Donald Trump is back in the White House and swinging a sledgehammer at DEI. But the blows he’s dealt — an end to diversity training mandates, race-conscious hiring in government, and funding for DEI programming — target only federal initiatives, leaving race-based preference programs outside government untouched. In other words, the “death” of diversity, equity and inclusion has been greatly exaggerated.

McDonald’s, for instance, has not abandoned its DEI agenda — despite declarations to the contrary. On Jan. 6, the fast-food giant announced it was “evolving” its diversity team into the “Global Inclusion Team,” claiming the name change was “more fitting for McDonald’s in light of our inclusion value and better aligns with this team’s work.”

The choice of date wasn’t accidental. While the nation was fixated on the anniversary of the Capitol riot, McDonald’s slipped this shift in under the radar, knowing it would be lost in the noise.

McDonald’s move is not a retreat; it’s a recalibration—a calculated attempt to dodge political backlash while maintaining the same ideological agenda. And McDonald’s is not alone in this ideological shape-shifting.

Starbucks, once a champion of DEI, no longer ties executive bonuses to diversity goals following shareholder pressure and backlash from conservative groups.

Duolingo and JetBlue recently framed DEI as a business risk in their latest corporate filings — a sharp pivot from moral imperative to liability management.

But this doesn’t mean DEI has died at these corporate giants. Not at all. Duolingo continues to publish pieces on its blog aimed at promoting diversity in education, while Starbucks’ website now proudly dedicates itself to “Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging.”

JetBlue, despite those filings, is also still prominently promoting DEI initiatives on its website. It’s a game of deception, not genuine transformation.

Of course, one cannot discuss DEI without mentioning its place of origin: academia. Universities are now masters of the rebranding game. Louisiana State University’s “Division of Inclusion, Civil Rights and Title IX” recently morphed into the “Division of Engagement, Civil Rights and Title IX.”

The department  funds and supports programs like the African American Cultural Center, LGBTQ+ Center and Women’s Center, which promote identity-based initiatives. 

At the University of Oklahoma, meanwhile, the diversity office now operates as the “Division of Access and Opportunity.” The diversity czar at Kennesaw State University in Georgia now flaunts the inflated title “vice president of organizational effectiveness, leadership development and inclusive excellence.”

Utah Valley University’s “Office of Inclusion and Diversity” has morphed into the “Office of Institutional Engagement and Effectiveness.” Even MIT still plays the DEI game. Admissions essays now ask students to describe efforts to make spaces “inclusive and diverse,” despite banning similar statements for incoming faculty last spring.  

In academia, “equity” — a commitment to enforced sameness, not excellence — still reigns supreme. 

Should anyone be surprised?

Over the past few years, universities have poured enormous sums into building bloated, DEI-driven bureaucracies. Indeed, according to Ilya Shapiro, author of the recent book “Lawless: The Miseducation of America’s Elites,” the University of Michigan spent more than $30 million on DEI initiatives in 2023 — that’s just a single school during a single school year.

American academia is not going to simply dismantle these structures or fire their armies of administrators. It’s far easier to hand out new job titles and shuffle them into offices with new names.

This brings us to the multimillion-dollar question: What could the president do to really ensure the death of DEI at both the federal and nationwide levels?

First, Trump must anchor his anti-DEI policies in legislation, shielding them from future administrations’ whims.

Executive orders can be overturned; laws are harder to dismantle. Trump could also draft laws barring federal agencies and contractors from using taxpayer dollars for DEI training, even the sneakily worded ones. Universities relying on federal funding could be required to prioritize merit over DEI criteria in admissions and hiring.

Additionally, a new oversight task force — perhaps a DOGE-like unit — could monitor DEI practices nationwide, enforcing compliance and imposing penalties for violations.

Companies and universities enforcing DEI conformity could face audits, contract losses or sanctions. Action is overdue, especially as Apple and Microsoft, two of America’s most powerful companies, double-down against Trump’s new directives and prioritize quotas over qualifications.

The fight for meritocracy is a battle to reclaim the foundation of American excellence. Without bold action, DEI will keep evolving, embedding itself further into government, academia and corporate America. To truly overhaul DEI, President Trump, you’ll need more than a sledgehammer — you’ll need a scalpel and the courage to cut deep.