EO 14,185: Restoring America's Fighting Force

This Executive Order (EO) claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs "undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness." It banned what it called DEI functions in the Department of Defense, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and the armed forces. The EO also directed administration leaders to "abolish every DEI office within the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security with regard to the USCG, respectively, including any vestiges of DEI offices, such as sub-offices, programs, elements, or initiatives." Instead of relying on terms as previously defined by statutes or courts, this order relied on its own definitions of terms like "gender ideology," "divisive concepts," and “race or sex stereotyping."