Donald Trump was today accused of “turning back the clock” and attacking minorities as he moved to scrap his predecessor Barack Obama’s efforts to promote diversity in universities.
The US president is attempting to revoke affirmative action, which encourages universities to consider race in their admissions process.
Democrat Cedric Richmond, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, said: “Yet again we see that this administration’s goal and vision for ‘Making America Great Again’ is to reduce the role of the state in making sure our society prizes diversity and inclusion.
“The President is sending a message to his future nominee [to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy] and to his base that he and his administration don’t care about diversity and will actively work to turn back the clock.”
Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives Minority Leader, said it was “yet another clear Trump administration attack on communities of colour”.
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions yesterday rolled back seven race-based guidelines designed to encourage universities and high schools to continue affirmative action policies and to seek legal redress against those that do not.
In one case, a lawsuit alleges that Harvard University has a secret quota on the number of Asian Americans it admits and holds them to a higher standard than other students in its admissions.
The college insists it “does not discriminate against applicants from any group” and the case is expected to end up in the Supreme Court, which backed affirmative action in 2016.
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Meanwhile, it has been reported that Mr Trump asked aides about the possibility of invading Venezuela at a meeting about sanctions last August.
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According to a senior administration official, the president asked: “With a fast unravelling Venezuela threatening regional security, why can the US not simply invade the troubled country?” Those present were said to have been left stunned.
