Former President Donald Trump has promised to revoke an executive order recently signed by President Joe Biden that aims to advance “racial equity” through the federal government if he is reelected in 2024.
The Feb. 16 order, entitled “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” mandates the establishment of “agency equity teams” throughout Executive Branch departments to deliver “equitable outcomes” through federal programs and policies.
In addition to racial minorities, the order also aims to boost outcomes for religious minorities, women, and girls, LGBT individuals, those with disabilities, residents of rural areas, and those affected by “persistent poverty or inequality.”
In a video shared via social media on March 2, Trump described the directive as a “sinister” attempt to implement a “woke takeover of the federal government.”
“Every institution in America is under attack from this Marxist concept of ‘equity,’” Trump charged. “Instead of treating everyone equally, making decisions based on merit or qualifications, equity means that benefits are awarded and policies are enforced based on skin color and sexual identity. We don’t think that’s a good idea.”
#AGENDA47: @realDonaldTrump will REVOKE Biden’s Marxist “equity” executive order and END the woke takeover of our government! pic.twitter.com/9Hntg3V6sB
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 2, 2023
Noting that he would revoke the policy on his first day back in the Oval Office, the Republican also pledged to immediately terminate all officers and programs associated with the order and call for an investigation into the Biden administration’s “unlawful domination and discrimination and civil right abuses.”
“I will also urge Congress to create a restitution fund for Americans who have been unjustly discriminated against by these equity policies, and I will restore merit-based civil service,” he added, promising to eradicate such “extremism” from the federal government.
Despite the administration’s touting of the policy as a way to “support and empower all Americans,” the executive order has been the target of critics who feel it does nothing to eradicate injustice but rather perpetuates it.
“[Equity] means auditing taxes based on race,” America First Legal President Stephen Miller noted on Feb. 22. “It means deciding criminal justice based on where your family comes from. … This is raw Marxism.”
Describing the ideology behind the policy as “poisonous,” Miller urged others to oppose its implementation, contending, “If this executive order is allowed to go fully into effect, it will, like a cancer, destroy the American dream and American society.”
Still, the policy has its supporters among those on the political left, like NAACP President Derrick Johnson, who celebrated the order in a Feb. 16 tweet.
“President Biden today is taking yet another step to advance racial equity, by signing a new executive order which will invest in underserved communities, address emerging civil rights risks, and improve economic opportunities in rural and urban communities,” Johnson wrote. “This is a big deal.”
The Epoch Times has contacted the White House for comment.
From The Epoch Times
