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24-05-2025
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Trump’s Anti-DEI Push Reshapes Campuses and Military

Date: 24-05-2025
Sources: cnbc.com: 1 | edition.cnn.com: 1 | nytimes.com: 2
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Source: edition.cnn.com

Image content: The image shows a joyful group of graduates celebrating together in caps and gowns. They’re wearing colorful kente stoles and smiling, dancing, and posing as part of a commencement ceremony.

Summary

Across higher education and the military, the Trump administration is intensifying efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, framing the shift as restoring merit and focus. In a West Point commencement address, Trump touted a “golden age” built on rebuilding the military and purging DEI, which has led to disbanded affinity groups, removed books on race and gender, and curriculum changes at academies. Parallel crackdowns at universities—backed by federal investigations, funding threats, and state-level bans—have prompted elite schools to cancel identity-based graduation ceremonies, while students and community groups recreate them off campus. The administration also escalated pressure on Harvard with sweeping data demands and international student restrictions, sparking legal battles over academic freedom and government overreach. Supporters claim improved morale and merit-based standards; critics warn of cultural erasure, chilled speech, and institutional politicization.

Key Points

  • Trump’s West Point speech celebrates a purge of DEI, framing it as restoring merit and military strength.
  • Military academies implemented directives eliminating affinity groups and removing books on race and gender, drawing faculty backlash.
  • Universities are canceling affinity graduations under anti-DEI policies; students and nonprofits host independent ceremonies.
  • The administration demanded expansive student data from Harvard and restricted international enrollments, triggering lawsuits over academic freedom.
  • Supporters cite recruitment and morale gains, while opponents warn of cultural erasure and government overreach.

Articles in this Cluster

Trump touts anti-DEI changes in West Point address

24-05-2025

President Donald Trump used his West Point commencement address to promote an “America First” agenda and highlight his administration’s military policies, claiming credit for rebuilding U.S. forces and declaring a “golden age of America.” He praised efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the military, saying such changes restored respect and focus. The speech mixed graduation themes with campaign-style rhetoric, including criticism of past administrations and emphasis on military dominance. Following his executive order, West Point cut several cultural clubs, and the Pentagon directed academies to remove books referencing racism or sexism from libraries.
Entities: Donald Trump, West Point, U.S. military, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Pentagon • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform

Colleges are canceling affinity graduations due to anti-DEI policies. Here is how students are preserving the traditions | CNNClose icon

24-05-2025

Amid federal and state crackdowns on diversity, equity and inclusion, universities including Harvard and the University of Kentucky have canceled affinity graduations—optional ceremonies celebrating identities such as Black, Hispanic, Asian, first-generation and LGBTQ+ students. The moves follow threats from the Trump administration to pull funding and accreditation from schools that maintain DEI-related practices, and state-level bans like Utah’s. Students and alumni are preserving the traditions by organizing off-campus events with community support, such as Harvard’s Black graduation and Kentucky’s “Senior Salute.” Advocates argue these ceremonies honor cultural traditions and provide affirming spaces often missing from Eurocentric main commencements, while LGBTQ+ Lavender Graduations have also been disrupted, prompting nonprofits and local groups to step in.
Entities: Harvard University, University of Kentucky, affinity graduations, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Trump administration • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform

Trump Gives Commencement Address at West Point, Stressing a New Era - The New York Times

24-05-2025

President Trump’s commencement address at West Point framed the graduates as entering a “golden age” resulting from his efforts to rebuild the military and purge diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. He praised merit-based promotions, denounced “social projects” in the armed forces, and claimed improved recruitment and morale. The speech highlighted his administration’s removal of DEI programs, bans on transgender service members, and leadership changes to reduce diversity. At West Point, compliance with his directives led to removing books on race and gender, disbanding affinity groups, and altering curricula, sparking faculty backlash. Trump contrasted his remarks with his more conciliatory 2020 address, emphasizing a focus on defeating adversaries and dismissing cultural initiatives. He lauded the graduates, touted new military projects like missile defense, and portrayed the U.S. Army as the world’s most respected.
Entities: Donald Trump, West Point, U.S. Army, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), transgender service members • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform

Trump Seeks Extensive Student Data in Pressure Campaign to Control Harvard - The New York Times

24-05-2025

The Trump administration escalated its confrontation with Harvard by demanding expansive data on international students, including coursework, misconduct records, and protest videos, then barring the university from enrolling any international students after Harvard resisted parts of the request. Harvard, which says it has complied with legal requirements, sued, arguing the government is violating its First Amendment rights and attempting to seize control of the institution through retaliatory pressure and sweeping, unjustified data demands. The DHS move follows multiple investigations by Justice, Education, HHS, EEOC, and an antisemitism task force into Harvard’s admissions, DEI policies, and foreign funding. The administration frames its actions as enforcing law and combating campus antisemitism and “woke” policies; Harvard calls it an unprecedented attack on academic freedom. Trump signaled other universities could face similar international student restrictions.
Entities: Donald Trump, Harvard University, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice, First Amendment • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform