehow unbiblical, and that is before we get to the heretical idea that it is Christ-like to confuse children on their gender. Nevertheless, Kimmel, who loves mocking the Nativity Story, was a big fan as he sarcastically chided the crowd for applauding, “Wait a minute, hold on. I don't know what you people are clapping for, but that bishop has no business bringing the teachings of Jesus into that church. This is why we can't have women doing those jobs, I'm sorry, but—” Dropping the sarcasm, Kimmel concluded, “That is the best; good for her.”  Here is a transcript for the January 21 show: ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! 1/21/2025 11:46 PM ET JIMMY KIMMEL: Trump only likes mass when it's followed by the word "deportation." That is a fact. The reason he was upset, the reason he didn't say the Lord's Prayer, is because the bishop who gave the sermon forgot to put on her MAGA hat. MARIANN BUDDE: Let me make one final plea, Mr. President [jump cut] have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now. [jump cut] Gay, lesbian, transgender children [jump cut] some who fear for their lives. And the people. The people who pick our crops [jump cut], who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. [jump cut] May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being. And speak the truth to one another in love [jump cut] for the good of all people. [jump cut] Amen. KIMMEL: Wait a minute, hold on. I don't know what you people are clapping for, but that bishop has no business bringing the teachings of Jesus into that church. This is why we can't have women doing those jobs, I'm sorry, but— that is the best, good for her. 

Time to wave bye-bye to Norah O’Donnell. The CBS Evening News anchor’s final show will be Thursday. So as is customary here at NewsBusters — whenever a longtime left-leaning host departs their program or network  — we like to show them the door with a reminder of their most biased moments.  O’Donnell (who began her run in the anchor chair in July 2019) most recently inserted herself in the 2024 campaign. NewsBusters readers will remember when she and her colleague Margaret Brennan tag-teamed against J.D. Vance, as they live fact-checked him in the Vice Presidential debate. After the first attempt on President Donald Trump’s life O’Donnell actually blamed Trump’s “rhetoric” for the attack as she questioned: “The rhetoric’s gotten hotter….Does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for that? Does he need to change his rhetoric?” The following are just a few of O’Donnell’s worst hits against conservatives and suck-ups to progressives since 2019:   After First Trump Shooting, O’Donnell Presses: Does He Need to Change His “Rhetoric?”      “It’s almost like the rhetoric’s gotten hotter since then [Jan.6]….Does Donald Trump bear some responsibility for that? Does he need to change his rhetoric?...Did you say that to Donald Trump today? Did you say, look, we need to think about the kind of rhetoric we have here? We can set a standard here.””— CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell to Rep. Kevin McCarthy on live coverage of President Joe Biden’s remarks on the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump, July 14, 2024.    Trump “Castrates the Facts”       “The President of the United States castrating the facts of the election results that have been reported tonight, falsely claiming that he has won the election and disenfranchising millions of voters whose ballots have not been counted sadly because of the raging pandemic and the failures of the administration to contain the pandemic.”— CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell on CBS News 2020: Election Night — America Decides, election night/early morning coverage November 4, 2020 EST.    RNC Fireworks Leaves O’Donnell Despondent      “This is an extraordinary thing to — to see this in Washington as the fireworks that spell out ‘Trump’ on government land. There are some things the President said tonight that deserve some clarification. John Dickerson, it took more than half an hour before the President addressed the pandemic that has claimed 180,000 lives and infected more than five million Americans.”— CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell on CBS News: 2020 America Decides: Republican Convention, August 27, 2020.    Time to Celebrate the Pandemic! It Led to “Cleaner Air and Cleaner Water”      “Tonight, we mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. There were supposed to be big celebrations around the world, but instead, people are celebrating inside and they’re celebrating cleaner air and cleaner water.”— Anchor Norah O’Donnell on CBS Evening News, April 22, 2020.   Lobbing Softball to Liz   “You have been known as a champion for the middle class. Why have you made that your calling?”— Co-host Norah O’Donnell to Senator Elizabeth Warren on CBS This Morning, April 22, 2014.   “Uncle Joe” Talking About America’s “Core Values”       “He’s [Joe Biden] really talking about the core values of this nation are at stake. I mean, he comes with a wealth of background and to take him on are what, essentially are issues like character....But apart from these [endorsements], this is Uncle Joe. You know? Regular Joe from Scranton, Pennsylvania and the rust belt states and the white working class voters that Democrats lost in the last election.” — Co-host Norah O’Donnell on CBS This Morning, April 25, 2019.  “You always remember the person....that comes to your family member or friend’s funeral or calls you. And that’s what a lot of people say about Joe Biden, is that he’s that first person who calls and shows up at a family member’s funeral.”— Co-host Norah O’Donnell on CBS This Morning, April 4, 2019.    Should “Dangerous” Trump Be Removed from Office?       “If he is dangerous to democracy, as you say, should he be removed from office?”— Co-host Norah O’Donnell question to Sen. Jeff Flake on CBS This Morning, October 25, 2017.    Norah’s Plea: Can Anything Be Done to “Stop” Brett Kavanaugh?      “We know that if Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed, this will shift the balance of power on the Supreme Court for decades to come. Republicans control the majority. Is there anything you can do to stop this nomination?”  — Co-anchor Norah O’Donnell’s question to Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer as aired on CBS This Morning, July 10, 2018.

President Donald Trump evidently means business when it comes to eliminating racist DEI initiatives and other forms of race-based discrimination, both new and old. On Tuesday, he issued an executive order directing all executive government departments and agencies to eliminate "all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements," as well to combat similarly discriminatory DEI policies and activities. Trump left virtually no ground for dissenting federal bureaucrats to take a stand on, rescinding President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 Executive Order 11246, which required that government contractors take affirmative action, as well as other race-prioritizing executive actions issued by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. In his order, titled "Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity," Trump noted that while federal civil rights laws protect Americans from discrimination, roughly 60 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, numerous influential institutions, both private and public, "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) ... that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation." Trump noted that in addition to violating the text and spirit of American civil rights laws, these DEI policies "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." 'This is an epochal shift, which will be noted in history books.' A November study published by the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University supports Trump's concerns about the divisive nature of DEI. "When DEI initiatives typically affirm the laudable goals of combating bias and promoting inclusivity, an emerging body of research warns that these interventions may foster authoritarian mindsets, particularly when anti-oppressive narratives exist within an ideological and vindictive monoculture," said the study. "The push toward absolute equity can undermine pluralism and engender a (potentially violent) aspiration of ideological purity." After putting Johnson's EO in the ground, Trump directed the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to immediately cease promoting "diversity," holding federal contractors and subcontractors responsible for taking affirmative action, and allowing or encouraging federal contractors to "engage in workforce balancing based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin." In addition to tasking the director of the Office of Management and Budget nominee to undertake a purge of any DEI jargon, principles, or schemes in federal acquisition, contracting, grants, and financial assistance procedures — and indicating that doing so will "streamline those procedures, improve speed and efficiency, lower costs, and comply with civil-rights laws" — Trump signaled that DEI practitioners in the private sector may soon reap the whirlwind for their discriminatory practices. The attorney general, working with the head of relevant federal agencies, will draft a list of recommendations for how the Trump administration could crush civil rights-violating DEI practices in the private sector, along with a list of worst offenders and workable strategies. "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," wrote Trump. Christopher Rufo, a senior Manhattan Institute fellow who has waged a years-long war against DEI, called Trump's EO a "massive shift." Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R) tweeted, "This is game-changing & we should strive to make it permanent. The @freedomcaucus would all vote to codify this. But many Republicans would not. We have to be willing to be as bold in Congress." "This is an epochal shift, which will be noted in history books," wrote Eric Kaufmann, a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham. "The fact this did not happen for over half a century despite 2/3 public support is testament to the cultural power of the (inflated) anti-racism taboo over successive Republican elites." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

To no one’s surprise, CNN is baffled by Americans’ inability to connect the devastating California fires to climate change, pointing to widespread indifference toward the issue. “I don’t think Americans are making this connection, and the way we can see this in right here and now, take a look at the monthly changes in Google searches,” one CNN host said before showing that Google searches for “wildfire” are up 2,400% while searches for “climate change” are down 9%. “My goodness gracious. This is the most amount of people searching for wildfires ever, ever. Going back since Google trends began back in 2004,” the host continued. “I also looked in California, there has been no increase in the number of searches for climate change.” “So the bottom line is this: Americans are definitely interested in learning about these wildfires, they’re interested in following the news about the wildfires, but they are not making that connection with climate change. That’s the bottom line,” he added. Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” laughs, saying, “They’re smarter than that.” And apparently, Gray is right. Recent Gallup research reveals that only 39% of Americans expressed significant concern about climate change in 2023 while Pew Research Center found that just 45% believe humans play a major role in the problem. “We have seen the same amount of disasters, of natural phenomenon, that we’ve always had. There is no upward trend at all. These have always happened; they will always continue to happen,” Gray says. “It’s not climate change, and I thank heaven everybody’s smart enough to understand that. Not everybody, but most Americans are smart enough to understand that,” he adds. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

'Double-Take in Shock and Horror'! Tom Homan Stuns CNN Host With a Deportation Reality Check