Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after referring to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as a "discredited DEI hire," prompting accusations of racism.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational strategies aimed at ensuring fair treatment and full participation for everyone, with a special focus on historically marginalized or discriminated groups. These frameworks strive to create an environment where all individuals, regardless of their identity or abilities, are valued and included.
Critics argue that DEI programs are discriminatory and try to address racial discrimination by disadvantaging other groups, particularly White Americans. However, supporters and industry experts maintain that DEI practices, which have been in place for decades, have been politicized and are often misunderstood.
And Boebert—much like other Republican critics—used DEI as a pejorative effectively meaning "Black" when she attacked Jean-Pierre.
She suggested Jean-Pierre is covering for President Joe Biden following an underwhelming debate performance that at least some Democrats see as evidence that he must be replaced as the presidential nominee amid heightened conservative criticisms about the 81-year-old Biden's mental acuity and fitness for office.
Boebert wrote the following on X, formerly Twitter:
"I couldn’t care less about what [Jean-Pierre] has to say today. It’s between 10am-4pm which means 'President' Joe Biden supposedly should be coherent enough to take a few questions from the press."
"Instead, Americans are supposed to listen to the discredited DEI hire. PASS."
You can see her post below.
Boebert was swiftly called out.
Earlier this year, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott hit back at MAGA critics after they erroneously blamed DEI initiatives for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The bridge collapse occurred in March when a container ship struck it, causing it to crumble like a house of cards into the Patapsco River. The tragic event resulted in the deaths of six individuals who were working on the bridge at the time and led to the closure of one of the nation's busiest ports.
At the time, Scott told MSNBC's Joy Reid that "you know very well, that Black men, and young Black men in particular, have been the bogeyman for those who are racist and think that only straight, wealthy white men should have a say in anything."
Reid later noted the racist nature of these criticisms, saying that "by right-wing logic, a ‘diversity hire’ would have been a white man," to which Scott replied that his detractors "don’t have the courage to say the N-word, and the fact that I don’t believe in their untruthful and wrong ideology, and I am very proud of my heritage and who I am and where I come from, scares them."
