Donald Trump’s Battle Against DEI - Why It Matters

Trump’s War on DEI

President Trump has declared war on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), signing executive orders to eliminate it from the military, government, and education. Unsurprisingly, DEI advocates are furious. But for everyday Americans, this is a much-needed correction to a system that has done more harm than good.

Trump’s goal isn’t to stop diversity. It’s to restore merit, fairness, and equal opportunity without quotas. History proves that when race-based and ideological hiring replace merit, society collapses. Just look at South Africa and Venezuela: two stark warnings of what happens when DEI policies go unchecked.

"When you prioritize diversity over competence, disasters happen"

President Donald J. Trump

45th and 47th President of The United States of America

Why Trump’s New DEI Policies Make Sense

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies may sound good at first, but in practice, they've lowered standards, fueled division, and prioritized political agendas over excellence and talent.

In the Military: DEI initiatives have led to lower recruitment standards and officers spending more time on “equity training” than on combat readiness, weakening the overall strength of the U.S. military. Racial tensions and homophobia now plague an institution that once focused solely on external threats.

In Workplaces: Companies hired DEI consultants and implemented quotas, only to lay them off later as the programs failed. Even tech giants like Google and Meta quietly let go of thousands of DEI employees after realizing they contributed little to company success. In January 2025, uncontrolled fires in Los Angeles and an aircraft crash were reportedly linked to DEI-related layoffs and unqualified personnel.

In Education: Schools and universities scrapped entrance exams to promote equity, resulting in lower academic standards. The outcome? A generation that’s unprepared, unqualified, and unable to compete in the real world. Reverse discrimination and forced equality of outcomes have completely undermined merit-based systems.

President Trump’s policies aim to restore merit-based hiring, promotions, and remove ideological activism from institutions. To truly understand why this is so crucial, we need to look at extreme examples of what happens when DEI is taken too far.

South Africa: How DEI Collapsed a Nation

If there’s a glaring example of how DEI policies can destroy an economy, it’s South Africa. After the fall of Apartheid, the government introduced Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), which was meant to uplift black South Africans and right the wrongs of history. Instead, it became a system that fostered corruption, racial discrimination, and economic decline.

Mandatory Black Ownership: To do business in South Africa, companies are required to have 30% black ownership—regardless of qualifications or industry expertise.

Government Collapses: State-run companies, including Eskom (the national power supplier), were plagued by political appointments based on race, not merit, leading to crippling blackouts and an ongoing energy crisis.

Political Appointees Fail: Transnet, responsible for railways and harbors, was gutted by incompetence, causing massive supply chain disruptions.

Corruption Reigns: Major state contracts are often awarded based on nepotism or the highest bribe, not merit or expertise.

South African Airways (SAA) Bankrupts: SAA went bankrupt when DEI policies replaced qualified pilots and engineers with less experienced individuals. They have recently been bailed out by the South African government.

The system led to the mass retrenchment and homelessness of many white South Africans, despite their expertise. Their only "crime" was their skin color. South Africa still has the potential to rise again if it begins prioritizing merit-based hiring, but the legacy of DEI policies has already decimated the country’s education system, graduating a generation of unqualified adults. In South Africa, the minimum passing grade in schools is just 30%, highlighting the long-term damage done to the country’s future workforce.

One of the most absurd examples of DEI’s damage was the Starlink ban. Elon Musk’s plan to bring affordable, high-speed internet to South Africa through Starlink was blocked by the government, unless Musk found a black business partner to hold 30% ownership.

As a result, South Africans, particularly those in rural areas, are left with expensive and unreliable internet options or mobile data, while neighboring countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia enjoy the benefits of Starlink.

South Africa, a nation rich in potential, is now grappling with a broken infrastructure, soaring unemployment, violent crime rates worse than active war zones, and an endless cycle of corruption. All of these issues are exacerbated by DEI policies that place skin color above competence. Under the current leadership, South Africa is spiraling down a dangerous path.

Venezuela: How Equity Over Merit Led to Catastrophe

Venezuela's collapse is a tragic example of what happens when "equity" is prioritized over merit. In the early 2000s, Hugo Chávez’s radical socialist policies, eerily similar to today’s DEI agenda, set the stage for disaster:

Nationalization of industries: Chávez handed over businesses to “underrepresented” groups, despite their lack of training and expertise.

DEI policies at PDVSA: The state-run oil company was gutted by DEI hiring, resulting in the destruction of one of the world’s most successful oil industries.

Meritocracy dismantled: Venezuela’s most skilled professionals - engineers, doctors, and business owners - fled the country, leaving an unqualified workforce behind.

The consequences? A ruined economy, widespread starvation, and millions of people fleeing. Inflation and poverty skyrocketed, and once-thriving cities descended into chaos.

Today, Venezuela stands as one of the poorest, most dangerous nations in the world - a cautionary tale of how prioritizing "equity" over competence can destroy a nation.

DEI Sounds Nice - Until It Destroys Societies

President Trump’s fight against DEI is not about rejecting diversity; it’s about restoring fairness and preventing America from following the disastrous paths of South Africa and Venezuela.

Diversity should emerge naturally through merit, not by quotas or force. When hiring and promotion are dictated by ideology instead of ability, the result is incompetence, resentment, and, eventually, national decline. The damaging effects of DEI are already taking hold in America, leaving behind some irreversible scars.

When meritocracy is tossed aside in favor of appeasing a certain demographic, the consequences ripple across every sector, weakening the nation as a whole.

Heike Claudia du Toit

Writer | Journalist | Copywriter | Linguistics Honors Candidate