Donald Trump’s administration has already redesigned the federal government’s internet presence in the first few days of his second term in office.
There is no longer a Spanish-language edition of the White House website. A disclaimer that promised to make it accessible to individuals with impairments has been removed. Additionally, several federal agencies have taken down websites pertaining to diversity and reproductive rights.
Some of the missing sections seem to be temporary additions, as it is customary for a new president to update the White House website to reflect the objectives and ideals of their administration.
However, other government website removals appear to demonstrate Trump’s devotion to right-wing culture war concerns during his second term, as NBC News confirmed using archived versions of the official websites.
In addition to the removal of La Casa Blanca, the White House’s Spanish-language website, its three official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Xall also seem to have been erased.
Although the White House website has been available in Spanish since at least George W. Bush’s presidency, it took months for two previous administrations—both Trump’s first and Barack Obama’s—to relaunch.
Requests for feedback from the White House and the Trump transition team were not answered; however, a White House official told USA Today that the website and a deleted page for the Constitution will be restored once federal web engineers complete redesigning the site.
Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be a whitehouse.gov accessibility statement that was active on the final day of Biden’s administration. According to the preceding page, the website complied with international standards that ensure websites are accessible to individuals with impairments.According to Justice Department regulations, all government websites must adhere to certain requirements in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
These standards include making all websites keyboard-operable for users who are unable to use a traditional mouse, including audio descriptions for those with hearing impairments, and providing alt text on photos so that persons with visual impairments who use automatic readers may understand images.
Also no longer in operation as of Saturday is the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
In what seem to be more calculated moves that reflect Trump’s views, a few government departments in the executive branch outside the White House have also taken down websites.
Reproductiverights.gov, the Health and Human Services website outlining Americans’ legal rights with regard to reproductive health care, is not operational. As recently as last week, it was operational. A request for comment via email was not answered by HHS.
A website with services for LGBTQI+ employees that went live last month seems to have been taken down by the Department of Labor. A request for comment was not immediately answered.
A target of conservatives and the Trump administration, diversity, equity, and inclusion websites have been removed from at least three federal offices. An executive orderTrump signed orders on Monday to terminate all DEI programs at the federal government’s human resources agency, the Office of Personnel Management.
The home page for the Chief Diversity Officers Executive Council, which went live earlier this month, has been removed, but OPM’s overall page outlining DEI as a priority is still operational.
A similar remark regarding the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility has been removed. A page that outlined the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Office of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion as of last year has been removed.
A request for comment was not answered by any of those three agencies.
Before Trump even took office, at least one agency closed its DEI office in anticipation. According to an FBI spokesperson who spoke to NBC News, the FBI shut down its Office of Diversity and Inclusion in December, following Trump’s election but prior to his executive order. A follow-up query about the agency’s reasoning for that decision was not answered by the spokeswoman.
According to Donald Sherman, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a progressive government watchdog group, the deletions reflected the goals of Project 2025, the far-right administration plan that Trump rejected during the campaign but that his team has supported since winning the election, NBC News reported.
Sherman stated, “I believe it’s a clear reflection of Project 2025.” It’s crucial to keep in mind that Project 2025 was completed somewhat haphazardly. It specifically refers to reversing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in almost every sector.