Kerby Anderson
On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order with the title: “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” The goal, of course, was to eliminate DEI requirements and thus end what often has become racially preferential treatment in the federal government.
As we began to discuss it on my radio program, those around the table began to see the overall significance of this action. Essentially, the president’s executive order removed most of the affirmative action and DEI protocols that have been added to the federal government going all the way back to the 1965 executive order by President Lyndon Johnson that first established affirmative action.
Trump’s executive order should also streamline the current government contracting process that has become so cumbersome because of the various DEI compliance requirements. They are not only cumbersome but discriminatory.
At this point in our roundtable discussion, a lawyer with First Liberty Institute talked about how many of their Christian clients are discriminated against because they must agree to DEI requirements inserted in contracts. They could not in good conscience affirm statements about sexuality that are contrary to biblical principles.
Trump’s order also tries to bring some pressure on the private sector. The order directs federal agencies to compile lists of companies, universities, and foundations still using DEI practices. Universities will likely be the first target because of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that struck down racial discrimination in colleges.
Now you might see why we concluded that this executive order might have been the most significant one he signed that first day.

Penna Dexter
A presidential transition always involves firing federal bureaucrats that populated the previous administration. The Trump team entered office motivated and prepared for this work — and rightly so.
The Napolitan Institute, an organization founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen, recently released a poll of Washington DC-based federal bureaucrats. Sixty-four percent of those who voted for Kamala Harris for president said they would not follow a lawful order from President Trump if they disagreed with it. Forty-two percent of federal government managers,with annual salaries of $75,000 or more, said they plan to politically oppose the administration.”
Senator Rand Paul told The Daily Signal that any government employee who refuses a lawful order by the president “should be fired for cause — immediately.”
The trouble is that there are career bureaucrats — often lifelong federal employees —who are protected from termination because they are not classified as policy-making executive branch employees.
Some of these employees do influence policy.
During his first term, President Trump experienced intense opposition from certain progressive bureaucrats. So, he issued an executive order creating a new category of federal employee: “Schedule F.” These are previously-protected employees whose jobs do entail making certain decisions that impact policy. Under the Trump order, these employees would no longer be shielded from termination for “perceived disloyalty to the president and his agenda.” The rule stipulates that “the President have appropriate management oversight regarding this select cadre of professionals.”
President Biden repealed the Trump order upon entering office. And, he implemented a rule that prevents the firing of career civil servants,
Federal employees that have “policy-making and policy-influencing roles” can form part of the deep state that plagues incoming presidents when they try to implement conservative policies. That’s why President Trump is restoring Schedule F.
Congress should now consider enshrining it into Federal law.
As Senator Katie Britt of Alabama put it,  “Civil servants must serve our nation, not their political party.”