The State Department under President Donald Trump is discarding prior guidelines from President Joe Biden’s tenure that had encouraged the promotion of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) agendas among foreign officials and governments. According to State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, American diplomats are now instructed to prioritize national interests over these political stances.
Documents from the Biden administration obtained by Fox News Digital illustrated that employees were previously mandated to incorporate various DEIA topics in discussions with foreign counterparts. This included encouraging dialogues on social inclusion, gender equity, disability, and LGBTQI+ issues, particularly in areas where such matters were contentious.
The guidelines also emphasized the need for Front Offices, responsible for leading State Department bureaus globally, to actively engage with these topics. The performance and promotion considerations for personnel under Biden’s tenure included the adoption of DEI policies, but these criteria have since been removed by Trump’s administration.
In addition, the previous guidelines encouraged allyship by prompting employees to address biases undermining inclusivity across multiple identities and roles within the Department. It also encouraged staff to independently enhance their DEI understanding rather than relying on those from historically marginalized communities.
Front Offices were instructed to support or create a ‘DEIA Council’ to further these efforts. There were also calls for localized DEIA training development and channels for Locally Employed staff to express their insights on DEIA practices.
Trump’s administration, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stresses merit and diplomatic skills over DEIA policies. Pigott notes that the Department’s primary focus is diplomacy, not political agendas. Reforms aim to hone diplomatic skills to address pressing challenges effectively.
Pigott further confirmed that significant reforms are being implemented within the Foreign Service to enhance merit-based promotions and skills training.
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