Mark Zaid, the D.C. attorney known for handling cases regarding national security, security clearances, government investigations, freedom of speech claims and whistleblowing, responded to President Donald Trump‘s order not merely to cut all DEI initiatives in the federal government, but also demanding that all federal employees expose any colleague who remains involved with DEI-type programs in federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and NASA.
[NOTE: “We are aware of efforts by some in government,” said Trump administration emails sent to government employees, according to NBC News, “to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.]
Commenting on the developments, Zaid wrote: “It goes beyond what happened at DHS & NASA today. CIA employees were told all resource & affinity groups are canceled. No black history month or MLK celebration, or any other ethnic recognition months. DEI folks are to be fired rather than allowed to rotate to former offices.”
1/It goes beyond what happened at DHS & NASA today.
CIA employees were told all resource & affinity groups are canceled. No black history month or MLK celebration, or any other ethnic recognition months. DEI folks are to be fired rather than allowed to rotate to former offices.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) January 23, 2025
Zaid reported: “CIA is also apparently banning lanyards that have to do with affinity groups. Women’s Council had to take down website & cancel all events, incl women’s history month. They are also compiling lists of members within affinity groups.”
END/CIA is also apparently banning lanyards that have to do with affinity groups. Women’s Council had to take down website & cancel all events, incl women’s history month.
They are also compiling lists of members within affinity groups.
Because that’s not reminiscent of 1930s.
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) January 23, 2025
Zaid added sardonically: “Because that’s not reminiscent of 1930s” — an apparent reference to similar orders issued by autocratic rulers during the rise of fascism in Europe during the fateful decade leading to the Second World War.
Former Civil Defense Counsel and Florida State Prosecutor Adam Bear replied to Zaid: “It’s almost some vile form of a fast and easy way of trashing governance from the inside out.”
It’s not a matter of abnormal, but sickening.
There are a few clear ways of handling the demonic situation a hand.
1. Ignore them, let them further this horror show, and/or litigate;
2. Walk out the door.Pretty much a lose/lose situation.
— Adam B. Bear (@democraticbear) January 23, 2025
Bear added: “It’s not a matter of abnormal, but sickening. There are a few clear ways of handling the demonic situation at hand. 1. Ignore them, let them further this horror show, and/or litigate; 2. Walk out the door. Pretty much a lose/lose situation.”
[NOTE: Trump’s blunt force anti-DEI moves are even more severe than was predicted, and reach beyond government into the private sector where he has threatened legal problems for any corporation using DEI practices.
By also including the cancelation of race-based and gender-based recognition of any kind — including celebrations of African Americans or women — Trump responds to calls from right-wing media like the Washington Times, which last February published an article called “Cancel Black History Month” that asserted “Black History Month has become an opportunity for the Left to push racial division instead of unity.”]
Note: Trump and Zaid have an antagonistic history. During a rally in Louisiana in November 2019, President Trump held up a photo of Zaid, called him “a sleazebag,” and read tweets Zaid wrote about the Trump-Ukraine scandal that lead to Trump’s first impeachment. (Zaid was representing the whistleblower who set Trump’s first impeachment in motion.)
The day after the rally where Trump identified Zaid with the photo, a Michigan man threatened the lives of Zaid and his Ukraine whistleblower client by email; the man later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison.