President Trump on Thursday criticized a law signed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. aimed at expanding high-speed internet access, labeling the initiative as “racist” and “totally unconstitutional,” and threatening to terminate it “immediately.”
This statement reflects Trump's aggressive strategy to dismantle the legacy of his predecessor during his current term. The Digital Equity Act, which seeks to enhance high-speed internet access in underserved communities, was included in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that Biden enacted early in his presidency.
The act is designed to assist various groups, including veterans, the elderly, and disabled and rural communities. However, Trump criticized the law for its focus on improving internet access for ethnic and racial minorities, characterizing it as providing “woke handouts based on race” in a social media post.
Contrary to Trump's claims, the law minimally references race, stating that racial minorities could be included in the program while incorporating a nondiscrimination clause. This clause prohibits exclusion from the program based on “actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability,” language derived from the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Drafted by Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, the Digital Equity Act allocates $60 million in grants to states and territories to develop plans for equitable internet access, along with $2.5 billion in grants to implement those plans. Some funding has already been distributed to states with approved plans, including those in predominantly red, rural areas such as Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, and Kansas. Additional funding was approved by the Biden administration prior to Trump's inauguration but has yet to be allocated.
It remains unclear whether Trump has acted on his threat to terminate the grants, which were authorized by Congress. The agencies responsible for the internet initiative, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Commerce, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The potential cancellation of grants to states would likely face legal challenges, as the Trump administration has previously succeeded in temporarily blocking challenges to its suspension of grants related to equity and diversity programs. However, in late March, the administration was unsuccessful in preventing a block on its extensive freeze of federal funds to states.