Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt criticized congressional Republicans on Newsmax Thursday, calling their support for President Donald Trump's agenda "anemic" as the administration faces judicial pushback over its efforts to eliminate diversity programs in intelligence agencies.
Holt panned congressional Republicans for their lack of action in backing Trump's policy goals, especially amid judicial intervention in the administration's efforts to remove employees involved in diversity initiatives at intelligence agencies.
Holt made the remarks during an appearance on "The Chris Salcedo Show," responding to a federal judge's recent decision to block the Trump administration from terminating CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence staff who had worked on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
"It is troubling. And it's indicative that the Republican Congress is at best anemic," Holt said. "Look, the president is going to take this fight on with these judges who are trying to get involved in the executive's business across every sphere, not just this nonsense at the CIA. And he's going to defeat them."
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga issued a preliminary injunction Monday requiring the affected employees to remain on the payroll while they appeal their terminations and seek reassignment within their agencies. Trenga said the dismissals, conducted under a "reduction in force," triggered job protections for the staff, Politico reported.
Holt voiced support for Trump's agenda to purge federal agencies of what he called "Marxism and DEI," adding that Congress should do more to support the effort while criticizing the judicial branch for what he described as overreach into executive authority, particularly in staffing decisions.
"Here's the bottom line. We are going to root out corruption in our government. We are going to get rid of Marxism and DEI. There is no place for it," Holt said.
"And by the way, we're not bringing back bloodthirsty killers that we've already deported out of our nation. We're actually going to increase the flow. And they need to just get out of the way," he said.
The ruling comes amid broader legal and political battles over the Trump administration's attempts to reshape the federal workforce and dismantle former President Joe Biden-era diversity and inclusion policies across multiple agencies.
Trump has pledged to eliminate DEI initiatives in government, characterizing them as ideologically driven and counterproductive. The administration's push has sparked criticism from civil rights groups, leading to ongoing court challenges.
"We will terminate every diversity, equity, and inclusion program across the entire federal government," Trump said in a March press release.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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