Trump Issues Directives to Strengthen Enforcement against Campus Diversity and Inclusion Practices | Trump administration

On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed executive orders targeting universities as part of his administration’s efforts to reshape higher education institutions and crack down on diversity and inclusion efforts. The orders address foreign gifts to universities and college accreditation, with the White House claiming that accreditors have relied on “woke ideology” rather than merit. Education Secretary Linda McMahon added that universities should prioritize those with real merit for admission and enforce these standards. This comes as the Trump administration has been engaged in an all-out attack on US universities since taking office, seeking to dramatically alter institutions he claims have been taken over by “Marxist maniacs and lunatics.” The federal government has sought to cut funding from universities unless they meet the administration’s demands, banned diversity initiatives, and detained international students in retaliation for their activism. More than 150 US university presidents have condemned the administration’s actions as unprecedented government overreach and political interference in higher education. Harvard University has also sued the government in response to the threatened funding cuts. The White House has ordered McMahon to hold accreditors accountable for any poor performance or violation of federal civil rights law and has directed administration officials to investigate “unlawful discrimination” in higher education. Despite condemning diversity and inclusion efforts, Trump also signed an order establishing a White House initiative on historically black colleges and universities and signed orders related to workforce development and artificial intelligence education.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/23/trump-education-diversity-hcbu