U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his assault on diversity programs on Tuesday by pressuring the private sector to join the initiative, ordering aviation officials to review diversity hires and telling employees of DEI government offices and programs they would be placed on paid leave.

The Trump administration is ordering all federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening, according to a new memo from the Office of Personnel Management.

Trump is set to axe funding dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the federal government.

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his campaign against diversity programs on Tuesday by pressuring the private sector to join the initiative, ordering aviation officials to review diversity hires and telling government DEI employees they would be placed on paid leave.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump‘s administration moved Tuesday to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.

Federal DEI employees will be placed on paid leave by Wednesday, with agencies ordered to shutter offices, remove online content, and finalize dismissals by January 31.

US President Donald Trump repealed numerous executive orders promoting LGBTQ equality and issued new ones decreeing only two genders and ending government diversity programs Monday, definitively breaking with what he decries as "woke" culture.

Employees in the programs will be placed on paid administrative leave. Agencies have the next few days to submit reports on how they are complying with the orders, including plans to fire them.