Federal Websites Face Uncertain Pause Under Trump Administration

Federal government websites may face a temporary pause starting Friday evening, as reported by CBS News. The U.S. Census website experienced downtime, while the Treasury and State Department sites remained active. The duration and reason behind the pause, rumored to involve DEI content removal, remain unclear.

Officials within the Trump administration are instituting a temporary halt on a majority of federal government websites starting from 5 p.m. ET on Friday, a source has disclosed.

According to reports from CBS News, this move was followed by the U.S. Census website experiencing downtime for some users shortly after the scheduled time. Other critical government sites, like the Treasury and State Department, however, remained accessible online.

The purpose behind this so-called 'pause' remains ambiguous, including the potential length of this downtime. Speculation arose regarding the possible scrubbing of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content. When questioned, former President Trump commented, "I don't know. It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me," expressing a belief that DEI initiatives are no longer relevant.

(With inputs from agencies.)