President Donald Trump recently sat for an interview in which his ongoing onslaught against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives eventually led him to address his views on civil rights–era protections. The president conceded that those protections “accomplished some very wonderful things,” but added that they “also hurt a lot of people.”
Trump was speaking to The New York Times while explaining his administration’s multiple university funding freezes inspired by opposition to affirmative action. According to the president, these policies are rooted in his interpretation of civil rights–era reforms. “White people were very badly treated,” Trump said. “Where they did extremely well and they were not invited to go into a university or college. So I would say in that way, I think it was unfair in certain cases.”
