U.S. President Donald Trump visits a Ford production center in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S., January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
(New York, New York) – The Trump administration is taking legal action against The New York Times, accusing the paper of discriminating against a white male employee during a promotion process.
The case centers on whether the employee was passed over because of his race and sex. Federal officials argue workplace anti-discrimination laws apply to everyone and that companies cannot use diversity goals to justify unfair treatment.
The lawsuit lands in the middle of the national fight over DEI policies. Conservatives say corporate diversity programs have gone too far and, in some cases, punish qualified workers for being white, male or politically unfashionable. Supporters of DEI argue those efforts are meant to correct long-standing imbalances and expand opportunity.
The Times is expected to fight the case, and critics of the administration will likely argue the lawsuit is politically motivated because of Trump’s long-running feud with the paper.
But for Trump allies, the case is bigger than one newsroom. They see it as part of a broader push to force elite institutions to follow the same civil-rights rules they claim to support.
