Hugo Balta, executive editor of The Fulcrum, whose social media platform exhibits highly factual and credible ratings from Media Bias/Fact Check, wrote in his Jan. 25 op-ed “now is the time to advance on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives” as opposed to President Trump and Elon Musk’s anti-DEI movement.

Let’s explore Mr. Balta’s contention from a research-based and reference-laden perspective to see if his position is true or false.

First, Mr. Trump issued “a sweeping executive order directing federal agencies to terminate DEI programs” (Reuters, Jan. 24). Next, on Jan. 27, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth enacted Trump’s order by eliminating DEI endeavors at the Pentagon.

The Reuters article noted if companies comply with Trump’s anti-DEI executive order, they are “exposing themselves to more discrimination lawsuits by workers.” Companies who abandon DEI policies are specifically violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, religion, color and national origin.

Alan Blinder, former vice chair of the Federal Reserve and economics professor at Princeton, scolded Trump for his “attacks on DEI and affirmative action” in his Jan. 28 Wall Street Journal op-ed. Every company and educational institution that depends on federal funding or holds government contracts is in legal jeopardy by following Trump’s edict.

On Jan. 27, the Wall Street Journal countered Trump’s anti-DEI and anti-affirmative action order by stating bluntly “discrimination in hiring isn’t allowed.” Mr. Trump has, for many years, veered into the anti-woke world, which means he discounts the value of social justice, equal rights and equal opportunity.

Jessica Guynn, a journalist for USA Today made three observations about the new administration in her Jan. 26 column. First, Trump’s anti-DEI initiative “began in earnest during Trump’s first term and grew after he left office.” Secondly, Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, “has filed dozens of legal actions against woke corporations.” Finally, Miller praises Harmett Dhillon, Trump’s lawyer to lead the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, for “suing corporations who use woke policies to discriminate against their workers.”

At the Sept. 10, 2024 presidential debate, Trump alluded to illegal immigrants voting in the Nov. 5 election. According to NPR, he was making reference to the Great Replacement Theory, which has “become mainstream in the Republican Party” (Sept. 13, 2024).

Over 200 reference citations about the Great Replacement Theory exist on the internet. The New York Times states this white nationalist far-right conspiracy theory preaches “racial minorities are displacing the traditional white American population and take control of the nation” (May 15, 2022).

A May 2022 poll by Yahoo! News and YouGov revealed 61% of people who voted for Trump in 2020 agree with the core tenet of the great replacement theory that “a group of people in this country are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants and people of color who share their political views.”

Regarding immigration, Alan Blinder writes “Reducing illegal immigration has been a perplexing problem for decades, has bipartisan support and began happening in the Biden administration” (Wall Street Journal, Jan. 28). In Trump’s first term he expelled 2,011,280 illegal migrants as compared to Biden deporting 4,677,460 immigrants as of July, 2024 (Newsweek, Dec. 10, 2024).

Related to the great replacement theory, an official with the U.S. Air Force confirmed to USA Today on Jan. 25 (the end of Donald Trump’s first week of office): “The U.S. Air Force will no longer teach its recruits about the Tuskegee Airmen, the more than 15,000 Black pilots (first Black aviators), mechanics and cooks in the segregated Army of World War II.”

Trump’s edict is viewed as an attempt to erase history of active Black fighters from 1940 to 1952, who flew in over 15,000 attacks and destroyed more than 100 German aircraft. Trump’s action is reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984 dystopian novel whereby Big Brother eliminated history he didn’t like.

It gets worse about members of the great replacement theory cult. Joseph Uscinski and Casey Klofstad, political science professors at University of Miami, found in their research “those who believed in these conspiracy theories were also more likely to believe in other conspiracy theories and to be supportive of violence as a means to political ends” (LSE, Sept. 5, 2024). Jan. 6, 2021, anyone?

Research is replete that Hugo Balta’s assertion that now is the time to advance — versus retreat — DEI endeavors, is spot on. The same advancement should occur for social justice, equal rights, equal opportunity and employment discrimination based upon race, sex, religion, color and national origin.

Since a super majority of Americans are law abiding citizens, request your congressional delegates to uphold the Civil Rights Act we’ve embraced since 1964 and reject the anti-DEI, anti-woke and anti-affirmative action endeavors that may be in play to solve the great replacement conspiracy theory.

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References:

1. Hugo Balta, Advance DEI, do not retreat from it, The Fulcrum, Jan. 26, 2025
2. Daniel Wiseener, Despite Trump order, abandoning DEI could land companies in legal trouble, Reuters, Jan. 24, 2025
3. John Sailer and Louis Galarowicz, How DEI conquered the University of Colorado, The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 27, 2025
4. Jessica Guynn, Companies on notice after DEI moves, The Desert Sun, Jan. 26, 2025
5. Robert Shogan, Affirmative action stirs unforeseen division in GOP, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 20, 1995
6. David Hood, DEI drops `E’ to shield diversity efforts. Can it mute outrage?, Bloomberg Law, Nov. 4, 2024
7. Andrew Lawrence, Racist dog whistle: the right wing has weaponized DEI, The Guardian, April 21, 2024
8. Ja’han Jones, Alleged ideology of Buffalo shooting suspect believed by most Trump voters, poll says, MSNBC News, May 31, 2022
9. Joseph Uscinski and Casey Klofstad, Why those who believe in `white replacement’ conspiracy theories may be even more dangerous than previously thought, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Sept. 5, 2024
10. Alan S. Blinder, A critical look at Trump’s economic plans, The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 28, 2025
11. Marina Pitofsky, Bart Jansen and Sudiksha Kochi, Trump huddles with House GOP, The Desert Sun, Jan. 28, 2025
12. (news release) Did Trump deport more migrants than Biden?, Newsweek, Dec. 10, 2024
13. Olafimihan Oshin, 6 in 10 Trump voters agree with core tenet of great replacement theory: survey, The Hill, Nov. 8, 2023
14. Jude Joffe-Block and Odette Yousef, How Trump is relying on a racist conspiracy theory to question election results, National Public Radio, Sept. 13, 2024
15. Nicholas Confessore and Karen Yourish, A fringe conspiracy theory, fostered online, is refashioned by the G.O.P., The New York Times, May 15, 2022

Contact information: [email protected]; 319-290-9779; Apr. 1-Oct. 31: 4116 Maryhill Drive, Cedar Falls, IA 50613-5781 and Nov. 1-March 31:  55055 Shoal Creek, La Quinta, CA 92253-4728

Disclosures:

1. Steve is a non-paid freelance opinion editor and guest columnist contributor (circa 2013-present) to 181 news agencies in 39 states who receives no remuneration, funding or endorsement from any for-profit business, not-for-profit organization, political action committee or political party
2. Steve is Professor Emeritus of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (1975-2013); Marketing Department Head (17 years); State of Iowa Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service (2003)
3. Steve graduated from Nevada H.S. (Nevada, IA) in 1966; University of Northern Iowa (1970 bachelor’s degree); Colorado State University (1972 master’s degree); Virginia Tech (1975 doctoral degree)
4. Steve was elected to public office three times and served on the Denver Community School District Board of Education (Denver, IA) for 11 years,  serves on the Advisory Board of Discerning Wealth Ameriprise Financial Services (Cedar Falls, IA) and is a member of the Cedar Falls Lions Club, Lions Clubs of Iowa and Lions Clubs International
5. Steve is married to Doris J. Kelley (Iowa House of Representatives, 2007-2011; Chair/Vice-Chair – Iowa Board of Parole, 2011-2014; Chair, Iowa’s 19th Amendment Centennial Commemoration, 2017-2021)
6. Steve has three sons, three daughters-in-laws and three grandchildren
7. “My attempt at writing op-eds since 2013 has been to try my best at shifting from today’s journalism style of “my truth” to old-school journalism focused on “research-based truth” and as close to scholarly research as possible to restore journalism credibility and provide a value-added op-ed to the reader.” – SBC