The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed on Thursday that the agency closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion in December ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
In a statement to Fox News, the FBI said, “In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024.” While the FBI confirmed that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion had been closed, the agency did not explain why it decided to close the office.
The Daily Wire reported that the closing of the FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion comes as the president-elect and the leaders of his incoming administration have promised to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs in the federal government.
In a Thursday post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.”
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“Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration?” Trump added. “The reason is, CORRUPTION!”
Following the New Orleans terrorist attack earlier this month, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, criticizing the agency for prioritizing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over its core mission of protecting the American people.”
After the FBI confirmed that it closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion on Thursday, Blackburn tweeted, “The question is why were they allowed to be focused on DEI in the first place?” The Republican senator added that the FBI should focus on “catching criminals” instead of “winning participation trophies.”
Despite the closing of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the FBI still listed the office on the agency’s website as of Thursday. The website noted that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s mission was to “provide guidance and implement programs that promote a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows all employees to succeed and advance.”
