Trump admin's push to scrap DEI in federal government takes landmark step with new hiring rule

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration on Wednesday took another step in its sweeping campaign to eliminate DEI policies from the federal government, removing decades-old hiring guidelines that officials say encouraged race-conscious employment decisions in favor of a renewed emphasis on merit-based hiring.The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a final interim rule on Thursday that removes references to the 1978 Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, which govern employee selection standards, citing a recent Justice Department legal opinion that found the guidelines unconstitutional in the way they encouraged race-conscious decision-making.The move affects how federal agencies approach hiring by eliminating references to long-standing guidance centered on "disparate impact," the idea that hiring practices that could produce unequal outcomes among racial groups can be legally problematic even absent intentional discrimination.Administration officials argue those guidelines pressured employers to focus on racial outcomes rather than qualifications, while supporters of the guidelines contend they help guard against subtle forms of discrimination.DEI HIRING BOOST FOR ONE BLUE STATE'S MUSLIM COMMISSION INITIATIVE FLIES IN FACE OF TRUMP'S ANTI-WOKE PUSH"Federal hiring should be based on merit, qualifications, and the ability to perform the job," OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement to Fox News Digital."This rule ensures OPM's regulations reflect legal guidance while preserving the rigorous, job-related standards that help agencies recruit and hire the most qualified workforce in service to the American people."The rule took effect immediately after it was published in the Federal Register on Thursday but will remain open for public comment for 60 days before OPM decides whether to make it permanent.COAST GUARD ENDING RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS FOR OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAM UNDER TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNOPM serves as the federal government's human resources agency, setting hiring, personnel and workforce policies for roughly 2 million civilian federal employees across executive branch agencies.