President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government. "We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based," Mr. Trump said in his inauguration speech on Monday.

The effort escalates a push Trump made in his last term as president and relies on the very same tools his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, used to try to promote DEI programs across American life by embedding the priority into rules for federal contractors and grant recipients.