Reporters at The New York Times pored through 5,000 pages from various federal agencies and found that the following words had been removed from government websites and publications. As the article points out, Trump and Musk frequently claim to be champions of “free speech,” but they have no problem censoring words and ideas that offend them.
Karen Yourish, Annie Daniel, Saurabh Datar, Isaac White andd Lazaro Gamio wrote:
As President Trump seeks to purge the federal government of “woke” initiatives, agencies have flagged hundreds of words to limit or avoid, according to a compilation of government documents.
- accessible
- activism
- activists
- advocacy
- advocate
- advocates
- affirming care
- all-inclusive
- allyship
- anti-racism
- antiracist
- assigned at birth
- assigned female at birth
- assigned male at birth
- at risk
- barrier
- barriers
- belong
- bias
- biased
- biased toward
- biases
- biases towards
- biologically female
- biologically male
- BIPOC
- Black
- breastfeed + people
- breastfeed + person
- chestfeed + people
- chestfeed + person
- clean energy
- climate crisis
- climate science
- commercial sex worker
- community diversity
- community equity
- confirmation bias
- cultural competence
- cultural differences
- cultural heritage
- cultural sensitivity
- culturally appropriate
- culturally responsive
- DEI
- DEIA
- DEIAB
- DEIJ
- disabilities
- disability
- discriminated
- discrimination
- discriminatory
- disparity
- diverse
- diverse backgrounds
- diverse communities
- diverse community
- diverse group
- diverse groups
- diversified
- diversify
- diversifying
- diversity
- enhance the diversity
- enhancing diversity
- environmental quality
- equal opportunity
- equality
- equitable
- equitableness
- equity
- ethnicity
- excluded
- exclusion
- expression
- female
- females
- feminism
- fostering inclusivity
- GBV
- gender
- gender based
- gender based violence
- gender diversity
- gender identity
- gender ideology
- gender-affirming care
- genders
- Gulf of Mexico
- hate speech
- health disparity
- health equity
- hispanic minority
- historically
- identity
- immigrants
- implicit bias
- implicit biases
- inclusion
- inclusive
- inclusive leadership
- inclusiveness
- inclusivity
- increase diversity
- increase the diversity
- indigenous community
- inequalities
- inequality
- inequitable
- inequities
- inequity
- injustice
- institutional
- intersectional
- intersectionality
- key groups
- key people
- key populations
- Latinx
- LGBT
- LGBTQ
- marginalize
- marginalized
- men who have sex with men
- mental health
- minorities
- minority
- most risk
- MSM
- multicultural
- Mx
- Native American
- non-binary
- nonbinary
- oppression
- oppression
- oppressive
- orientation
- people + uterus
- people-centered care
- person-centered
- person-centered care
- polarization
- political
- pollution
- pregnant people
- pregnant person
- pregnant persons
- prejudice
- privilege
- privileges
- promote diversity
- promoting diversity
- pronoun
- pronouns
- prostitute
- race
- race and ethnicity
- racial
- racial diversity
- racial identity
- racial inequality
- racial justice
- racially
- racism
- segregation
- sense of belonging
- sex
- sexual preferences
- sexuality
- social justice
- sociocultural
- socioeconomic
- status
- stereotype
- stereotypes
- systemic
- systemically
- they/them
- trans
- transgender
- transsexual
- trauma
- traumatic
- tribal
- unconscious bias
- underappreciated
- underprivileged
- underrepresentation
- underrepresented
- underserved
- undervalued
- victim
- victims
- vulnerable populations
- women
- women and underrepresented
- Notes: Some terms listed with a plus sign represent combinations of words that, when used together, acknowledge transgender people, which is not in keeping with the current federal government’s position that there are only two, immutable sexes. Any term collected above was included on at least one agency’s list, which does not necessarily imply that other agencies are also discouraged from using it.
- The above terms appeared in government memos, in official and unofficial agency guidance and in other documents viewed by The New York Times. Some ordered the removal of these words from public-facing websites, or ordered the elimination of other materials (including school curricula) in which they might be included.
In other cases, federal agency managers advised caution in the terms’ usage without instituting an outright ban. Additionally, the presence of some terms was used to automatically flag for review some grant proposals and contracts that could conflict with Mr. Trump’s executive orders.
The list is most likely incomplete. More agency memos may exist than those seen by New York Times reporters, and some directives are vague or suggest what language might be impermissible without flatly stating it.
All presidential administrations change the language used in official communications to reflect their own policies. It is within their prerogative, as are amendments to or the removal of web pages, which The Times has found has already happened thousands of times in this administration.
Still, the words and phrases listed here represent a marked — and remarkable — shift in the corpus of language being used both in the federal government’s corridors of power and among its rank and file. They are an unmistakable reflection of this administration’s priorities.
For example, the Trump administration has frequently framed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as being inherently at odds with what it has identified as “merit,” and it has argued that these initiatives have resulted in the elevation of unqualified or undeserving people. That rhetorical strategy — with its baked-in assumption of a lack of capacity in people of color, women, the disabled and other marginalized groups — has been criticized as discriminatory.
Haha. That “rhetorical strategy,” assuming that those groups are incompetent has not only been “criticized as discriminatory.” IT IS DISCRIMINATORY!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Since Trump has a sixth grade vocabulary, apparently he wants all of us to have the same.
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Trump’s thought control and banning free speech… hallmarks of dictatorship!
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Diane,
The Army’s word list includes “respect.”
The Army values are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
It also includes “first + female” and “first + Black”.
As AP reported yesterday, thousands of images have been taken down.
This appears to be AI search followed by human review. Tedious work, I imagine.
Care is supposed to be taken that documents, webpages, photos, etc. taken down are maintained in the archive. The speed makes 100% compliance with that, unlikely. We will lose history in the process.
Steve
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Hello Steve, You really believe that, don’t you? 😞 That is why we are going to have to suffer under a trump dictatorship. Nobody is taking this seriously. trump cheated find me on BlueSky @1voicenotsilent.bsky.social My vote disappeared like I never voted. I have footage of the massive line I waited in to vote! The news lied, for trump, ABC lied with claims of low voter turnout. Seriously, our human rights are on the line. This stopped being more than annoying on election night! I choose death, if I cannot choose happiness! I haven’t been okay since my vote was erased! 🤬🤬 Please know things you don’t personally save on a separate device will disappear slowly. Scared?!?! Yeah, like a lot! There is no life without human rights! I weep for humanity.
Sincerely, Roxy
p.s. lonE skuM copied all of our social security, medical records data, financial data… et cetera… on his own servers. Didn’t Hillary lose because she had stuff on a private email? His Own Servers!!! ??? We The People are angry! Our human rights are on the line!!!
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The Army’s word list includes “respect.”
The Army values are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
It also includes “first + female” and “first + Black”.
As AP reported yesterday, thousands of images have been taken down.
This appears to be AI search followed by human review. Tedious work, I imagine.
Care is supposed to be taken that documents, webpages, photos, etc. taken down are maintained in the archive. The speed makes 100% compliance with that, unlikely. We will lose history in the process.
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A saw an AP story this week comparing #47’s cult of personality to China’s ‘Cultural Revolution’ in the 1960s. What’s next, MAGA-men and the ladies who love ’em carrying Little Orange Books?
This word list does call to mind the violent lunacy that paralyzed Mao’s society.
Who would’ve ever thought the G.O.P would loving Red China!?
https://apnews.com/article/united-states-mao-zedong-cb831ee306ab4ffaa254d31834888b19
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John,
The Little Orange Book might be a list of all the words that are censored.
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Therefore, it is important that we use these words regularly in support of diversity, equity and inclusion!
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I promise to use these honorable words.
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Hashtags everywhere! #Women I don’t know if hashtags work here but #NativeAmerican This is just the beginning! Our human rights are on the line! #MentalHealth Yes, the insane orange Caligula doesn’t want the words #MentalHealth on government websites. Or said in his presence I am sure… 👌Or #victim or #Prostitute? Yeah, alright, then bwah, ha-ha-ha! Oh man… 🤣 We are going to die! I will not go quietly! #Female! ☮️
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At least the words “incompetent” and “buffoon” are not on the list, so we can continue to use both.
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Moron is still useful
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This is beyond insulting to the whole country . . . no, to the whole human race. “Expression”? But it doesn’t matter which words–what matters is their bald-faced ignorance in even considering putting out such a list.
Trump-de-Dump and the Douchebag. CBK
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It seems they have also changed the meaning of “merit” so that actual merit doesn’t have a proper name or place in the U.S. Government anymore–since it now means to be loyal to Trump who is, himself, a rank amateur who thinks he knows everything, in a high position of power . . . the Peter Principle gone berserk in a race to the bottom. CBK
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So true. They think they are smart but they are incredibly ignorant. Merit is a joke when applied to Trump and his cabinet of fools.
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Diane: Thank you for responding. I think the specific things that people are doing to push back, like the court battles, and some narratives that are emerging now all over the world are needed; but the underlying issue is also that it takes up time–and I suspect that self-destruction is in the world for MAGA; and so, in time, and if given enough time, things will fall apart.
Also, Trump lives in a field of language use that is rarely if ever connected to its existential and historical source, or to others’ understanding of common usage. Almost every word has to be put through a “what does he mean by that?” sieve for gaining an adequate understanding but, even then, it’s only in the moment. Any term, like merit, can be used one way now and other way later. And so, we all feel that we live in a whack-a-mole world.
BTW, so glad Georgetown University Law School. rejected outright the Trump administration’s call for getting rid of anything that even sounds like DEI programming or curricula. A big fat NO. I am so proud of them. CBK
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No one should get rid of DEI
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BTW, regarding Georgetown’s Law School rejecting the call to DEI-clear, the lawyer-writer threatened to reject any law student from GT who was applying for work in that writer’s grand law firm. Apparently, they cannot help but use shake-down/extortion tactics. CBK
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I am a member of a Board of Directors for a non-profit that helps to provide science and math education in the public school classrooms. We also own a 950 acre nature park that is used as classroom by having the school district take bus loads of students out to learn about the desert, collect data on plants and animals, and learn about the scientific methods of interpreting the data. The park is also open to the public for day hikes and just enjoying the great outdoors.
A large part of the funds for the budget comes from several Federal, State and local grants. This non-profit has been serving the students and teachers for 35 years.
The Executive Director is very, very good at writing grant applications. She is extremely frugal in how funds are spent. Her problem now is being able to write federal grant applications that will not be judged to violate Trump’s DEI rules.
I am positive there will be many non-profits across the United States that will lose access to grants needed to keep the doors open or have to cut back on services.
Trump is destroying the non-profit networks in the country. This is just another examples of how he will go down as the worst president in the history of this country.
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Trump’s war on DEI is stupid and harmful.
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”See Spot Run” and not a reading level higher is on the Trump/Musk menu from now on. The Dolch Word List is under attack? The ‘Science of Reading’ is becoming the Swiss Cheese organically under 47+Musk.
Trump aimed to only represent the dumbest people – he knew about his own kind. His criminal skills are his only well developed abilities.
Saw on the Rachel Maddow show that Trump/Musk are striking the word “GAY” from all documents & adding it to the VERBOTEN LIST, which eradicates anyone with that last name from the data base…..possibly everywhere. We are now officially living in the most dysfunctional country we’ve ever known.
We saw it coming & let it happen!
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We are living in a “1984” parody skit EXCEPT that it’s real. And instead of recognizing and reporting on the absurdity, the media covers this with dozens of stories with the same narrative: “We have always been at war with Eastasia, Trump explains. Partisan Dems who hate Trump disagree”.
Or, in other words, the NYT might report what is happening as an error made by the very, very qualified Doge hires that they will fix (even the smartest people make errors) or the NYT might report this story as they did above, as a “shift in the corpus of language being used both in the federal government’s corridors of power and among its rank and file” — “an unmistakable reflection of this administration’s priorities.” Always reinforcing the “truth” that the administration’s priorities are to get rid of waste and fraud and end “wokeness” that so many oppose. Obviously a one day story – it’s not dangerous or concerning like the 500 (5,000?) stories about “her emails” that raised very serious concerns in voters minds because coverage of “her emails” flooded the zone for months.
“For example, the Trump administration has frequently framed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as being inherently at odds with what it has identified as “merit,” and it has argued that these initiatives have resulted in the elevation of unqualified or undeserving people. That rhetorical strategy — with its baked-in assumption of a lack of capacity in people of color, women, the disabled and other marginalized groups — has been criticized as discriminatory.”
That paragraph certainly convinces me that Trump framing DEI as being at odds with merit played a role in Trump’s decision to ban these words. And how interesting that some unnamed critic says it’s “discriminatory”. That’s all Americans really need to know about the issue. Would not want to distract voters from what the real debate is: Do you support Trump’s merit- based philosophy, or do you agree with an unnamed critic that using merit is discriminatory for some reasons that are so unimportant that the NYT won’t even bother to explain them?
Diane, you nailed the problem with articles like these which actually end of normalizing this instead of covering this as the dangerous, undemocratic, unacceptable situation it is in your last sentence:
“That “rhetorical strategy,” assuming that those groups are incompetent has not only been “criticized as discriminatory.” IT IS DISCRIMINATORY!”
Thank you. The NYT cannot say it is discriminatory because that would be very biased. Reality is presented as a “both sides equal” system. Even if one side is spewing hate and racist language, as long as that side is Republican and say that it isn’t racist, then the NYT is not allowed to report that it is.
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Yes. The so-called “reporting” on this is shocking. And normalizing.
Normalizing Fascist Censorship. Yeah, that’s what we look to our news media for.
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Thanks for providing this list. I would not want to be using such words not knowing they were banned and making myself look like a big, orange buffoon. (I hope those last 3 aren’t banned).
I noticed the list does not include “Foxtrot Delta Tango” so I can’t still use them.
FOXTROT DELTA TANGO
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Well said!!!
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I find this list doubleplusungood.
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exactly
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Woke should be on the list
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You are right. So no one can say, “when I woke this morning, it was sunny.”
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I suspect that 90% of this lost was pulled out of someone’s anus in NYT. This is what AI said:
“There is no definitive evidence from official government sources or comprehensive documentation that the Trump administration systematically removed the words “women” and “tribal” from all official documents during either of his terms (2017–2021 or 2025–present, as of March 9, 2025).”
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I think The NY Times can document every word on that list.
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The Thought Police are on a rampage. For at least the next two years (more likely four), any govt website/ communication must reflect “the current federal government’s position that there are only two, immutable sexes.” (So glad fed govt has straightened out the various scientific positions on this question. We’ll sleep better at night.)
Looking squinty-eyed at this one: “ordered the elimination of other materials (including school curricula) in which they [these words] might be included.” Fed govt has no say over state curriculum. Could this mean that fed govt is feeding the curricula of 12,546 school districts’ curricula into its AI “forbidden word” program?
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Fed govt prohibited from interfering with curriculum or textbooks of schools. By law.
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Psychology professor here. My new email sig is below. Feel free to borrow or adapt (no attribution needed). My version has all the banned words in bold italic purple.
Join me, activists and advocates, in the project of smashing barriers, interrupting oppression, searching out our own biases, respecting pronouns, increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, and fighting for social justice. Let us join in allyship and provide culturally responsive, identity-affirming care to marginalized, underserved, and/or vulnerable populations. We will think historically and systemically from an intersectional, feminist, anti-racist, anti-colonial position. We will celebrate our diverse backgrounds and cultural differences. We will fight for accessible mental health care and embrace climate science. We will challenge institutional racism and call out hate speech. We will not tolerate discrimination against people, whether the discriminatory words or actions are based on race, ethnicity, citizenship, country of origin, sex, gender, sexual preference, (dis)ability, religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, or any other aspects of our cultural identities. We are a nation of indigenous people and immigrants. Harm to one of us is harm to all of us. WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED — especially in and around the Gulf of Mexico.
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Thanks! I will use it!
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Bravo! Well done!
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Well, NOW it’s up to WE THE F***ING PEOPLE to OVERCOME this S**T!! We can’t complain if we don’t do something about it.
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What distinguishes America, and makes us strong allies with democratically oriented nations, or used to?
Is it the many divided issues, with arguments on each side, too many to list?
These are politics, platforms, rallying cries, and choices to be made, perhaps discarded and changed. Alliances made, changed, broken, discussed, argued, but maybe still personally aligned outside of positions.
Until now, never have we seen the government, the federal government, restrict that freedom, that ability to voice out loud our disagreements, that which distinguishes us and our allies, past allies that is, above all others: The First Amendment: freedom of speech, of the press, to peacefully assemble and protest.
To restrict these are the hallmark of all dictatorships, of oppressed societies. Since when does our government punish those whose protests disagree with it, and reward only those willing to toe the line? In our country? Please don’t parrot Fox News, the news organization that lost 750million for lying, when they were lucky to settle for that.
How does your choice feel now, America? Is it ok as long as it agrees with you? Are you willing to dehumanize those who are immigrating for the American dream? Those who have harvested your food, cleaned your homes and hotels for decades? That’s pretty easy, all of them being criminals, murderers, released from prisons? Do you really believe that?
How about dehumanizing your neighbors, let alone family, who are federal employees? Are they suddenly just government waste, abuse and fraud? They’re not your neighbors, not your nieces, nephews, sons and daughters, not your fellow Americans; they’re government waste. Cue the Hitler playbook, and make common enemies of groups (his were Jews) for the masses to join together against. What happened to us, or to US?
And when they arrest those Americans who dare to disagree with an authoritarian fascism taking away our freedoms? Will you rejoice?
So much for the American experiment. You wanted a dictator, and you’ve got one, along with his toady followers, which every despot requires. You have aligned us with Russia (obviously), North Korea, China, Belarus (did you check our UN vote with these nations?).
Bye-bye, freedom of speech. Bye-bye America, or at least the America my father fought for, that I understood when I pledged allegiance to the flag.
I’m back in the US..SR! Hey! You don’t know how lucky you are….(The Beatles)
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest…(Paul Simon)
They will heap up unto themselves teachers with itching ears (St Paul to Timothy)(Yes, dear right wing evangelicals, this means you!)
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ridiculous, nothing better to do?
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Notice female and woman are on the list, but NOT men or male!!!!!! Women wake up!!! First the government took away rights to our own bodies, now we are being erased entirely!!!!!
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Most medical research was reported only for men. I guess we are going back to those days.
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now we are being erased entirely!!!!!
yup
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Those words will always be used by every American just not his loyalists he has under his control. Maybe they will now be used even more now that Trump doesn’t like them.
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So this is a list compiled by reporters from what they have seen be deleted from Documents? Not an actual internal list approved by Trump or one of his stooges?
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They compiled the list by comparing documents pre-and post-Trump and noted the words that were removed. The actual list is probably much longer.
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if HE wants to ban PRONOUNS… how are WE supposed to talk? Pronouns are I, you, she, he, it, we, you, they, I’m, my, me, mine, you’re, your, yours, her, hers, she’s, he’s, him, his, we’re, us, ours, theirs, them, ect… he’s banning so many words… this is insane! It’s like Germany 1933 or north Korea!
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Lena, yes!
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Yup. Just like
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How long it will take before life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are added to the list?
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Some of these words that he banned are not okay! Like you cant ban mental health or even the word women! Women fought for their rights so you can’t ban that! And also he banned the world black… LIKE WHAT! Why do we have to suffer from this?!?!? I hope all of the people who voted for trump are regretting so much right now! I also looked on many sites and places, They are all the same words! So don’t think these are fake! I can’t believe him right now. I’m glad this is his last 4 years EVER.
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“all of the people who voted for trump are regretting so much right now”
The people who voted for the Jabba the Trump have no clue that this is going on and don’t care to have a clue.
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From 1984, Chapter 4:
When one knew that any document was due for destruction, or even when one saw a scrap of waste paper lying about, it was an automatic action to lift the flap of the nearest memory hole and drop it in, whereupon it would be whirled away on a current of warm air to the enormous furnaces which were hidden somewhere in the recesses of the building. . . . The messages [Winston] had received referred to articles or news items which for one reason or another it was thought necessary to alter, or, as the official phrase had it, to rectify.
Orwell was just a bit off on the timeframe.
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