US federal staff in diversity roles sent on leave

WHITE House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that US federal employees working in diversity offices must be put on paid leave by Wednesday evening as the new administration of Donald Trump has ordered the programmes shut.

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"Send a notification to all employees of DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) offices that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and program," said a US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo posted on social media platform X by a CBS correspondent.

The memo from acting OPM director Charles Ezell directed all department and agency heads and acting heads to send workers notice by 5 pm Wednesday.

"To every reporter asking about this: I can gladly confirm!" said Leavitt on X, resharing the post from the CBS journalist. "President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit-based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the colour of their skin," Leavitt said in a statement published by NBC News.

"This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept."

While campaigning, Trump had vilified diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the federal government and corporate world, saying they discriminated against white people—men in particular.