President Trump’s proposed 2027 budget seeks to eliminate federal programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), framing them as “woke” initiatives. The plan, which includes $1.5 trillion for defense, slashes nondefense spending by 10%, targeting agencies like the Minority Business Development Agency (cut by $47 million) and the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (reduced by $150 million). These moves align with Trump’s broader effort to dismantle civil rights-era policies, including ending training for educators on “white supremacy” and defunding grants for historically marginalized groups.

The administration also targets $7 million for Education Department’s Equity Assistance Centers, established under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, claiming they propagate “weaponized grant programming.” Cuts to the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education ($136 million) and Senior Community Service Employment Program ($395 million) further illustrate efforts to defund groups labeled as “leftist.” Transportation grants ($145 million) and housing programs ($50 million) face reductions accused of favoring “divisive D.E.I. agendas.”

Trump’s campaign against DEI extends beyond budgets: he terminated federal DEI offices post-inauguration, repealed equal opportunity executive orders, and scrubbed terms like “injustice” from government websites. The Smithsonian and federal agencies have also faced scrutiny for historical narratives and monument restorations.

Civil rights groups, including the N.A.A.C.P., condemn the proposal as an assault on decades of progress. While Congress holds final approval power, Trump’s strategy reflects a consistent effort to roll back federal support for marginalized communities, despite bipartisan opposition and historical evidence of DEI programs’ effectiveness.