Companies Parse What Makes a DEI Program Illegal Under Trump

Businesses already facing scrutiny over diversity programs will need to ramp up internal legal checks of hiring, training and other initiatives following President Donald Trump’s fresh blitz on what his administration describes as “illegal DEI.”

Trump on Tuesday night issued an executive order directing federal agencies to clamp down on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies that the administration argues can themselves be a form of “discrimination,” starting with drawing up a list of potential targets for investigations. Trump’s move—following years of conservative attacks on DEI—will further galvanize corporate diversity rollbacks that gathered speed in recent months.

Companies “don’t want ...