NASA's acting administrator is taking swift action to remove the space agency's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, or DEIA, programs.
In an email sent to agency employees Wednesday afternoon, Acting Administrator Janet Petro wrote: “We are taking steps to close all agency DEIA offices and terminate all DEIA-related contracts in accordance with the executive orders of President Trump titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs. and giving preference to and initial withdrawal of harmful executive orders and actions.”
During his quest for a second term as president, Trump campaigned on ending programs within the federal government that promote diversity, equality and inclusion. He signed executive orders to this effect shortly after his inauguration on Monday.
Programs seen as divisive
These programs had their roots in affirmative action but exploded in popularity half a decade ago during Trump's first presidency and the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements. DEI programs and officers became commonplace in academia and major US corporations. But even before Trump's election, the DEI movement seemed to have hit its stride. For example, last year the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ended the use of diversity statements for faculty hiring.
In explaining NASA's position, Petro said of the agency's existing DEIA activities, “These programs divided Americans based on race, wasted taxpayer dollars and resulted in shameful discrimination.”
Petro's email is notable for suggesting that some officials at NASA may have been trying to hide DEIA programs from the Trump administration since the presidential election in early November.
“We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or inaccurate language,” she wrote. “If you are aware of any change to a contract description or employee job description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances.”
