Trump Administration Stops Lowering Standards for Police, Firefighters

Whitehouse.gov ^ | February 27, 2025

[SoConPubbie]

President Donald J. Trump declared an end to lower standards in the name of discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives — and the Trump Administration continues to make good on that commitment to prioritize merit, not divisive race-based obsessions, in hiring.

Yesterday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed several Biden-era lawsuits against police and fire departments who used race-neutral mechanisms — such as standard aptitude tests, physical exams, and credit checks — in their hiring processes, the result of which lowered standards and endangered public safety.

• DISMISSED: United States v. City of Durham (North Carolina)
  • The Biden DOJ alleged discrimination because entry-level firefighter applicants were required to pass a written exam. The city was required to provide compensation and preferential hiring to applicants who were not hired.

• DISMISSED: United States v. Maryland State Police
  • The Biden DOJ alleged discrimination because applicants were required to pass a written exam and basic physical exam. The agency was required to provide compensation and retroactive seniority to applicants who were not hired.

• DISMISSED: United States v. Cobb County (Georgia)
  • The Biden DOJ alleged discrimination because firefighter applicants were required to complete a written exam and credit check. The county was required to provide compensation and preferential hiring to applicants who were not hired.

• DISMISSED: United States v. City of South Bend (Indiana)
  • The Biden DOJ alleged discrimination because police applicants were required to pass a written exam and basic physical exam.

Americans deserve the best of the best keeping them safe — and in the Trump Administration, anything less is unacceptable.

[The Louiswu]

The more I read about the corrupt Biden administration the more I am convinced the US didn't have a President for those 4 years we had a bunch of criminals issuing the craziest edicts with the Biden autopen signing the paperwork.

If the man was conscious and understood what was going on then he definitely sold his soul to Satan, if he was non compos mentis then EVERYTHING that was done during his term in office should be declared null and void, people arrested, tried and imprisoned.

[suthener]

I had a plan to become a city police officer in 1986. I went through the process and ended up number 2 on the list of several hundred. The black people sued and said the test was discriminatory. They won, and the city had to start the whole process over. I could not wait another 6 months and moved on. The test was general education and how much of a study booklet you could memorize. I ain’t the brightest bulb in the pack but I lived with that booklet for several weeks and studied my butt off. I was never a police officer because of lazy, litigious, uneducated black people.

[Midwesterner53]

Your jurisdiction was the real loser.

[ansel12]

During the 60s they dropped the height requirement, then the intelligence standards were lowered for one segment of the population and then the physical requirements were lowered for another.

Over the decades standards have been lowered for just about everything, so that the unqualified could have jobs they couldn’t do well.

[montag813]

Credit checks seem out of bounds for a firefighter. For a financial position, sure.

[Clay Moore]

“ Credit checks seem out of bounds for a firefighter. ”

The idea is to determine if this person takes care of their business or not. We had a guy apply that had over $100K in credit card debt. I don’t trust someone like that to make good decisions and in fire/ems, it’s literally life and death.

[Secret Agent Man]

A genuine adult is back in the seat of the President.

[Dr.Deth]

Trump administration:

“We’re not going to lower our standards, so up yours.”