By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said in a recent interview that some civil rights–era policies, while designed to address historic racial injustice, ended up treating white Americans “very badly,” particularly in college admissions and employment decisions.
Speaking with the New York Times in a wide-ranging interview published Sunday, Trump argued that policies such as affirmative action produced outcomes he views as unfair, preventing some qualified white applicants from being admitted to universities or hired for jobs despite strong credentials. In his remarks, Trump said those policies achieved “some very wonderful things” but also resulted in what he described as “reverse discrimination” that harmed people who “deserve to go to a college or deserve to get a job” but were denied opportunities anyway, according to the interview.
The comments reflect the administration’s broader effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government and in federally funded institutions. Administration officials frame the push not as a rollback of civil rights protections, but as a return to what they describe as race-neutral, merit-based enforcement of existing law.
That approach has already translated into regulatory changes. Last month, the Justice Department announced a final rule revising how Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is enforced, eliminating the use of so-called “disparate impact” liability. Under that legal theory, institutions could face penalties for statistically unequal outcomes even without evidence of intentional discrimination. The department said the change restores equal protection principles by requiring proof of actual discriminatory intent, as outlined in its announcement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the prior framework pressured schools, employers, and other federally funded entities to make race-conscious decisions to avoid enforcement actions. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Civil Rights Division, said the department will now focus on cases involving demonstrable discrimination rather than outcome-based statistical disparities.
Similar signals are coming from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Andrea Lucas, the Trump-appointed EEOC chair, has indicated the agency is scrutinizing corporate diversity initiatives and warned that employment decisions influenced “in whole or in part” by race or sex could violate federal law. In an interview cited by Newsmax, Lucas said investigations into diversity programs are already underway, emphasizing that civil rights enforcement will target race-based decision-making regardless of intent, as reported here.
The shift is already having effects in the private sector. Corporate legal teams and executives are reassessing diversity initiatives amid heightened enforcement risk and changing federal guidance. Media reports indicate that a number of large companies have scaled back, rebranded, or eliminated DEI programs in response to the administration’s posture.
Taken together, Trump’s remarks and the policy changes underway signal a significant reorientation of federal civil rights enforcement—one that challenges decades of precedent and reframes debates over equality, discrimination, and the role of government in addressing racial disparities.
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