Donkey of the Day: Trump & Dept. Of Education Eliminate All Race-Based Programs in Schools

Podcast: Donkey of the Day (The Breakfast Club, Power 105.1 FM)
Host: Charlamagne Tha God
Date: February 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this hard-hitting episode, Charlamagne Tha God awards the infamous "Donkey of the Day" to the Trump administration and the US Department of Education for their decision to eliminate all race-based programs in American schools. Charlamagne breaks down the new policy directive, shares his strong reactions, calls out the implications for marginalized students, and highlights the broader social impact of such moves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Elimination of Race-Based Programs

• [02:36] Charlamagne breaks the news that the Trump administration, via the U.S. Department of Education, has ordered the elimination of all race-based initiatives and programs from schools.
  • “Donald Trump and the Department of Education have decided to eliminate all race-based programs in schools. Okay? And they got 14 days to get rid of it.”
• The policy directly threatens the funding of schools that continue to use race as a consideration in scholarships, hiring, and academic life.

2. Department of Education’s Justification

• A national news report explains the federal justification:
  • [03:34] "DOE's newest target: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. ... Identifying 70 DEI training grants amounting to $373 million."
  • Schools are warned by an acting Assistant Secretary that any discrimination based on race is illegal, and noncompliance risks the loss of federal funds.
• Criticism quickly arises:
  • “Are they going to take away funding from historically black colleges? … It indicates just the fanatical obsession that this administration has in terms of going against DEI.”

3. Charlamagne’s Response: America’s Values and Historical Amnesia

• [04:37] Charlamagne critiques the hypocrisy of American values:
  • “America’s core values allegedly have always been liberty, equality and justice. ... But they aren't, okay? Never have been. It's liberty, equality and justice for white men. And then there's the rest of us, all right?"
• Points out that affirmative action and similar programs exist as remedies for long-standing discrimination, asking, “Now, somebody needs to explain to me what’s changed… The solution is now to pretend that racism and other forms of discrimination just simply don’t exist.”

4. Problems with ‘Eliminating Wokeness’

• [05:33] Charlamagne attacks the conflation of wokeness with real equity:
  • “Wokeness in programs designed to level the playing field for marginalized students are not the same, okay? You can’t just strip away those programs. That’s like having a leaky roof and you decide to fix that leaky roof by removing the roof entirely.”

5. The Administration’s Rationale

• Cites Craig Trainor, acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, who says:
  • [06:27] [Quote] “At its core, the test is simple. If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.”
• Charlamagne retorts with biting sarcasm about historical preferential treatment:
  • “Well, goddamn, how many institutions have treated white people differently and given them preferential treatment over every other other?”

6. Historical Context & Real-World Consequences

• Charlamagne notes that government had to create affirmative action to counteract ingrained white privilege.
• Warns that removing these policies is just returning to the status quo of discrimination:
  • “It's like... let’s go back to doing what caused us to have to come up with the race-based programs to begin with.”
• Lists what’s at stake: admissions, hiring, compensation, scholarships, housing, discipline, and graduation ceremonies—everything is affected.

7. Skepticism About Future Enforcement

• [07:54] Raises pressing questions:
  • “Who is going to be policing this? ... What about America in 2025 should make any of us believe we can trust people to do the right thing in regards to prejudice and discrimination?”

8. Concluding with a Warning from History

• Quoting Winston Churchill, Charlamagne underlines the risk of repeating past injustices:
  • [08:37] [Quote] “Winston Churchill once said, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We have learned nothing. And so here we are.”

9. Signature “Hee Haw”

• [08:51] Charlamagne calls for comedian Kathy Griffin to give the Department of Education the “biggest Hee Haw,” his satirical award for ignorance and regression.

Notable Quotes

• “Donald Trump and the Department of Education are sending a very clear message, and that message is, F you niggas. They aren't interested in addressing the real issues of inequality in our schools.” – Charlamagne ([07:32])
• “Education is supposed to be the great equalizer, but how can it be when the very programs aimed at uplifting the underserved are being dismantled?” – Charlamagne ([07:17])
• “Wokeness in programs designed to level the playing field for marginalized students are not the same, okay? You can’t just strip away those programs.” – Charlamagne ([05:36])
• “At its core, the test is simple. If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.” – Craig Trainor, Dept. of Education ([06:27])
• “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We have learned nothing.” – Charlamagne, referencing Winston Churchill ([08:37])

Memorable Moments

• The biting sarcasm and frustration in Charlamagne’s voice, especially when skewering the idea that ending programs for marginalized groups makes things “equal.”
• The final soundbite with Kathy Griffin’s “Hee Haw,” marking the Department of Education’s policy as out-of-touch and blatantly regressive.

Key Timestamps

• [02:36] – Announcement of the policy and its scope
• [03:34] – News report on DEI grant crackdown and legal threats
• [04:37] – Charlamagne’s critique of American values and context for affirmative action
• [06:27] – Quote from Craig Trainor, Education Department
• [07:17] – Stakes: how the policy impacts education and equality
• [08:37] – Historical warning and Churchill quote
• [08:51] – Signature “Hee Haw” letting the administration have it

Tone and Style

Charlamagne Tha God’s delivery is passionate, forthright, and laced with humor, sarcasm, and righteous indignation. He uses sharp analogies—like fixing a leaky roof by tearing it off—to capture the absurdity of the new policy, and grounds his critique in personal commentary, history, and unapologetic advocacy for marginalized communities.

This episode serves as a fierce call to attention about the rollback of race-conscious efforts in American education—and challenges listeners to confront the consequences of such moves.