Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin criticized President Donald Trump’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) executive orders on Thursday, suggesting that Americans are now seeing the “Alabama-fication” of the United States federal government.
During an appearance on “CNN This Morning,” Woodfin claimed that White women and veterans benefit most from DEI policies – not just Black Americans and other minority groups.
“What message and who are you trying to communicate? And so it’s beyond frustrating and disappointing. It just goes to show you that 47 told us what he would do, and he’s doing it,” Woodfin said.
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Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin claims that Americans are now witnessing the “Alabama-fication” of the federal government. (Win McNamee/GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Birmingham mayor also disagreed with critics who have claimed that DEI programs have gone too far in some areas.
“Look, we’ve made the words diversity, we’ve made the words equity, we’ve, as in others, have made those words inclusion, bad words. Inclusion is not a bad thing. There is no such thing as going too far as it relates to being inclusive,” he said.
“There’s no such thing as going too far as it relates to equity. This is America. Equity is the right thing to do. There’s no such thing as diversity being bad. America is a very diverse place. I think Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been weaponized for some to use to say it’s taken away from others,” Woodfin continued.
TRUMP’S DISMANTLING OF DEI IS DEEPER AND BIGGER THAN YOU EVEN KNOW
Criticism over DEI commitments was bolstered following last year’s affirmative action ruling from the Supreme Court that barred racial preferences in university admissions. (Getty Images)
Trump signed an executive order on Monday to eliminate all DEI programs from the federal government.
Trump issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI — an executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.
Just two days into his term, Trump is making waves in Washington, and a new Fox News poll shows that the voters are behind him. Almost one-third of voters, 29%, agreed that it is “extremely important” that Trump focuses on getting DEI out of the government. When broken down by party, 44% of Republicans, 16% of Democrats and 24% of independents want the president to axe federal DEI initiatives.
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U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents as he issues executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Alabama’s GOP-controlled legislature passed sweeping legislation in March 2020 to prohibit state funding of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public colleges and universities, local boards of education and government agencies, and that would limit teachings on “divisive concepts” at public colleges and universities.
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Referencing his state’s laws, Woodfin said Americans have “seen this dance before” concerning DEI restrictions.
“Listen, the unfortunate part of this conversation of stripping DEI–Americans are witnessing the Alabama-fication of federal government,” he said.
