Former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka was criticized after he called Vice President Kamala Harris "colored" and claimed she is a "DEI hire" in racist remarks during an interview with Newsmax about President Joe Biden's fitness for office.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives 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.
It all began after Newsmax personality Rob Schmitt asked Gorka the following question:
“Do these donors really think that Kamala Harris is going to do better in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania than Joe Biden would? I mean, that’s because it can’t be anybody else, right?”
And Gorka—much like other Republican critics—used DEI as a pejorative effectively meaning "Black" when he attacked Harris while saying Biden will be forced to withdraw if major Democratic donors “pull the plug" and that Harris is not a viable presidential candidate.
Then he added:
"She’s a DEI hire, right? She’s a woman. She’s colored, therefore she’s got to be good. And at least her brain doesn’t literally freeze mid sentence."
You can hear his remarks in the video below.
Gorka was swiftly slammed online for his remarks.
Harris has had even her smallest actions scrutinized since she took office, a sign, according to her supporters, of the culture of rampant sexism and misogyny in Washington that regularly disparages women in power.
Harris has often been targeted by sexist critics who have questioned her capacity for leadership since she joined Biden on the campaign trail.
An analysis published by Time's Up Now, an advocacy and legal defense group founded in the wake of the #MeToo movement, reported that a quarter of media coverage incorporated at least one racist or sexist stereotype, including the "angry Black woman" stereotype.
These attacks were so pervasive that the organization announced a "We Have Her Back Campaign" to counter sexist, misogynist coverage of Harris ahead of the 2020 general election.
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