Following Trump's lead, organizations including Walmart, Lowe’s and Meta, have announced they would scale back their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

A second order will task US officials with formulating a policy on transgender troops. A third executive order will reinstate military personnel who were discharged for refusing Covid-19 vaccines. Removing DEI programmes from within the federal government was one of Trump's central campaign promises - and one that he moved swiftly to implement upon taking office last week.

Trump's executive orders for the Pentagon will fulfill campaign promises that the Republican reiterated during last week's inaugural address.