The U.S. Department of State announced Thursday that it has ended the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda in the Foreign Service, restoring focus on merit, rigor, and practical diplomatic skills.
The move formalizes the elimination of Biden-era requirements that directed diplomats to promote DEI topics with foreign counterparts and incorporated related content into training and evaluations.
In a statement released by the Office of the Spokesperson, the department said the prior agenda “was embedded in the institutional culture of the Foreign Service during the previous administration” and that related materials “shamefully denigrated the United States, derided Americans of certain backgrounds, and distracted from legitimate foreign policy objectives that serve the American people.”
Under President Donald Trump, the department has “eliminated DEI ideology from Foreign Service training to better uphold the highest standards of American diplomacy.”
Background of DEI Integration Under the Prior Administration
During the previous administration, DEI considerations were incorporated into Foreign Service tenure, promotion, and performance processes. The 2022-2025 Decision Criteria for Tenure and Promotion included a Core Precept titled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.”
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, who served as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, stated in 2023 that “We made the change that if you wanted to be considered for promotion at the Department of State, you must be able to document what you are doing to support diversity, equity and inclusion and accessibility. This is how you are judged for promotion.”
Biden-era guidance obtained instructed Front Offices to “routinely raise social inclusion, racial/gender equity, disability, and LGBTQI+ issues with high-level host country interlocutors.”
Compliance factored into performance reviews and promotion decisions. A State Department internal review later identified additional materials, including a DEI reading list for instructors that featured texts such as Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility,” “In Defense of Looting,” “How White Women Tears Oppress People of Color,” and “How to be Anti-Racist in Humanitarian Aid.”
Other elements included a DEI toolkit with language-specific trainings such as “Let’s Talk About Black Lives Matter in Bangla” and exercises on systemic racism in Urdu and Hebrew; an “Inclusivity Guide” addressing “non-binary pronouns” such as “Ze,” “Zir,” and “Zirs”; and a vocabulary list that described “illegal alien” as a “problematic term.”
Dedicated DEI instruction was added to the Foreign Service orientation course and the Foundations of Public Diplomacy course.
Presidential Directive and Early Reforms
On March 18, 2025, Trump signed a memorandum titled “Removing Discrimination and Discriminatory Equity Ideology From the Foreign Service.” The document directed the Secretary of State to revise the 2022-2025 Decision Criteria to remove any reference to the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” Core Precept and to ensure recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention decisions are not based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
A White House fact sheet issued the same day stated that the policy established hiring in foreign policy positions “shall be based solely on merit.” Subsequent actions included replacing the DEI precept with one focused on “fidelity,” requiring officers to demonstrate loyalty by “zealously executing U.S. government policy.” In November 2025, the department stated that nearly 300 Foreign Service Officers had been denied promotion opportunities under the prior system and that restitution would be provided.
In April 2026, the department revised the Foreign Service Officer Test to eliminate questions testing alignment with the DEI agenda and updated orientation curriculum to emphasize diplomatic history, tradecraft, and America First foreign policy. A January 2026 Federal Register rule further prohibited taxpayer support for discriminatory equity ideology in foreign assistance awards.
Current Implementation and Actionable Steps
The August 13, 2026, announcement confirms that DEI content has been removed from training curricula and that prior promotion metrics tied to raising DEI issues with foreign governments no longer apply.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital that “Under the Trump Administration, America’s diplomats are tasked with advocating for our national interests on the world stage — not demonstrating adherence to woke political dogmas.”
Pigott added that “The State Department is implementing sweeping reforms to the Foreign Service to prioritize merit, refocus training on tangible diplomatic skills, and prepare our nation’s diplomats to deliver America’s answer to our most pressing challenges.”
Observable steps include the permanent removal of DEI precepts from evaluation criteria, replacement of related reading lists and toolkits with materials focused on foundational documents such as Washington’s Farewell Address, the Monroe Doctrine, and the Federalist Papers, and an open invitation for qualified Americans to apply to the Foreign Service.
The department stated it is modernizing the service to address threats including hostile powers, terrorists, narcotics smuggling, and illegal immigration.
Provided by Dallas Express
