Typically, a new president revamps the White House website to align with their administration's values, and some of these missing pages may only be temporarily offline. This is nothing new.
But Trump goes next level.
Soon after taking office in his second presidency, Donald Trump makes many sudden changes and announcements.
After one and another, his administration is now forcing the White House and federal government agencies to remove their specific online presence, literally forcing them to undergo significant changes.
The deletions that happens during Trump's first days as President, also include archived versions of government websites that suggest alignment with Trump’s right-wing cultural priorities in his second term.
First of, the White House website no longer features a Spanish-language version, has removed its accessibility disclaimer, and several federal agencies have eliminated web pages related to reproductive rights and diversity initiatives.
The Spanish-language version of the White House website, called the La Casa Blanca, has been removed along with its official social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Historically, such a version has been a feature since George W. Bush’s presidency, though previous administrations, including Trump’s first term and Barack Obama’s, took months to relaunch it.
A White House spokesperson explained that the deleted pages, such as one for the Constitution, would return once federal developers complete the redesign.
And regarding its accessibility, which was available on Biden’s last day as president, has also been removed, is to comply with international standards for website accessibility as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These standards ensure that websites are navigable for individuals with disabilities by offering features like alt text for images, audio descriptions, and keyboard operability.
Additionally, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention is no longer active.
Outside the White House website, several executive branch federal agencies have made similar changes reflecting Trump’s priorities.
For example, the Health and Human Services website, which provided information on Americans' legal rights regarding reproductive health care, is no longer available. Similarly, the Department of Labor has removed a resource page for LGBTQI+ workers.
Several federal departments have also taken down web pages dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This follows Trump’s signing of an executive order instructing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to eliminate all DEI programs. While OPM’s main page on DEI remains accessible, its Chief Diversity Officers Executive Council page has been removed.
Web addresses that once led to their respective DEI pages now display “Page Not Found — 404” messages or notes above archived material explaining the change.
Other agencies have followed suit, including the National Institute of Food and Agriculture has taken down its DEI statement, which has also removed a page describing its Office of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
At some agencies, the sudden removal of diversity mentions was creating widespread questions and confusion.
Due to lacking clear guidance, Defense Department staff members were pulling websites down in often inconsistent ways.
The Army, as an example, temporarily removed its sexual assault guidelines.
This raising questions about what message that might be sending, considering that Trump’s defense nominee Pete Hegseth has been involved in sex assault allegations, which he denies.
The guidelines were back up soon after.
In other words, resources for underrepresented Americans that were present on the web have to removed following President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Some of the materials that vanished also aimed to help agencies recruit diverse workforces and foster a sense of belonging for employees and students in schools across America.
Not just that, because the agencies also have been cancelling staff trainings and shuttering diversity offices to comply with the order from Trump, who has called for all DEI staff to be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.
The Air Force for example, has removed DEI course that used videos of Tuskegee Airmen, female World War II pilots.
Critics suggested that the rollbacks could result in dramatic shifts in hiring and a return to discriminatory practices of the past.
The FBI, in a preemptive move before Trump’s executive order, closed its Office of Diversity and Inclusion in December after his election.
Donald Sherman, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, described these actions as consistent with Project 2025, a far-right administrative strategy embraced by Trump’s team.
"I think it’s a direct reflection of Project 2025," Sherman said.
"It’s important to remember Project 2025 was done sort of piecemeal. In practically every section, it explicitly mentions undoing Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives."
Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the U.S. has seen a marked shift toward expanding and protecting LGBTQ+ rights and promoting DEI across various sectors. Biden’s policies have been a stark contrast to those of the previous administration, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and equal rights for marginalized communities.
Biden has made LGBTQ+ rights a central focus of his presidency, including actions aimed at undoing many of the restrictions put in place during the Trump era.
Notably, on his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ people under federal law, specifically under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This order ensured that LGBTQ+ individuals would be protected from discrimination in employment, housing, healthcare, and education.
As a result of this, the society experienced a change, in made U.S. a place where diversity really matters.
But Trump is rolling it back.
He had even made the State Department on Wednesday to dismantle its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and removed the link to it from its website. The office had been created by former Secretary of State Antony Blinken with fanfare shortly after he took office and had produced reports identifying strategies for attracting minorities and women into the department’s workforce.
Due to the abrupt change, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable this week to all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad barring them from flying anything other than the American flag or flags to honor prisoners of war or the wrongfully detained.
The directive effectively banned the display of LGBTQ+ pride or Black Lives Matter flags, which had been permitted under the Biden administration.
