The State Department under President Donald Trump has officially scrapped Biden-era guidelines that directed U.S. diplomats to advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) policies when engaging with foreign governments and officials.
The previous administration's directives, obtained by Fox News Digital, instructed State Department personnel to raise social inclusion, racial and gender equity, disability, and LGBTQI+ issues in bilateral dialogues with foreign counterparts. Under Biden, adherence to DEI principles was factored into official performance reviews and promotion considerations—a practice the department has now eliminated.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics of the policy shift argue that diversity and inclusion initiatives within the diplomatic corps reflect American values of equity and pluralism. They contend that dismantling these guidelines could set back efforts to diversify the foreign service workforce, which has historically underrepresented women, minorities, and people with disabilities at senior ranks.
Advocacy groups aligned with the prior administration have noted that DEI programs were designed to ensure the State Department reflected the full diversity of the American public it serves. Critics worry that removing these benchmarks could slow progress on representation within the civil service and foreign service ranks.
Some Democratic lawmakers have suggested that diplomatic effectiveness depends partly on having a workforce that mirrors America's demographic composition, arguing this enhances credibility when engaging with diverse nations worldwide.
What the Right Is Saying
State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration is refocusing diplomats on core national interests. "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 said.
The department says it is implementing reforms to prioritize merit-based advancement and tangible diplomatic skills over identity-based metrics. Officials argue this approach ensures promotions are tied to job performance rather than ideological compliance.
"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," Pigott stated.
Conservative supporters of the change contend that embedding domestic political priorities into foreign engagement risked alienating partners in nations with different cultural frameworks on social issues. They argue this created diplomatic friction without advancing concrete American interests abroad.
What the Numbers Show
The Biden-era documents explicitly asked whether front offices were raising inclusion and equity topics "in countries where these issues are problematic" during high-level discussions—a directive now reversed under new department guidance.
Performance reviews under the previous administration included questions about employees' DEI advocacy, including whether staff spoke up to address perceived biases among colleagues. Those criteria have been removed from current evaluation standards.
The Biden guidelines also directed offices to establish or support "DEIA Councils" and develop localized diversity trainings for both U.S. direct hires and locally employed staff at overseas posts—initiatives the department is no longer tracking under its new framework.
The Bottom Line
The State Department's policy reversal marks a significant shift in how the United States approaches workforce management within its diplomatic corps and what priorities guide engagement with foreign governments.
Critics of Biden-era policies argued that embedding DEI metrics into performance reviews and international diplomacy created mission distractions. Supporters contend these initiatives addressed long-standing diversity gaps in the foreign service.
The change aligns with broader administration efforts to scale back federal DEI programs. The department has signaled additional workforce reforms may follow as it refines its approach to diplomat training and advancement criteria.