Vice President Kamala Harris served alongside President Biden since the 2020 election. Now that she’s poised to take the Democratic nomination, see how her opponents use racism and sexism in an attempt to challenge her qualifications.
Republicans Use “DEI Hire” Term Against Kamala Harris
Republican supporters of former president Donald Trump have taken to using the term “DEI hire” as a catch-all insult for people they don’t like. But what does the term mean, and how is it racist and sexist?
What is DEI?
DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs exist in many companies and government agencies to provide oversight on the policies and procedures that keep professional environments safe and inclusive.
Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This includes ensuring that people from all racial, socioeconomic, religious, and cultural backgrounds are included and feel welcome. It also aims to protect disabled people, LGBTQ+ community members, and others from historically marginalized groups.
How Republicans Co-Opted the Term
Many Republicans, taking cues from Donald Trump, have started using the term “DEI hire” as an insult against their political opponents who belong to one or more of those groups.
Buttigieg a Target of Anti-Woke Crowd
For example, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has been called a “DEI hire,” suggesting that he has reached success simply because he is gay.
Kamala Harris and Her Background
Similarly, Kamala Harris is on the receiving end of the same insult due to her race and gender. A woman from a multicultural background (her mother is Indian, and her father is from Jamaica), Harris has, of course, demonstrated success in her decades of public service.
How “DEI Hire” Became an Insult
But the racist and sexist dog whistle that is at the core of the “DEI hire” term (which some have gone so far as to call a slur) exists to downplay any personal achievements of women and people of color.
The Fight For Women’s Equality Continues
Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance, who joins Trump on the Republican ticket, called prominent women in politics “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made.”
J.D. Vance’s History of Sexism
In the 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson, Vance named Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, saying that the fact that they had no children meant that they had “no direct stake in this country.”
Why Vance Thinks Women Should Procreate
Buttigieg welcomed twins with his husband, Chasten, later that same year. But Vance’s insistence that people without children — especially “ladies,” a word he specifically chose to describe two women and a gay man — reinforces the sexist idea that procreation is among women’s chief responsibilities.
Congress Members Take Aim at Harris
Vance is not the only Republican in the spotlight who has gone after Harris for her race and gender. “DEI hire” continues to be the insult du jour, with several prominent members of Congress using the term to discount Harris’s fitness for the presidency.
Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN)
“[Harris] was a DEI hire…her record is abysmal at best,” said Representative Tim Burchett.
Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY)
“I think she’s one of the weakest candidates I’ve ever seen in the history of our country,” said Representative Harriet Hageman. “[Harris] was a DEI hire.”
Representative Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
“A lot of Democrats feel they have to stick with [Harris] because of her ethnic background,” Representative Glenn Grothman said.
Slurs Thrown at Harris By Former Trump Assistant
Other comments have been made by former members of Trump’s administration, including Sebastian Gorka, using outdated and offensive language directed toward Harris.
Some Republicans Worry About Strategy
However, some notable Republicans have called on their party members to avoid racist and sexist attacks against Harris, warning that such insults could alienate voters they hope to sway in this election.
Johnson Calls on Party to Refrain From Racism, Sexism
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who has publicly endorsed such hate groups as the Center for Immigration Studies, urged fellow Republicans to avoid using race and gender in their arguments against Harris’s campaign.
“Policies, Not Personalities”
Asking his party to view the election in terms of “policies, not personalities,” Johnson addressed the issue in a press conference.
“Her Ethnicity, Her Gender, Has Nothing to Do With This”
“This is not personal with regard to Kamala Harris,” Johnson said. “Her ethnicity, her gender, has nothing to do with this whatsoever.”
Harris Remains Stoic Ahead of Nomination
Whether Johnson’s remarks will be enough to convince Republicans to focus on more than Harris’s race and gender remains to be seen, but for now, Harris seems to be content ignoring the wave of hateful comments as she keeps a laser focus on the White House.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / lev radin.
