White House Halts ‘Critical Race Theory Trainings’ for Government Workers

Russ Vought, Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the CPAC convention in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 29, 2020. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

The White House on Friday announced an order to stop taxpayer-funded “critical race theory” training sessions to government workers in various U.S. executive branch agencies.

“The days of taxpayer funded indoctrination trainings that sow division and racism are over,” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought announced on Twitter. “Under the direction of @POTUS we are directing agencies to halt critical race theory trainings immediately.”

Vought wrote in a White House memorandum (pdf) that President Donald Trump directed him to “ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions.” He noted that “millions of taxpayer dollars” have been spent to this effect.

The OMB awaits more detailed instruction to carry out Trump’s direction, Vought said in the memo.

“In the meantime, all agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on ‘critical race theory,’ ‘white privilege,’ or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil,” the memo states.

“In addition, all agencies should begin to identify all available avenues within the law to cancel any such contracts and/or to divert Federal dollars away from these unAmerican propaganda training sessions.”

The White House in Washington, on March 14, 2020. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Citing media outlets, Vought in the memo pointed to a number of examples of such trainings, which in one instance involved employees across the Executive Branch being required to attend trainings where they were told “virtually all White people contribute to racism,” or were required to say that they “benefit from racism.”

He adds, “According to press reports, in some cases these training have further claimed that there is racism embedded in the belief that America is the land of opportunity or the belief that the most qualified person should receive a job.”

Vought said such “trainings” stands against the “fundamental beliefs” of the United States since its founding, and also “engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce.”

He asserted that government workers can take pride in knowing that the federal government has employees of all races, ethnicities, and religions, and welcome “all individuals who seek to serve their fellow Americans as Federal employees.”

“[W]e cannot accept our employees receiving training that seeks to undercut our core values as Americans and drive division within our workforce,” he wrote, adding, “The President, and his Administration, are fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of all individuals in the United States.”

“The divisive, false, and demeaning propaganda of the critical race theory movement is contrary to all we stand for as Americans and should have no place in the Federal government.”