The Hypocrisy of the DEI Purge

The Trump administration is purging web pages that note the contributions of minorities in a move that does exactly what they criticized during the removal of Confederate symbols.

In his controversial remarks following the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia—a protest against the removal of Confederate Civil War statues — President Donald Trump warned that such actions were a slippery slope that could lead to the removal of monuments honoring George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.

A week later, at an event in Phoenix, Trump was more explicit in his concerns, stating, "They're trying to take away our culture. They're trying to take away our history."

As of 2022, nearly 500 Confederate statues, monuments, and symbols have been removed as part of an effort to end the glorification of figures who sowed division and caused pain for millions of Americans, particularly African Americans.

So odious was this movement to Trump that during the 2024 presidential campaign, he proposed the creation of the National Garden of American Heroes, intended to honor prominent figures in American history. The initiative was framed as a response to what he described as a "merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children."

Now, the Trump administration is doing precisely what Trump railed against following Charlottesville — the removal of historical figures from public view — through the so-called DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) purge.

The Department of Defense has deleted multiple web pages detailing the heroics and history of people of color in the military. One of the most egregious examples is the erasure of U.S. Army Major General Calvin Rogers, a Vietnam War veteran who was wounded three times and awarded the Medal of Honor. His official military page is now gone, displaying a “404” error code. Multiple media outlets report that the missing link has been modified to include “DEI” for reasons unknown.

Setting aside Rogers’ race, let’s put this in perspective: Receiving the Medal of Honor is no small matter. Most recipients receive it posthumously because it requires that level of sacrifice. Even the highest-ranking general must salute the lowest-ranking private who has earned the Medal of Honor. It’s that big a deal.

Rogers demonstrated extraordinary courage in defending his unit and position against a withering enemy attack. He was the highest-ranking African American ever to receive the Medal of Honor.

Another erased figure is Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player. Before breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier, Robinson served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He didn’t see combat—not because of any lack of ability, but because he was court-martialed for refusing to move to the back of a segregated military bus. He went on to complete officer candidate school and served honorably.

Despite his service and his contributions to civil rights, Robinson’s military record has also been purged. His page, like Rogers’, now returns a “404” error, and “DEI” has been inserted into the link.

And there are more examples. The Department of Defense has been widely criticized for removing photos of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb, hastening the end of the war with Japan. The reported reason? The word "gay" in its name. The plane’s pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets, had named it after his mother, Enola Gay.

One of the most iconic images of World War II is the flag-raising on Iwo Jima by U.S. Marines. While many may not know the exact location or date, few would fail to recognize the photo’s significance. Yet, the Department of Defense has also removed this image — presumably because it includes Ira Hamilton Hayes, a Native American Marine who helped raise the flag.

America can have a debate over whether Confederate figures deserve public recognition. One thing you won’t find in Germany and Italy, though, are statues of Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini. But you can find them in history books and media since knowing what they did to their countries and the world is worth preserving.

Despots and tyrants throughout history have used their power to erase people from history — literally. Hitler, Mussolini, Josef Stalin, and Mao Zedong all altered photographs to remove political rivals and dissidents.

Now, Trump and his acolytes are following the same playbook. They may try to justify their actions under the guise of a “war on DEI,” but the reality is clear: they are doing exactly what they once condemned.

Web pages and photos can be erased. History cannot.