Donald Trump's War on DEI – and Why India Needs to Stay Vigilant

This article is the second part of a series that looks at the US and the impact of its policies on the world. Read the first here.

At six months, the US Presidency threat has spilled. Iran has been bombed, without congressional approval – propelling the US directly into the middle east conflict. Gone are days of deliberation and preparation. The Iran attacks were ‘almost’ leaked over social media, by the US president Donald Trump himself. It isn’t unclear to those who aren’t blinded by propaganda that there aren’t many around to effectively censor the egoic and erratic one man show.  The US saw nationwide protests in June, unfortunately the price for which might have been paid by Iran. It was quite the opportunity for diversion. The US entering West Asia in an act of active war flexed the ego further and took away attention from the discontent within. The Indian leadership is struggling with the loss of love (and face) with a past admirer, and like any wise person would do – those who need to appease the ego are doing so. Trump is eyeing the noble prize (just like he had coveted the Papacy) and is being edged on. Can this almost comic madness be chronicled, if not dissected?

 History is speckled with such egoism and a price has always been paid – sometimes within the confines of a nation’s border, often internationally. This time too, it’s inevitable. Uncertainty will increase for India with the worries will be bigger than a coveted career path through admission into the US universities. 

As of last week, social media profiles would need to be public for those aspiring to enter the US. Human rights (including privacy and equality) continue to be flushed down the drain, without much hue and cry. To quote H. Heine, where they burn books, they will also, in the end, burn human beings. The starter domestic acts are of international consequence through direct adoption and eventual escalation into direr actions.

DEI reversal (from threats to corporations and universities to firing of employees) was a started focus of this US administration. In 2023 Harvard University lost its right to hire students under reserved quotas (Students for fair admissions vs. Harvard). This had paved the way for long standing arguments against affirmative action (intended to rectify systemic and generational discrimination by providing equity through opportunity). The opposers don’t necessarily challenge this intention (at least not openly). The opposing points are on effectiveness, assault to meritocracy, misuse and reverse discrimination. Not too different from the for and against arguments on reservations in India.

Post Students for Fair Admissions vs. Harvard, affirmative action softened into intentional DEI, with broad support and widespread adoption by corporations because diversity is good for the economy. DEI also has had a much longer incubation and stabilisation period. Therefore, unlike the ‘radical’ and ‘troubling’ transgender rights which could be presented as a threat to normalised existence, cancelling equity and inclusion initiatives would be tougher. Or so we thought. Economic statistics show diversity to be good for business and there were significant tailwinds with the Black Lives Matter, especially in the US after George Floyd. To tackle this, the messaging was strategically built around waste and efficiency. 

Despite expectations, the opposition to this strong handed imposition was not that high. Most organisations in the US, from academic to business, are in negotiations with the government – barring Harvard. The government, instead of softening (like in the case or tariffs), has dealt stronger and creative blows: from cancellation of grants and fundings to cancellations of approvals and visas for international students. Even for the firing of domestic workforce, the outrage has been nowhere near what was seen in response to police deaths and through the Black Live Matters movement. 

Why so?

The greatest lies (aka diplomatic strategies) are the ones which have some truth within. Bureaucracy and misuse of welfare and abuse of government programs, inefficiency in processes does happen at all levels of Governments. As does stretching of sparse resources, efficient use of government dollars, hard and diligent care by government workers, passionate service by social workers and national park rangers, and so on. Focusing the story on the former to eliminate the former is done through propagandic messaging. This, in the age of algorithms, is easy to do and tried and tested (example, vaccination rates across in the US are now lower). The message of DEI based hiring driving poorer quality in workforce and discrimination against just candidates was played up through selective bolstering using. 

Immigration reforms were expected to be welcome for reasons not too different. The make of the US society, down to neighbourhoods beyond the liberal and urban coasts, is changing. This is uncomfortable to many. In many cases, immigration loopholes have been abused. The later fact is used to drive the agenda of cleansing. In the weeks that have passed since part one of this series, higher scrutiny on immigration and tightening control on immigration has been established and accepted, including the Supreme Court support of deporting to third nations. 

India has seen many of the tactics described in this article (and in the first part). But caste and gender reforms haven’t been touched. Yet. At least not explicitly. India’s focus has been around borders and religion. Transition of power has had its challenges, but within the borders of certain states where fair elections are prevented. Therefore, the threat of national autocracy is lower. The mechanisms of autocracy however – disarmament of courts (remove the marshals), suppression and diversion of narratives (pave a path for primary narratives that are aligned to agenda to onboard mass thinking), and instilling fear (targeted arrests and court proceedings) are at play – overtly and covertly. Examples include reduction of academic and research fundings, branding and banning of non-profits (Amnesty International), and changing of the syllabus. 

History (historical facts) can’t be changed, but access to facts can be, which leads to slow erosion of facts by establishment of what is now believed to be factual. Thus, history is written by the winners and re-written by those with the power to do so. 

The governments in all over the world, manipulate using lies which have some truth in them. The extent and approach depend on opportunity and need. Like the fear of Chinese takeover (through investment, TikTok, and replacement of talent) and the fear of transgender rights leading to misappropriation, pacifying religious interests through unequal and selectively tolerant polices and lax border security thanks to non-enforcement of document and border control (in some states more than other) are Indian examples of valid fears creating entry points for propagandic takeover. 

Many believe that the heterosexual males sliding down the socio-economic ladder in the US spearheaded the fear driven motivation to aggressively encroach on rights of others (leading to Project 2025). Likewise, the Indian patriarchy isn’t taking independence of women well. Higher divorce rates, women not wanting to compromise, and custodial battles – previously blamed on westernisation, is now being blamed on women having earning power and agency. Social media posts are abundantly comparing alimony to dowry and highlighting abuse of men while the actual statistics on ground (rural and urban) remain quite different. These grievances, following the playbook, are utilised to create sentiments the courts (particularly the supreme court) following ‘unfavourable’ judgements and for creating unity through propaganda. 

There’s a financial angle in all of this benefiting the doers (for example, the US citizens getting deported to El Salvador). Flexing of power muscles has reached arbitrary and previously unimaginable height in the US, alongside strong-armed curbing of dissent. The national guards have been called by the Federal government on state protests. The case of cancellation of licenses to be able to admit international students to force Harvard into compliance has already been mentioned and is well known. For India, the former can be a reminiscent of the nation’s own emergency days. 

In 2022, I was the recipient of my company’s 'advocate of the year' award for greater America for promoting diversity and inclusion. Gender rights, social justice, promoting inclusion at the workplace, looking into systemic barriers that prevent employees from thriving – all good things and therefore, the award was a badge of honour. Today, most companies are backing out of DEI commitments (or rather, are being bullied into doing so). The Guardian published the same for the UK. DEI is the new plague, better avoided until the tides turn to avoid ‘political attention’. The stance is being rebranded as building culture. Pride month celebrations this June are quite muted in the corporate space and collaborations are drying up, including in India. It’s an opportunistic fiscal decision to avoid spending where it isn’t role-modelled (read mandated) by the US headquarters. DEI jobs have been lost in scores since 2023. 

According to many, the US has been getting dumber by the day for years and is now an autocracy. This can be said for many nations, and it has been happening since before Brexit. The buyer’s remorse on Brexit was clear when I travelled to the UK this spring, but not yet in the US. There’s a discomfort in accepting mistakes. Loss of faith, hope, and loss of a saviour to rely on. The Trump-Musk feud signals unravelling of the trust in saviourism but is unlikely to create overhaul. The biggest threat is the rule of force and the normalisation of the same. From curbing protests inside its borders to bombing other nations, the US has no guardian right now. Protests are growing, but not fast enough.

The slow outrage is also because of the brilliantly counter-intuitive divide and conquer tactic. Injustice against everyone is an injustice against no one. By going after several segments or the population all at once, and attacking civil liberties across, the US government has successfully created a situation where no cause is big enough for singularly binding outrage. That is why, wholistic and collective narration is important. 

When things irk personal, sectional, or national interests, what price should be paid for democracy? What means do citizens have? Critical thinking, common ground solutions, due process, free press, can prevent extremism but aren’t citizens apportioned and powerless? Research stands by the power of just 3.5% of any population mobilising. Mobilisation of 3.5% of the population is no small feat, but doable. Hopefully, the US will get there soon. Hopefully, learning from this, India and the world population stays vigilant. 

Tanushree Ghosh works as a technology executive in the US, is an author, activist, and columnist.

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