Donald Trump bans 'divisive and harmful' diversity training

Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring US government agencies and contractors from holding training sessions that teach America is “fundamentally racist or sexist”, again forcing the spotlight on cultural clashes ahead of the US election. The executive order’s list of issues that cannot be promoted through diversity training include suggesting that someone “bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex”. The lengthy order was signed on Tuesday and expands the US president's recent pushback on such training, now including private businesses who take up contracts with the federal government and so receive taxpayer funds. The exact impact the order will have is unclear, with the full degree to which such concepts are being voiced currently in training unknown and much depending on how the orders will be implemented by government agencies. It is the latest attempt by Mr Trump to frame the election in part as a battle between patriotic Republicans and left-wing radical Democrats who he claims are undermining the values the country was founded on. In recent months Mr Trump has hit out at “indoctrination” in America’s schools, decried protesters downing statues of Confederate generals and warned in his Republican convention speech that America as it is would change forever if he loses in November. Mr Trump tweeted about the executive order: “A few weeks ago, I banned efforts to indoctrinate government employees with divisive and harmful sex and race-based ideologies.