The corruption of the Biden administration ran deep. The Trump team is digging it all up.
That’s why President Trump was blown away by this discovery of one of Biden’s last shadow decisions.
Biden Administration Tries To Hide DEI Programs As Trump Axes Them
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has canceled its upcoming internship program after outgoing officials from the Biden administration removed elements associated with “diversity.” Emails obtained by reporters shed light on the decision and its connection to the reshaping of federal programs under the administration of President Donald Trump.
The FTA had originally planned to launch an internship program called “Diversity in Federal Transit.” However, the program’s name was changed to “BOOST” in 2024, before President Trump took office again in January. The renaming did not protect the program from the significant restructuring of federal agencies under the new Republican president. According to archived webpages, the FTA’s efforts to pivot toward a new identity did not shield it from the reshaping of federal initiatives under Trump’s orders.
An email obtained by reporters from the Washington Center, a nonprofit organization partnering with the FTA for recruitment, confirmed the cancellation of the internship program. The email, dated January 27, 2025, explained that the Summer 2025 Federal Transit Administration Building Opportunities and Outcomes for Students in Transit (FTA BOOST) Internship Program was canceled “due to recent Executive Orders.” The notification also stated that the internship was scrapped as of January 23, 2025.
In response to the cancellation, the Washington Center, which had been recruiting interns for the program, sent the message to applicants. Despite multiple inquiries, neither the FTA nor the Washington Center responded to any requests for comments from members of the media.
The cancellation aligns with President Trump’s executive orders signed on his first day back in office. These orders effectively banned “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the federal government. Trump’s actions also included a pause on federal hiring. While it remains unclear which specific actions led to the cancellation of the FTA’s BOOST program, it does seem as though the “BOOST” program was going through face-changes so as to prevent being axed from the Trump administration. The Trump administration still discovered the DEI program, nonetheless.
BREAKING: Trump signs executive order to terminate DEI positions, initiatives across government agencies pic.twitter.com/rN09tXKAiD
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 21, 2025
Prior to the program’s cancellation, the FTA had encouraged both undergraduate and graduate students from so-called “underrepresented” backgrounds to apply. A February 2024 Instagram post from the agency linked to the Washington Center’s recruitment page, inviting applicants from diverse groups. However, while “underrepresented” groups were encouraged to apply, applicants were not required to belong to these groups to be considered eligible for the program.
The shift in priorities under Trump is part of a huge transformation of federal programs. Under the previous administration, President Biden had mandated that federal agencies adopt policies aimed at increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in hiring and programs. Biden’s efforts had drawn considerable criticism from conservatives, who argued that such initiatives wasted taxpayer funds and were divisive or discriminatory.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg became a focal point for criticism when he stated that American roads were rife with “racism,” a claim that drew scrutiny from many critics. Buttigieg pledged to direct resources from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to address this supposed issue of systemic racism within American infrastructure.
DEI Program Name Change Not Enough To Save It From Trump Admin Reform
The Washington Center, which had named the internship program “Diversity in Federal Transit” up until October 2024, revised its program title shortly before Trump’s re-election was declared in November 2024. As of November 6, 2024, the program officially adopted the new name, BOOST. However, this was not enough to protect it from Trump’s new policies on diversity-related programs.
The Department of Transportation (DOT), the FTA’s parent agency, acknowledged the broader initiative to eliminate “woke” programs. In a statement from January 29, 2025, the DOT said that it was actively working to comply with Trump’s executive orders by dismantling “woke” initiatives surrounding race and gender. The department specifically referred to a “Woke Rescission” Memorandum signed by the Secretary, directing all heads of agencies and operating administrations to identify and eliminate Biden-era programs, rules, and policies that promote DEI, racial equity, gender identity policies, environmental justice, and other initiatives considered partisan.
The DOT also reiterated its commitment to reshaping federal programs in accordance with Trump’s policies by purging various webpages related to DEI, gender and s*xuality resources, and “affinity groups” created for LGBTQ employees. Simply put, the Trump admin wants all federal governments to be only merit based, which is where the vast majority of Americans are on the issue as well.
Despite these sweeping changes, the future of federal programs related to diversity remains uncertain as the Trump administration continues to reassert its influence on government operations. The FTA internship cancellation is just one puzzle piece in the very dramatic picture the Trump administration is painting. They are not taking it slow at all and are axing anything that sniffs of DEI.
JUST IN: Dozens of Dept of Education employees have been placed on leave in connection with Trump's EO to eliminate DEI. – ABC
Today WSJ reported that Trump is weighing a plan to dismantle the Dept of Education.
It's finally happening 👀 pic.twitter.com/PgFkVqNwel
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 3, 2025
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
