Donald Trump‘s vow to combat what he perceives as “anti-white sentiment” in the United States is poised to empower supporters who aim to dismantle initiatives within both government and corporate sectors aimed at addressing racism and promoting diversity in American society.
Certain prominent backers of the ex-president, now the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, argue that measures designed to protect people of color in educational settings, workplaces and charitable organizations should be revisited to also safeguard the rights of white individuals, Reuters reported.
“I think there is a definite anti-white feeling in this country,” Trump told Time in an interview published last week. “I don’t think it would be a very tough thing to address, frankly. But I think the laws are very unfair right now.”
During the interview, Trump did not provide specific instances of anti-white bias or propose any policy solutions.
Trump has outlined several plans, and some of his allies are offering detailed recommendations in the event that Trump regains the White House from Democrat Joe Biden in the upcoming Nov. 5 election, Reuters added.
One proposal from Trump would overturn Biden’s executive order, which mandates federal agencies to evaluate whether underserved communities — such as people of color, LGBTQ Americans, and rural Americans — have sufficient access to their programs.
Trump has pledged at campaign rallies to defund schools that teach critical race theory, an academic concept seldom taught in public schools that posits that racial bias is ingrained in U.S. institutions.
“There’s always been an ability to foment this kind of anxiety and frustration among many whites whenever an effort to level the playing field for non-whites has been successful in any way,” said Tricia Rose, director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University, Reuters noted.
Corporate diversity programs must ensure they are not discriminatory, with the Justice Department potentially citing Section VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act for authority. This landmark legislation, born from the Civil Rights Movement, bars hiring or compensation decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Gene Hamilton, a former Justice Department official under Trump, argued that this act should safeguard white individuals too.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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