Trump to sign orders ending diversity programs

US President Donald Trump will issue a series of executive orders targeting diversity programs apart from gender identity policies, using his inauguration speech to signal a definitive break with what he decries as "woke" culture.

On the campaign trail, Trump railed against diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in the federal government and corporate world, saying they discriminated against white people—men in particular.

"I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life," Trump said in his inauguration speech on Tuesday, Jan. 21 (Philippine time) after announcing that the US policy will only recognize "two genders," calling the moves a "revolution of common sense." 

The government would immediately move to curtail programs that sought to redress historical inequality.

"The Department of Treasury—this is a little while ago now—included diversity training that said all white people, regardless of how woke they are, contribute to racism. So this type of funding, we're going to end at these (diversity) programs. We're going to end that," an incoming White House official said.

The incoming administration would also move to "terminate all discriminatory programs" while also seeking out civil service roles linked to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion that had been renamed by the Biden administration in an effort to protect them from Trump's axe.

"This includes environmental justice programs, equity related grants, equity action plans, equity initiatives, these types of things," the Trump official added. (AFP)