The issue is cultural and they think the cultural issue will change by slashing the government, not realizing the cultural issue doesn't come from government.

I think it was someone on the right, Steve Bannon or even Andrew Breitbarting, that said politics follows culture. So to focus on culture first.

They're trying to change culture at the political level, and I'm not sure that's how it works.

I don't think that's what the OP or many people likely want at all. I think what the OP was saying is this is what Trump rode to power on. The left is great at eating its own. Reasonable people who were traditionally allies of the left, felt attacked and alienated because of using a wrong word. Add in the economic issues and it was a perfect storm for Trump to rise to power.

The OP said there was no other alternative to what Trump is doing.

What is happening now is not at all a rational response to DEI. It's not even motivated by DEI. Trump and his gang simply want to gut the federal government, because they don't want to pay taxes. DEI is just an excuse.