Donald Trump Emphasizes Elimination of Racial and Gender Discrimination in the U.S. Military

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, on Monday, February 27, issued an order as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military, announcing that he is "committed to meritocracy and the elimination of racial and gender discrimination" in the armed forces of the country. According to the White House website, he emphasized in his statement that "no individual or group should be discriminated against in the armed forces based on gender, race, ethnicity, skin color, or belief, either positively or negatively." Mr. Trump expressed regret that in recent years, military and civilian leaders have implemented programs under the banner of diversity and equality that apply racial and gender preferences in the armed forces, stating: "These leadership actions undermine the merit and cohesion of units and reduce the efficiency and readiness of the forces, and also contradict the conscience of American citizens by engaging in racial and gender discrimination." The President of the United States continued: "My administration's policy is that the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security regarding the U.S. Coast Guard, and all armed forces must operate without any preference based on race or gender." He referred to the "D.I.E. offices" established "to influence hiring or employment actions based on race, gender, color, or ethnicity, or to promote discriminatory practices" in his executive order issued on January 21 of this year to "combat ideological gender extremism." Donald Trump added that the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security are required to dissolve all these offices in their respective departments and eliminate all actions related to racial or gender preferences that violate meritocracy. He also requested the Secretary of Defense to prepare a report on all actions related to this issue and instances of racial and gender discrimination and submit it within 90 days. The President of the United States emphasized: "The Department of Defense and the armed forces are prohibited from promoting or teaching divisive concepts, extremist theories, and gender ideology" and called for ensuring that educational institutions related to the Department of Defense teach America's fundamental values.