America First Legal Emerges as Central Force in Trump’s DEI Crackdown, Targeting Disney, CBS, and Equal Employment Programs Nationwide
As America’s political and cultural divisions deepen heading into the 2024 presidential election cycle, few organizations have positioned themselves more squarely at the intersection of conservative legal activism and cultural warfare than America First Legal. Once a relatively obscure outfit, the group has now become a prominent and powerful legal arm of former President Donald Trump’s broader efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the United States.
Under the leadership of former Trump White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, America First Legal (AFL) has rapidly transformed into one of the most aggressive litigants and strategists targeting what it sees as ideological overreach by corporate America, academic institutions, and government agencies. Its targets are not chosen at random. From multinational media giants like Disney and CBS Studios to federal agencies enforcing equal employment laws, AFL has launched legal complaints, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, lawsuits, and public campaigns designed to challenge — and ultimately roll back — progressive policies rooted in DEI initiatives.
The group’s efforts are not occurring in a vacuum. They align directly with former President Trump’s messaging and proposed agenda, should he win a second term. The Republican frontrunner has repeatedly vowed to eliminate what he terms “left-wing indoctrination” in schools, corporations, and the federal government. And America First Legal has become one of the chief engines powering that vision — legally, rhetorically, and ideologically.
AFL’s legal strategies have drawn comparisons to the work of the American Civil Liberties Union, albeit from a right-wing perspective. The organization uses the court system to challenge perceived overreach or constitutional violations, particularly as they pertain to race- and gender-based hiring practices, corporate diversity statements, and government programs that prioritize inclusivity.
In recent months, AFL has filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) targeting hiring and promotion programs at companies like Disney and CBS Studios. These programs, AFL argues, constitute unlawful discrimination against white employees or candidates because they allegedly give preferential treatment to individuals based on race, gender, or ethnicity.
AFL’s complaint against Disney focused on the company’s internal DEI goals and metrics, including policies aimed at increasing minority representation in leadership and creative teams. AFL claims such policies violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex, and national origin. Similarly, the complaint filed against CBS Studios alleged that the company’s diversity initiatives created a “racially discriminatory work environment” and excluded white men from advancement opportunities.
“These companies are not promoting equality — they’re promoting racial and gender quotas that violate federal law,” said AFL President Stephen Miller in a press release. “America First Legal will not stop until every American is judged by the content of their character — not the color of their skin or their sex.”
Miller’s invocation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous line reflects a broader strategy within the conservative legal movement: to frame opposition to DEI as a defense of colorblind equality. It’s a rhetorical shift that has gained traction among Republican lawmakers and conservative judges, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions. That decision, delivered in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, was seen by many on the right as a green light to challenge similar policies in the workplace and beyond.
America First Legal has wasted no time in seizing that momentum. In the months following the Supreme Court’s ruling, AFL has filed or supported dozens of legal challenges to DEI programs across industries — from tech companies and law firms to school districts and government contractors. The group has even gone after military recruiting practices and federal grant programs that include diversity-based criteria.
One of AFL’s more controversial tactics involves targeting whistleblowers and employees within corporations who are sympathetic to its cause. Through hotlines and confidential submissions, AFL encourages employees to share internal documents or report alleged discriminatory practices. These materials are then used to support formal complaints or fuel public campaigns that name and shame companies deemed to be violating federal law.
Critics, however, see AFL’s campaign as part of a broader effort to weaponize the legal system against social progress. Civil rights organizations and progressive advocacy groups argue that AFL’s lawsuits distort the purpose of civil rights laws, which were created to remedy historical and systemic discrimination — not to protect the majority from policies designed to level the playing field.
“What we’re seeing is a cynical use of civil rights laws to dismantle them,” said Maya Wiley, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “These lawsuits are not about protecting equal opportunity — they’re about rolling back hard-fought gains for women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and others who have been historically marginalized.”
Despite the controversy, America First Legal has been increasingly effective in shifting the conversation and strategy around DEI. Conservative media outlets regularly amplify AFL’s cases, while Republican lawmakers cite its arguments during hearings and campaign speeches. The organization’s influence was visible in recent state-level efforts to ban or defund DEI offices in public universities, especially in Florida, Texas, and Tennessee — all of which have introduced legislation that mirrors AFL’s language and legal theories.
In Washington, AFL’s reach is expected to expand significantly if Trump wins re-election. During a campaign rally in Michigan, Trump hinted at plans to “abolish every DEI program in the federal government on Day One” of a second term. And sources close to the campaign suggest that AFL’s legal playbook could serve as a blueprint for future executive orders and administrative restructuring.
Inside AFL’s Washington D.C. offices, the group has ramped up operations in anticipation of 2025. Staffed by a growing team of attorneys, researchers, and communications strategists — many with backgrounds in the Trump administration — the organization is preparing not only for courtroom battles but for what it sees as a sweeping cultural realignment.
AFL’s broader goal, according to internal strategy documents reviewed by Politico, is to create a chilling effect across the corporate and government landscape. By targeting high-profile brands like Disney and CBS, AFL hopes to send a clear message: DEI comes with legal risk. Even the perception of racial favoritism in hiring or contracting can invite federal investigation, negative headlines, and shareholder backlash.
So far, that strategy appears to be working. Several corporations, including some Fortune 500 firms, have begun quietly scaling back or rewording DEI policies in the wake of AFL’s lawsuits. Legal departments are reassessing whether internal diversity goals could expose them to litigation. And public statements from CEOs on issues of race and gender have become noticeably more cautious.
For supporters of DEI, this retrenchment is deeply concerning. Many worry that years of progress are being unraveled under the weight of legal intimidation and politicized rhetoric. But for AFL and its conservative allies, this moment represents not just a legal victory — but an ideological one.
“This is about restoring fairness and equality,” Miller recently told Fox News. “We’re not going to stop until DEI — which is nothing more than state-sanctioned discrimination — is removed from every corner of American life.”
As the 2024 election looms, America First Legal is likely to play an even larger role in shaping the national conversation about race, rights, and the role of law in modern America. Whether viewed as defenders of civil liberties or agents of rollback, AFL’s impact is undeniable — and it is reshaping the legal and cultural battle over DEI with every case it files.
