If Donald Trump were to reclaim the White House in November, his close allies plan on revolutionizing the government’s stance on Civil Rights -era laws. Allegedly, they intend to shift the focus from combating discrimination against people of color to addressing what they term ‘anti-white racism’. This proposed shift, as detailed by Rolling Stone , would involve a broad transformation of government programs and diversity initiatives, including longstanding policies designed to enhance economic opportunities for minorities to more recent initiatives introduced in the wake of the pandemic and the tragic death of George Floyd.
According to Axios , campaign spokesperson for Trump, Steven Cheung, said, “As President Trump has said, all staff, offices, and initiatives connected to Biden’s un-American policy will be immediately terminated.” Former Trump adviser Stephen Miller has taken responsibility for this initiative, leading the charge through America First Legal, a conservative judicial activism group he founded post-White House. Miller uses Civil Rights-era laws, initially created to safeguard minorities from discrimination, to challenge modern corporate practices focused on inclusion and awareness.
America First Legal has initiated legal actions against prominent entities such as Nike, Disney, United Airlines, the National Football League, and CBS Entertainment, accusing them of discriminatory practices against white men. These lawsuits draw on the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Miller and his organization are not the only ones in this endeavor. They have collaborated with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, in crafting the Project 2025 policy handbook. This blueprint anticipates that a potential second Trump administration would end what it terms “affirmative discrimination”.
Because white people have had so few rights and have been so oppressed, right? https://t.co/CQxTKaje32
— Cheryl (@chuerta1) April 1, 2024
These plans come in the light of Trump having maintained a steadfast narrative over the years, portraying himself as a target of discrimination against white individuals. One such narrative involves Trump directing his advisors to delve into strategies that could pressure the Justice Department to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully pursued a fraud lawsuit against the ex-president last year. Trump often characterizes James as racist through his social media platforms and public speeches. Recently, Deroy Murdock, a contributing editor at National Review, also intimated that Trump could potentially pursue legal action against James on the grounds of discrimination.
Additionally, Cheung confirmed, “President Trump is committed to weeding out discriminatory programs and racist ideology across the federal government.” On the other hand, in 2019, following revelations that Miller had endorsed white nationalist literature, 55 civil rights organizations penned a letter to Trump. According to The Guardian , they said, “Stephen Miller has stoked bigotry, hate, and division with his extreme political rhetoric and policies throughout his career. The recent exposure of his deep-seated racism provides further proof that he is unfit to serve and should immediately leave his post.”