Trump killed the Digital Equity Act but US was forced to bring part of it back

The Trump administration said it will reinstate a broadband grant program to comply with a court ruling that prevented it from fully ignoring the Digital Equity Act enacted by Congress in 2021. The US government said in a court filing that it plans to start taking applications for grants in December. However, the Trump administration won a partial victory because the judge ruled the government can't allocate money based on the race or ethnicity of people who would benefit from grants.

The government program can still award broadband grants based on factors like income, age, and disability. 75 billion for three grant programs aimed at closing gaps in broadband access. 75 billion.

Trump announced in May 2025 that he would end the grant programs, claiming the Digital Equity Act itself is racist and unconstitutional.