President Trump has stoked the fears of white working-class supporters through a politics of resentment over their declining fortunes in a pluralistic society. The administration has gutted diversity, equity and inclusion policies, abolished inclusive personnel programs in federal agencies, pressured the private sector to dismantle diversity reforms and engaged in a campaign to weed out qualified minorities and women in favor of loyalists, sometimes with lesser qualifications.

The dismissal of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General CQ Brown, ostensibly over his support for DEI policies in the military, is the most recent high-profile firing. Brown, the former commander of the Pacific Air Forces, is one of the few Black officers of rank in an active duty military with a substantial number of non-white enlisted personnel. Black Americans make up 17 percent of the enlisted men and 30 percent of the women, whereas Hispanics comprise 17 percent of the enlisted men and 20 percent of the women.

As Trump’s core supporters struggle to comprehend their declining status in the economic system, the administration seems content to tout the merits of white men and scapegoat others in sweeping denunciations of diversity policies.

On the first day in office, Trump issued an executive order to abolish DEI programs in the federal government. He went further in threatening sanctions against corporations, universities and nonprofits that retain them. The attacks on DEI are intended to reverse inclusive policies on race and gender in “every aspect of public and private life.” Many company programs were implemented after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd; some have encountered legal and political challenges by critics who allege discrimination........

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