Europe Reacts to Trump’s Anti-DEI Demand: “No Thanks, But Best of Luck”

STOCKHOLM — European officials issued a collective shrug Wednesday after the Trump administration demanded they abandon diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in exchange for continued U.S. embassy cooperation.

The letters—addressed simply to “Dear City Planning Office”—gave European contractors ten days to pledge compliance with Trump’s anti-DEI order or risk being frozen out of U.S. projects.

“It’s an unusual request,” Stockholm vice mayor Jan Valeskog said. “We value diversity here. We won’t be changing that. But we wish the U.S. well in… whatever this experiment is.”

The U.S. State Department insisted the directive was harmless. “It’s just one more form,” a spokesperson said. “A very normal form asking foreigners to abandon inclusion. Totally standard.”

While most EU responses remained diplomatic, one unnamed French official offered a rare unvarnished comment: “If America wishes to export its culture wars, it should consider first exporting actual culture.”

The remark marked the first time in years Europe openly questioned U.S. values in writing—and suggested that patience for America’s political experiments may finally be running out.