WASHINGTON, DC- Just days before President-elect Donald Trump is to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, The New York Post reports that the FBI has shuttered its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office. The closing occurred in December, just a month after Trump’s election victory.
In a statement provided to The Post, the FBI wrote, “In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) effective by December 2024.”
The agency didn’t say what motivated them to close the office, however, the move follows the president-elect’s promise to scuttle DEI initiatives when he is sworn in as president.
The sudden move prompted Trump to issue a warning on Truth Social Thursday night.
‘We demand that the FBI preserve and retain all records, documents, and information on the now closing DEI Office–Never should have been opened and, if it was, should have closed long ago.
“Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The reason is, CORRUPTION!”
The FBI says it’s closing their DEI office but I hope people won’t cheer too hard just yet because I’m told that they’re just attempting to bury many of the policies into other areas of the FBI.@realDonaldTrump @DOGE @JDVance @elonmusk need a team to go through every agency… https://t.co/uojeLoQBf6
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 16, 2025
The latest revelation follows stark criticism from conservative Republicans in the wake of the New Orleans terrorist attack early New Year’s morning, with some complaining that the agency, which has been under fire for years, prioritized DEI over national security.
“The question is, why were they allowed to be focused on DEI in the first place?” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) said in a statement to The Post after she learned about the DEI office closing.
“The FBI should be focused on catching criminals, not winning participation trophies,” she added.
Earlier this month, Blackburn shared her concerns about the FBI’s DEI focus with outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray. In a letter, Blackburn argued that the FBI “has settled for lower quality candidates to satisfy DEI mandates” under Wray’s leadership.
“To that end, I am deeply concerned that–under your leadership–the Bureau has prioritized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives over its core mission of protecting the American people.”
Blackburn called Wray and the FBI out, noting several retired agents informed a House subcommittee in 2023 that “the law enforcement and intelligence capabilities of the FBI are degrading because the FBI is no longer hiring ‘the best and brightest’ candidates.”
“Put simply, your focus on woke DEI initiatives at the FBI has endangered our national security and the lives of all Americans,” she continued. “Americans now feel increasingly unsafe because of incidents like the January 1 terror attack, and the FBI’s prioritization of diversity over competence shows that their concerns are well founded.”
In the aftermath of the New Orleans attack, conservatives lashed out at the agency when someone who appeared to be a DEI hire, an assistant special agent in the New Orleans office, claimed at a morning news conference that the attack was “not a terrorist attack.” That agent has since been transferred, the FBI announced last week.
Wray announced last month that he would resign from the agency before Trump's inauguration on January 20. Trump was likely planning to fire Wray anyway, as he is allowed to, and has tapped former White House national security official Kash Patel for the position.
Patel will undergo Senate confirmation hearings in the next week or two.
