As the U.S. federal government prepares for the transition of power back to a Trump administration, there is a notable surge in hiring for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) roles, with up to 1,200 employees being recruited to fill positions related to these initiatives. According to a Daily Wire analysis, the government is aggressively staffing up for these roles, even as the Trump administration prepares to take office in 2025.
These DEI roles are not only extensive but also highly compensated, with salaries reaching as high as $310,000 per year. This hiring spree could amount to $160 million annually in taxpayer-funded salaries, adding further complexity to the political dynamics between the incoming and outgoing administrations.
The federal hiring surge began immediately following the 2024 election, with the government posting 33 DEI-related jobs in the 10 days following Donald Trump’s victory. These positions seem to be part of a broader strategy and last-ditch effort to expand and embed DEI efforts deep into the bureaucratic infrastructure before Trump’s return. Several high-level positions, just under political appointee levels, were advertised in the wake of the election, with application windows closing just before Trump’s expected inauguration in 2025.
For example, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sought to hire a deputy assistant secretary for minority health, offering a salary of up to $221,900. This position is focused on “promoting health equity and diversity in the agency’s programs,” and will serve as a senior advisor on minority health issues—a role likely to report to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he assumes leadership of HHS in the next administration.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) also posted two $310,000 positions to lead its Office of Minority and Women Inclusion and manage Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) policies. These roles emphasize “developing and implementing strategic plans that promote DEI initiatives within the agency,” with the added perk of three days a week of remote work. The FDIC’s budget and personnel programs will also be under the influence of these new hires, potentially hindering any changes Trump might want to make regarding DEI at the agency.
Readers should note that Trump’s DOGE initiative may threaten to shut some of these offices in their entirety.
During his tenure, President Trump repeatedly criticized woke policies and DEI initiatives, arguing that they were divisive and unproductive. He even signed an executive order in his first term banning certain types of anti-racism training in federal agencies. The federal government’s rapid hiring spree could bring in over 1,000 employees advocating for policies at odds with Trump’s agenda.
According to The Daily Wire’s findings, many of these new hires will focus on affirmative action, minority inclusion and equal opportunity.
The push to fill these roles is not limited to a few agencies. Positions are being posted across almost every corner of the federal government, from the Department of Housing & Urban Development to the Pentagon’s Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI).
These DEI-related jobs come with salaries far exceeding the median household income in the U.S., with many roles offering six-figure salaries—a point that has drawn criticism for the financial cost of these efforts.
The growing number of DEI hires in the federal government is an issue that raises broader concerns about governmental overreach, the politicization of federal agencies and the use of taxpayer dollars to fund initiatives that many view as divisive or unnecessary. Critics of the hiring surge argue that the focus on diversity policies distracts from the core responsibilities of government agencies and contributes to an unnecessary expansion of the federal bureaucracy.
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Can’t President Trump fire all these new hires when he takes office?
Sorry to inform the folks that believe that a ‘quota’ system of any sort that is based on anything other than actual merit is STILL a system that is flawed from the outset. I’ve been saying for over five decades that the proper way to insure ‘diversity’ is to figure out a way to increase a potential hires ability to meet set standards, NOT lower those standards. No one seems to want to do that though. Yet there are still folks who wonder why less qualified workers tend to cause the most issues in the work place.