Trump Ends ‘Equity’ In Federal Hiring, Promises To Only Focus On Merit

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to overhaul the federal hiring process and prioritize merit, making “equity” no longer an acceptable purpose for hiring someone. 

Trump signed the order which says that the government will now prioritize hiring based on skills, experience and patriotism and not things like “equity.” The executive order was one of the many signed by Trump his first day back to reverse policies put in place by President Joe Biden and implement reform. 

“This is a big deal. Merit. Our country’s going to be based on merit again, can you believe it?” Trump said as he signed the executive order. 

???? President Trump restores merit-based hiring to the federal government pic.twitter.com/zcPsOO1EsL

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 21, 2025

“American citizens deserve an excellent and efficient Federal workforce that attracts the highest caliber of civil servants committed to achieving the freedom, prosperity, and democratic rule that our Constitution promotes,” the executive order says. “But current Federal hiring practices are broken, insular, and outdated. They no longer focus on merit, practical skill, and dedication to our Constitution.”

The order also stipulates that “equity” will no longer be a basis of hiring. 

“Federal hiring should not be based on impermissible factors, such as one’s commitment to illegal racial discrimination under the guise of “equity,” or one’s commitment to the invented concept of ‘gender identity’ over sex,” the order adds.  “Inserting such factors into the hiring process subverts the will of the People, puts critical government functions at risk, and risks losing the best-qualified candidates.”

A fact sheet on the executive order  shared with The Daily Wire reveals that the White House believes that the government “will better serve the needs of the American people,” by prioritizing federal hiring on skills, experience, and patriotism, not commitment to radical ideologies.”

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The executive order means that the Trump administration will develop a plan to hire individuals committed to the Constitution, the rule of law, American values, the ideals of our Republic, and the will of the People, based on merit.”

This plan will include modernizing the current “outdated” hiring process in order for agencies to be better able to recruit candidates. This will include utilizing “technology to improve hiring and communication with candidates” and reducing time-to-hire by “prioritizing skills-based hiring and reducing reliance on ineffective assessments.”

The White House said that “fixing the hiring process” and focusing on merit “will best serve America and respect the will of the People.”

“President Trump promised the American people a government that is more efficient and effective, and that he would end the weaponization of government against the American people,” the fact sheet said.

Trump has promised to bring accountability and reform to the White House, saying that he will end the weaponization of the federal government.