In a recent email, Todd Hunter, the Acting Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, instructed his team to report any efforts to hide changes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that were targeted for termination during the Trump administration.
Hunter made it clear that he was aware of attempts within the government to disguise these programs using vague or coded language. He urged employees who knew of any changes to contracts or job descriptions related to DEI to come forward within 10 days. He also warned that failing to report such information could have serious consequences.
This email wasn’t just sent to the VA – similar messages were sent across other federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, highlighting a broader push to end DEI initiatives under the previous administration.
The move comes after President Trump’s executive order aimed at dismantling DEI programs across the federal government. In fact, one of his first acts after taking office was to shut down DEI offices within the executive branch and place their employees on leave, calling these programs divisive and a misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Hunter echoed Trump’s sentiments in his email, stating that DEI programs “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
The email, which was shared with USA TODAY by an anonymous employee, raises questions about how these efforts are being handled behind the scenes. A request for comment from the Department of Veterans Affairs was not immediately returned.
In another development, Trump has nominated former Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia as the new VA secretary. Collins, who is also a chaplain of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command, is now poised to take over leadership of the department.
