Hollywood’s woke gatekeepers thought they had complete control.
They’ve been weaponizing their Oscar rules to enforce radical ideology.
But Hollywood’s diversity overlords never saw this brutal reckoning coming from Trump’s Justice Department.
Trump administration zeros in on Oscar discrimination
President Donald Trump’s civil rights team is taking a hard look at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ controversial quota system.
The system requires "Best Picture" nominees to meet specific diversity requirements that critics say amount to illegal discrimination.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, was interested when urged to investigate the Academy’s discriminatory practices.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton called on her to examine Hollywood’s race and sex-based hiring quotas on social media.
"@HarmeetKDhillon, you might want to have your @CivilRights Division at @TheJusticeDept ask the Hollywood studios and the Oscars about their race, sex and other discrimination in hiring for movies," Fitton posted on X.¹
Dhillon didn’t brush off the concern.
Instead, she signaled the administration’s willingness to pursue the matter.
"We would be happy to receive leads about this — probably most suited for @USEEOC @andrealucasEEOC," Dhillon replied, directing the inquiry to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.²
This marks a significant shift from the Biden administration’s hands-off approach to Hollywood’s discriminatory practices.
The Academy’s quota system exposed
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences implemented these controversial standards in 2020 after facing criticism for being "so white."
But instead of promoting genuine merit-based selection, they created a complex quota system that prioritizes identity over talent.
Under the current rules, "Best Picture" nominees must meet specific requirements for diverse cast members, storylines, and production teams.
The standards focus heavily on LGBTQ representation, racial quotas, and disability inclusion requirements.
Films that don’t check enough diversity boxes simply can’t be nominated for the industry’s most prestigious award.
"The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them," the Academy said when announcing the discriminatory standards.³
They claimed these rules would serve as "a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry."
What they really created was a system that judges movies based on the skin color and sexual orientation of cast and crew rather than artistic merit.
Fitton calls out Hollywood’s illegal discrimination
Tom Fitton has been sounding the alarm about Hollywood’s quota system for years.
He argues that these standards constitute blatant violations of federal civil rights laws.
"It is good to see that the Justice Department and other federal agencies might finally hold Hollywood to account for their blatant DEI discrimination," Fitton told Washington Secrets.⁴
"Hollywood makes all the woke films it likes, but they can’t break the law in doing so."
Fitton previously highlighted how the Academy’s requirements force woke storylines into films across the entire industry.
"The ‘Oscars’ also has unlawful quota system that requires woke race and sex discrimination across the entire film industry!" Fitton posted last year.⁵
"If you wonder why woke story lines appear in film after film, it is because this content literally required by ‘Oscars’ rules."
This explains why so many recent films feel like they’re checking boxes rather than telling compelling stories.
What this means for Hollywood
The Trump administration has already dismantled DEI programs across the federal government and in higher education.
Harvard University faced intense scrutiny over its discriminatory admissions practices.
Now Hollywood could face the same reckoning.
If the EEOC investigates the Academy’s standards, it could force a complete overhaul of how the film industry operates.
Studios that have embraced these quotas might find themselves facing federal civil rights violations.
The Academy’s entire awards system could be declared illegal under federal anti-discrimination laws.
This would mark a devastating blow to Hollywood’s woke agenda.
For too long, the entertainment industry has used these quotas to push radical left-wing politics while claiming moral superiority.
They’ve discriminated against qualified candidates based on their race, gender, and sexual orientation.
That discrimination might finally catch up with them.
The Trump administration’s message is clear: no industry is above the law, not even Hollywood.
If they want to continue their virtue-signaling, they’ll have to do it without breaking federal civil rights statutes.
The days of Hollywood’s protected status under Democrat administrations are over.
Sources:
- Tom Fitton, X (formerly Twitter), June 28, 2025
- Harmeet K. Dhillon, X (formerly Twitter), June 28, 2025
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences statement, September 8, 2020
- Paul Bedard, "Federal officials eye Hollywood’s discrimination quotas for Oscar winners," Washington Examiner, July 1, 2025
- Tom Fitton, X (formerly Twitter), 2024
