Trump demands that all FBI DEI office documents be preserved after shutdown

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) closed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office last December following Donald Trump's election victory. The president-elect called this decision suspicious and demanded that all records and documents related to the office be preserved.

"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. Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The reason is, CORRUPTION!" said Trump in a statement.

A shutdown at the center of political debate

During his presidential campaign, Trump heavily criticized the DEI initiatives at government agencies, calling them distractions from the core functions of these institutions. The closing of the FBI office appears to align with that stance, although the agency has not officially explained the motives behind the move.

For her part, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) reacted to the closing of the FBI's DEI office by questioning why the agency allowed itself to focus on this initiative in the first place. "The FBI should be focused on catching criminals, not winning participation trophies," Blackburn said, criticizing what she sees as a distraction from the agency's true mission.

Criticism in the wake of the New Orleans attack

The FBI's DEI Office has faced intense scrutiny in recent months, especially in the wake of the terrorist attack on Jan. 1 in New Orleans. Some Republican lawmakers noted that the agency's focus on DEI initiatives may have affected its ability to prevent the tragedy.

In a letter to outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray, Blackburn expressed concern about the quality of recruiting within the agency. According to the senator, former agents reported that diversity policies negatively impacted the FBI's effectiveness. "[The agency] has settled for lower quality candidates to satisfy DEI mandates (...) Put simply, your focus on woke DEI initiatives at the FBI has endangered our national security and the lives of all Americans," she asserted.