WASHINGTON, November 10, 2026 — President Donald Trump has nominated Justice Department official Matt Zandi to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a move that could further reshape the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination.
Zandi currently serves as chief of staff for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. His nomination follows Trump’s dismissal of Democratic commissioner Jocelyn Samuels before the end of her term, an unusual step that has intensified debate over the independence and political balance of the bipartisan commission.
The EEOC enforces federal protections against discrimination in employment, including rules covering hiring, pay, promotion, harassment and workplace retaliation. Its commissioners help set enforcement priorities and oversee the agency’s work, making appointments consequential for employers, workers and civil rights advocates.
The Trump administration has placed greater emphasis on investigating diversity, equity and inclusion programmes that it argues may unlawfully disadvantage white workers or other groups. The Civil Rights Division has also experienced significant staff departures as the administration shifts its enforcement focus.
Zandi’s nomination would require Senate consideration before he could take the seat. The confirmation process is likely to draw attention to the administration’s approach to civil rights enforcement and the legal limits on presidential control of independent agencies.
The nomination does not by itself change existing workplace discrimination laws or immediately alter the EEOC’s enforcement powers. Any policy shift would depend on the commission’s composition, its formal decisions and the legal standards that Congress has established.