The Trump administration has warned suppliers to U.S. embassies and consulates as well as recipients of U.S. grants worldwide that they must comply with its ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes or risk losing payments.
Suppliers for U.S. diplomatic missions have been told to confirm compliance with the DEI crackdown in a questionnaire entitled "Certification Regarding Compliance With Applicable Federal Anti-Discrimination Law", according to a copy reviewed by Reuters.
Separately, a letter sent to those firms warned that failing to submit the required information and confirm compliance will result in a payments freeze, a Spanish official said.
The warning reflects U.S. President Donald Trump's goal to extend outside the U.S. his January executive order directing U.S. government chiefs to dismantle DEI policies for their agencies and contractors and for the private sector to do the same.
This has created a legal standoff in the U.S. after years in which American firms have embraced DEI policies that track race and ethnicity data and set diversity targets in hiring and other corporate practices.
A February 11 cable sent to all U.S. missions worldwide reviewed by Reuters instructed them to obtain from vendors with current contracts or proposals under review the certification that they are adhering to Trump’s DEI ban.
They also must certify that they will not spend U.S. funds “for any initiatives or programs that do not comply” with Trump’s order, according to the cable.
Asked about the issue, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Monday that the notifications were "an effort to comply with the executive order from the president, and it is (an) essentially self-certifying statement to local consulates and embassies."
Reuters has been unable to establish how many companies have received letters or how much their combined contracts are worth.
But the anti-DEI pressure from Washington has highlighted the extraterritorial reach of U.S. policies and their potential impact on European corporate practices.
Other "America First" policies pursued by Trump have stoked economic and political tensions between the U.S. and Europe since his January 20 inauguration, at a time when his actions on tariffs and security ties have upended transatlantic relations.
'FLAGRANT VIOLATION' OF LAWS, SPAIN SAYS
The instructions have been sent to a wide range of firms, the Spanish official said, including those supplying the homes of U.S. Embassy staff with water, gas and electricity, to newspapers to which embassies subscribe, and catering suppliers.
The Spanish Labour Ministry said the American directive was a "flagrant violation" of Spain's strict anti-discrimination and diversity laws, and companies seeking to comply would face investigation by the Labour Inspectorate.
American Space Barcelona, based at the Spanish city's Sant Andreu municipal library, is one Spanish organization to have received the letter as it includes a project that gets U.S. Embassy funds. The project provides English-language resources, cultural programs and educational guidance and information about the United States.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni told media the letter was part of a "reactionary avalanche" being driven by the Trump administration "against Europe and the democratic values that we defend".
Major German carmaker BMW has received a letter from the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria, which has bought BMW vehicles, asking it to address questions about its DEI policy, a person familiar with the matter said.
In a statement to Reuters, BMW said it believes that "diverse perspectives and talents strengthen our company" and "contribute to increasing our innovative strength and competitiveness".
"Discrimination in any form has no place in our company," it said. "We will continue our activities on ESG (environmental, social and governance) topics as planned. We do not follow short-term trends in these areas either, but pursue a clear plan of moderation and balance."
Some French companies with U.S. government contracts have also been ordered to comply with Trump's DEI ban.
"American interference in the inclusion policies of French companies, along with threats of unjustified tariffs, is unacceptable," France's Ministry of Foreign Trade said in a statement sent to Reuters last week.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
72 Comments
Underworld
Um, yeah. Let's not. DEI is a good thing.
BMW agrees it give them an advantage.
I'veSeenFootage
I think the only relevant and proper answers all governments should give is just "HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH ...no."
Desert Tortoise
So laughable. I think in the end many US embassies are going to find it impossible to obtain the services they need as foreign companies are under no obligation to conform to US laws when operating in their home countries. Were I the owner of one of these firms I would simply stop servicing the US embassy. It's not like they are the only embassy in town. When no companies are willing to sell food, fuel, cleaning supplies or provide labor the US embassies will change their tune. Local utilities might even turn off the water, gas and electricity if the US tries to push this on the utility companies.
wallace
Interference in foreign laws and culture.
wallace
If the embassies don't pay their local bills then shut them down.
Ah_so
The Trump regime hates the idea that companies should seek to help traditionally discriminated groups advance and try an end unequal treatment in the workplace.
Why? Because they like how it has always been and mostly still is - white men running everything. And if someone who isn't a white man advances, they can dismiss them as being DEI, because implicitly those who are not white and male are inherently less capable.
theFu
Have the put it into writing. They won't.
The fear among the MAGA people is laughable. Make no mistake, it is fear because they've been unkind to certain groups and those groups are keeping a list for 1390 days from now. Historically, when a President left office, we'd thank them for their efforts and move on.
Trump has taught the world to be petty. Well, besides Xi and Putin and Kim. Hopefully, they will just be petty towards Trump and his team members, not the 52% of American voters who chose a sane for President instead.
Yrral
This what happens when dysfunction White people take over government,i.rather have compotent DEI over Dysfunction White People
ok1517
Donald and his so-called administration trying to tell other sovereign countries what they have to do?
Paranoia, borderline personality disorders having party time in the US!
Tell those embassies and everyone else to shove their demands where the sun and moon don't shine!
Besides all this remember: Donald's "dic(K)traitorship" still moving ahead. RESIST!!
Yrral
Lots of White people that voted for Trump were already poor,his policies will put lots of them in the poor house , Trump never cared about poor White people,lots of poor White will pay more at the Dollar stores,the only place were lots of them shop
Erik
Countries should require Americans going through their immigration process to fill out a form certifying that they didn't vote for Trump, don't agree with his policies, or else be denied entry.
Yrral
Name something redemning about Trump,is the same lots of Trump supporters cannot find nothing redemning about their own miserable lives, Black people do not fear insecure White people like Trump and will not give up on all the legal battles they fought for with sweat and blood and tears,Bring it On MAGA
asdfgtr
More odious interference in global affairs from Trump's MAGA minions.
patkim
This whole DEI mandate is totally illogical and difficult to follow. For instance, he banned a list of words to be used and threatened severe punishment if used. Words like 'inequality', 'autism', 'multicultural', and 'discrimination' can't be used.
https://groundreport.in/latest/full-list-of-words-banned-by-trump-including-climate-change-8839026
It's really gotten to an extreme level. He's so sensitive to words.
BB
Trump's idiocy about DEI is playing out before our very eyes, with his cabinet of losers stumbling around. Cantor Fitzgerald analysts just called for RFK Jr's removal -- analysts at Lutnick's company. Hegseth has lost the respect and trust of people he's supposed to lead. DJT himself has been coddled his whole life.
Wasabi
What a shame for all American. trump is trying to push his study ideas to others country.
lincolnman
More DEi fluff to distract from his Signalgate debacle and massive tax cut for the rich scam...
patkim
Because of Trump's ban on DEI words, we can't use 'sex', 'gender', 'victim', etc. Even seemingly common words like 'identity', 'vulnerable', and 'women' are banned. Wow! Pure censorship at it's finest. Trump is so full of hypocrisy. He wants to take away federal control and leave it to the states to make decisions, yet, he wants to control what all Americans say and do. He even wants to control things like what books to have in libraries, what media should print and show.
lincolnman
This is why we're seeing all this DEI distraction nonsense...
"A Los Angeles-based federal prosecutor was reportedly fired Friday on instruction of the White House, with sources saying that it was likely due to his part in a case involving one of Trump’s top donors.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Wiederhorn was indicted by a grand jury last May on “federal charges alleging a scheme to conceal $47 million in distributions he received in the form of shareholder loans” from the IRS and other appropriate bodies. The former CEO pleaded not guilty."
Just another ultra-rich Trump crony being protected from prosecution for tax fraud...you know, like Trump did...
Trump 2,0 - all corruption, all the time...
Bob Fosse
DEI enables dissolve people to find employment. For that reason alone it is a benefit to society. Maga, who are afraid of women and brown people being seen as equals to them don’t like it.
GBR48
There's no requirement for companies to sell stuff to US embassies. They can generate their own electricity, ship in milk from the US, and walk instead of using BMWs.
commanteer
So you are saying you see these people as equals, but then suggesting they need special help to achieve anything? Who is afraid of who? DEI is systematized racism and sexism. With lipstick.
bass4funk
How so? You can’t go on your merits alone?
Like how?
Let’s see, Kash Patel is Brown, Scott Turner in charge of HUD is Black, Tulsi Gabbard who is Samoan, he’s got Marco Rubio who’s another Brown man, Lori Chavez-DeRemer – Serving as the Secretary of Labor, now what were you saying again? You guys need a new argument…
chatanista
Now that is something I'd love to see.
Still, all countries are free to set their DEI policies the way they see fit. US government is also free to choose who the suppliers to its embassies will be. Lets see how all this translates to reality though and what if any changes actually happen at diplomatic missions level due to this.
Blacklabel
Why did you purposely omit Black people?
Blacklabel
and then posts something as a distraction that has zero to do with DEI.
patkim
If Trump was hiring based on merits alone, then he wouldn't have hired a drunk for Secretary of Defense, and a podcaster conspiracy theorist who has no experience running anything in charge of the FBI, among others. They have only one qualification only, and that is that they are all loyal to Trump. It doesn't matter if there are other more qualified and experienced people out there. His whole Cabinet is littered with people who will bow down to him and make a ton of mistakes like using a Signal app to conduct an attack.
lincolnman
Well, maybe we're being unfair - Trump does support DEI - Drunks (Hegseth), Egomaniacs (Musk) and Idiots (most of his cabinet)...
It's DEI for deplorables...
Blacklabel
The American people seem happy, last 5 approval polls are: 50, 48, 50, 49, 52%
Bob Fosse
Yes. Because they have not been treated as equals.
What is difficult to understand?
plasticmonkey
MAHA. Make America Hated Again.
Blacklabel
An example or 2 would be lovely.
wallace
All embassies including those in America, are required to follow the laws of their host countries.
lincolnman
Better listen to your own Team Red member and hero...
"House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Republican colleagues that the special elections this week are "poised to be bad for the GOP brand," said a report Monday.
According to TIME, one Florida House race in a district that went Republican in November by 30 points now has a Democratic candidate just a few points behind their GOP rival. He has also outraised the Republican by a 10-to-1 margin.
In Wisconsin, tech billionaire Elon Musk rushed to hold a huge rally and hand out million-dollar checks to inspire voters for a far-right state Supreme Court judge. At least one of those checks went to a GOP loyalist, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Scalise "issued this warning," said TIME, that "even in a GOP sweep, the election results are going to raise inevitable questions about the fragile GOP standing and the fading power of Trump’s endorsement."
Ouch....
bass4funk
MAHA: Make America Hardcore Again.
His resume says different. Yeah, I’m looking past the emotional lib diatribe and typical name calling as it does nothing to help the conversation. As far as the FBI director he’s hardcore and already kicking a**! Fresh change!
Which goes for any and every President, nothing new.
He’s got the best, this is why the libs are having a meltdown
Yes, it’s called being human.
Blacklabel
also zero to do with the elimination of DEI.
lincolnman
When your exalted leader has been convicted on 34 felony counts of fraud for trying to hide payments to a PORN STAR...you may want to avoid using the world "hardcore"...
ROFL...
Blacklabel
Yet he just ran an operation to locate and arrest one of the Top 3 leaders of MS-13 in the USA in his 2nd week in the job.
oh wait, you wouldn’t consider that a win.
lincolnman
Exactly what he said in 2017...about Tillerson, Mattis, Kelly, Cohn, Zink, Epstein, Barr, Malley, and especially PENCE...
And history sure proved him right....ROFL..
Mocheake
A ban on diversity policies. Hmmm. What does this mean? Only bumbling white men are allowed to give reporters highly classified military information on chat sites they should not even be on or stupidly fire necessary people and clumsily rehire them?
bass4funk
Ok and?
When it comes to choosing incompetent RINOS, he did have the whole lot. And history in hindsight did prove him right....
ThePunisher
So, just disregard the LAWS in those countries. Just make sure those supplying services, transport, catering etc to American embassies don't have too many brown-skinned folk, gay people or people with disabilities.
Pathetic America, pathetic.
The stronger nations with strong unions will ignore this illegal directive. Let the American embassy staff clean, drive and cook for themselves. (The reality is many Americans can't do any of these things for themselves).
lincolnman
Thanks for agreeing with me...
And thanks for admitting both you and Trump were wrong when you called all these "incompetent RINOS" "the best"....
Admitting your mistakes is good for the soul...
ok1517
Blacklabel
"The American people seem happy, last 5 approval polls are: 50, 48, 50, 49, 52%"
In some polls it's even less.
But whatever, at least half of the US citizens don't approve him, are not happy with him and that's more than the percentage of the ones who voted for him. Expect it to further decrease, maybe around 30% approval, once he implements all his deranged ideas!
Bob Fosse
You want examples of ethnic minorities or women not being treated as equals?
Are you serious?
Bob Fosse
lol the only US president to have had lower initial approval ratings than 47 is 45.
It’s nothing to cheer about.
Mocheake
You need to see examples? I can give you hundreds but it won't sway people like you. I find it amazing (but not at all shocking) that you need to see an example. Ever heard of the Tuskegee Airmen? The government purposely giving black people syphilis? The separation of all sports leagues into the 1950s? DT himself denying housing to black people and also wanting the Central Park Five executed before trial based solely on the fact that they were black? I have plenty more but you aren't ready to listen. Make sure you put the blame squarely where it belongs when the policies of this administration cause great harm to the American people. As with your hero, I think you'll just deflect and blame Biden and Obama: The previous Democratic administrations screwed it up so badly that it couldn't be fixed no matter how hard we tried. That is the GOP playbook. They didn't try diversity though, just division.
BB
But thanks, Trump. So I guess companies in Japan can't champion the careers of foreigners, because that would smack of DEI. But yeah, it's about time, so...
Wasabi
American, keep your trump under control! His madness will not work outside your country. Japan has law and will not agree to brake their them for doing business with the US. This apply to the rest of the world.
lincolnman
Examples? There are hundreds of thousands...which would have no impact on the cult...
How about this?
"At the Pentagon, on some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word ”gay,” including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II."
Or this?
"More pages honoring diversity in US military history have been removed from defense department websites as the Pentagon undergoes what appears to be a purge of content that it considered to be related to diversity, equity and inclusion – or DEI.
Among those pages was one celebrating Ira Hayes, one of the marines memorably pictured raising the American flag at Iwo Jima in 1945, according to the Washington Post. Hayes, a Native American, was praised in the page as an example of the “contributions and sacrifices Native Americans have made to the United States, not just in the military, but in all walks of life”.
Likewise, articles about the Native American code talkers in the second world war appear to have been removed from military websites."
It's nothing but MAGA-racist-cancel-culture on steroids - or maybe since Musk is involved, ketamine...
chatanista
Maga, who are afraid of women and brown people being seen as equals to them don’t like it.
Maybe unpleasant to hear but there are" many women, brown people" and other demographics that voted for Trump and apparently agree with his MAGA policies. Trump increased his vote share across many of those key demographics. That is a fact. How many of them still agree or disagree with him now and how many have buyers remorse is the question.
Desert Tortoise
Merit alone has never been enough when whites cannot see past the applicant's skin color, gender or religious preference. Whites have gone out of their way to deny access to a quality education for African Americans and Hispanics, both of which were restricted to low quality segregated schools. Whites have gone out of their way to prohibit African Americans from living wherever they wished. The deed to my parents home in Los Angeles prohibited its sale to "negros". At every turn minority groups in the US have been denied the same opportunities that whites have enjoyed. That is historical fact, even as the MAGAots try to prohibit the teaching of that part of US history while chirping that the US isn't racist any more. Far from it. In fact the racism is more vicious that any point in my life that I can recall since the 1960s. It's cool to be racist now in the US among whites. But if you are old enough like me you knew it never really went away. DEI is an effort to right old wrongs but some here still persist with the lie that it never happened. What DEI does is recruit competent qualified minorities for opportunities that would otherwise go to less qualified white males. Lots of those out there.
Blacklabel
Still zero examples of:
in 2025, that require the continuation of DEI. Not in the 40s or 70s.
2025, now. Why do we need DEI?
Bob Fosse
Ok. Because it ensures disabled people are entitled to employment.
Got a problem with that too?
Blacklabel
no, temporary deletion of a picture of a plan from the 1940s doesn’t require continuation of DEI.
nor does another photo on a website from 1940s.
neither these from the 1950s and 1970s.
the claim is DEI is needs to give “brown people” and “women” equal treatment in the year of our Lord 2025.
so some examples of unequal treatment in 2025 for employment or education or such would be just great.
chatanista
Ok. Because it ensures disabled people are entitled to employment.
Good call, the disabled need support and backup in regards to their employment prospects no doubt.
Desert Tortoise
Here are some examples.
The deed to my parents home in Los Angeles prohibited its sale to "negros". Yes, this was right in the grant deed.
Glendale California was a "sunset town" with signs on the streets telling "negros" not to be out after dark or they would be arrested.
Until the 1940s Hispanics in California had to attend segregated schools. Read Mendez, et al v. Westminster [sic] School District of Orange County, et al, 64 F.Supp. 544 (S.D. Cal. 1946).
Proposition 14, 1964, was a ballot initiative to legalize housing discrimination. It was placed on the ballot in an effort to overturn the housing discrimination terms of the California Fair Housing Act of 1963, otherwise known as the Rumford Act after its author which made the kind of housing discrimination in the deed to my parents home illegal. Prop 14 passed, temporarily legalizing housing discrimination once again until the California Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional for violating the 14th Amendment. The US Supreme Court the following year upheld the California Supreme Court ruling.I could fill a page if you wish. To claim there are no examples is deceitful to put it politely. I suspect you know the truth as well as I do but you for some reason do not wish to acknowledge the truth. I will however repeat what I have said here before that we do not live in a binary zero sum world. The world is not either-or. One person's gain is not automatically someone else's loss. The world is a lot more like the Confucian concept of Yin-Yang.
Peter14
Trumps misguided attempt to kill this DEI in America is one thing, trying to kill it around the world is simplistic and impossible. If America wants to further bury its head in the sand and restrict suppliers to those with B grade goods and services then let them.
Charge America a premium for doing business with suppliers with no stated DEI. Trump will pay extra to think he is not supporting DEI. Then use the extra premium charged to America to support your domestic DEI system.
America is bonkers and Trump is actively seeking a third term in office even though by the end of this term he will be the oldest ever serving President. Called it long ago. Elections to be rigged, popular opposition to be imprisoned, barred or chased out of the country. DEI is the tip top of all the issues underneath.
Trump destroying America and the world, or at least giving it a hell of a go.
Desert Tortoise
Whites have fought every attempt to bring up minority groups, fought them tooth and nail and when those efforts are not always successful these same whites then make the ridiculous claim that those efforts harmed the groups they were trying to help. Can you believe the bald faced lies coming from the right?
Men didn't welcome women into any occupation. Women had to beat the doors down and were fought at every turn. They still are to this day. It is not DEI that is holding women and minorities down, it is white bigots who fight every effort to bring women and minorities up in the world.
Blacklabel
By the way, Republicans passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, 35 years ago.
well before DEI was even a thought.
You’re welcome.
lincolnman
You miss the point - it was CANCELLED by Trump in 2025...
DITTO....
What? They scrubbed history of women and minorities up to this week...do a little research before you post...
Who's claim? DEI is to ensure we don't go back to the days of Jim Crow and no women's vote - where MAGA-world wants to take us...
"In 2024, Black households earned a median income 33.3% lower than that of white households, with Black workers earning 18.8%. In 2024, women's earnings were 83.6% of men's earnings, meaning women working full-time earned roughly 83 cents for every dollar earned by men."
Let the deflections and excuses fly...
Desert Tortoise
As long as you have people like the current Secretary of Defense who opposes women in combat roles then you need a counterweight to such bigotry. And yes that is what it is, bigotry. The guy for whatever reason cannot handle the idea that a woman can do was well as a man in combat. He is full of it, because plenty of women not just in the US military but the British, Israeli and Kurdish military's have proven him absolutely wrong. Secretary Hegseth is not alone or even a small minority of men in the US. I have had lots of men tell me women should have never been allowed to drive or vote. Even now there are men cheering the proposal to require proof of citizenship for all voters knowing their wives will not be able to easily prove their citizenship. They changed their names to take their husband's last name. Their birth certificates, if they can even get one, will show their name before marriage and they might not be able to obtain the necessary documentation of their name change. And unless they can do all this they won't vote, so husbands won't have their vote "cancelled" by their wives. My dad used to talk this way. Don't bury your head and say it ain't so.
Peter14
Not all whites are against DEI nor are we all on the right of politics. Some of us actually have the intelligence to know right from wrong. Please do not paint us all with the same brush you use for Trump and the loony right. Thanks.
Bob Fosse
You are confused. Are you under the belief that DEI is a specific law?
It is an umbrella term that describes many laws, ADA being one of them.
bass4funk
Why?
He was open about it. When your policies are popular you don’t need to rig anything.
Not America, the left’s policies already did that, he’s saving it
Blacklabel
18.8 of what?
for the same exact jobs at the same level and with the same experience and ability?
if so, that’s a problem.
but it’s quite different jobs being compared, isn’t it?
lincolnman
Uh, they're better than they were from 2016 to 2020...and show a trend of increasing parity....again, do a little research before you post...
Different guy in 2025 than in 2025? Confused much?
Nope, smoke screen for the intellectually challenged, so he can give himself and his uber-rich buds huuuge tax breaks...
Desert Tortoise
White politicians and white voters in many parts of the US made sure DEI would not work. It isn't for lack of trying but white opposition has prevented African Americans from reaching equality. Much work remains. You are not fooling anyone, probably not even fooling yourself, claiming DEI failed. DEI was never accepted by enough whites in the US to make it fully effective.
Blacklabel
again, wow. Aren’t YOU white? Just checking,
Desert Tortoise
In any event, no foreign company is under any obligation to follow US laws when servicing US embassies in their own nation. They are subject to the laws of their nation, not US law. They can safely ignore the letter and if the US embassy doesn't want to pay them, then the US embassy can do without. It is not as if they are the only embassy in town. Stop doing business with the US embassy unless and until they relent and withdraw that requirement. The US has no leverage on this matter.
BB
The backlash against DEI basically reflects the radicalization of insecure incels who get flooded with racist, misogynistic and generally rightwing content over social media. This makes them feel like men. Musk is one of them. And you ARE men. (But very wittle tiny ones.)
wallace
More of Trump's Smoke and Mirrors.