Trump bars ‘propaganda’ training sessions on race

Citing “press reports,” Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, decried the “millions of taxpayer dollars” spent on such programs “across the Executive Branch” in a two-page memo.

It’s unclear to what extent such trainings exist, or if, as the memo purports, they instruct participants that “virtually all White people contribute to racism.” But, like Trump’s threat this week to yank federal funding from cities in blue states that he says are permitting unrest in the streets, Friday’s memo provides another talking point for his reelection campaign as it seeks to highlight culture war issues.

“This is a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue,” Trump told his Twitter followers. “Please report any sightings so we can quickly extinguish!”

Such trainings “not only run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, but they also engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce,” Vought wrote, adding that “we cannot accept our employees receiving training that seeks to undercut our core values as Americans and drive division within our workforce.”

Vought pointed to an order from Trump as the source for directing federal agency heads to stop using federal funds for such training, promising additional details to come.

This story has been updated with additional background information and Trump’s Saturday morning tweets.