Republicans are warning their colleagues to back off using diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) politics as Vice President Harris begins his presidential bid.
The GOP has had to quickly recalibrate its attacks in the days since President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and Democrats rallied around Harris to replace him — and some members have taken swipes at her race and gender in arguing she’s unqualified.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called Harris a “DEI hire.” Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) likewise told local media Democrats will nominate him over Biden because they “think they should stick with him because of his racial background.”
Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, would make several historic firsts if he ascends to the presidency. The DEI initiatives have become a punching bag for Republicans, who have spent the past year trying to undo equity and diversity initiatives across the federal government.
But the Republican Party has been aggressive in wooing black voters this cycle, and women are a key constituency, meaning Harris’ race or gender risks him being promoted only because of backlash.
Republican leaders urge members to stick to policy arguments, not personal or demographic ones.
“This election… will be about principles, not about personalities. “This is not personal to Kamala Harris,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said at a press conference Tuesday. “Her race, her gender, it had nothing to do with it.”
Whitley Yates, director of diversity and engagement for the Indiana Republican Party, said Republicans should be “absolutely” concerned about branding Harris as DEI leader.
“These horribly damaging things, it drives people away,” Yates told The Hill, pointing to Trump’s efforts to reach black voters.
In fact, Yates said, if Republicans want to build a more diverse coalition, they should avoid identity politics all together.
“I think we need to get away from race and gender altogether and focus on what their policies are [they] “We don’t have time to focus on those social issues.”
Other Republicans echoed the sentiment to focus on policy, noting that Harris was hired by voters to do his job.
“Rather than blaming voters for what their motivations are, I think this campaign should be based on the fact that he’s not very good at his job,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson (RSD).
That message may have already worked.
Grothman, asked about criticism of his comment on Tuesday, steered the conversation to Harris’s policies.
“He’s primarily known for open borders,” he said.
Yet some Republicans dig in. They point to his promise to pick a woman to be Biden’s running mate in 2020 — and some Republicans are mistaken about Biden, who said he would specifically pick a black woman. A future Supreme Court nominee.
Rep. Lauren Bobert (R-Colo.) pointed out For a video He posted on the social drama X, where Biden proclaimed that “the most diverse administration in history is tapping the full potential of our country,” and that “it starts with the vice president.”
“Joe Biden invited Kamala Harris to hire DEI,” Boebert said. “Remember when he used it, like he was speaking for himself? He said it right then and there.”
Burchett also defended himself amid criticism.
“Anytime you exclude one group over another, it feels like discrimination,” Burchett said.
He dismissed the argument that Harris won millions of votes as part of the Democratic Party in 2020, saying, “Nobody voted for vice president.”
Harris isn’t the only target of GOP attacks prodding DEI. After the assassination of former President Trump, Republicans blamed the DEI problem on the Secret Service.
Burchett called it a “DEI horror story” during Monday’s hearing — Secret Service Director Kimberly Seittle — who resigned Tuesday.
And he’s not alone — reacting to his resignation, Rep. Monica de la Cruz (R-Texas) called the assassination attempt “an even clearer example of the DEI extremism of DC elites.”
“An innocent man was murdered, a woman is now a widow, and two little girls are fatherless because DC elites prioritized checking a box in choosing the most qualified candidate for a job that is supposed to protect human lives,” de la Cruz said in a statement Tuesday. . “It’s time to end this madness and create a culture that rewards merit, upholds accountability, and celebrates excellence — regardless of race or gender.”
Democrats are pushing hard for ideas.
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) said at a press conference Tuesday that the DEI’s comments about Harris were “disgusting and offensive,” adding that he was a “very prepared and qualified person” — per The Hill . Harris was also a lawyer, senator, and attorney general of California.
“They weren’t just attacks on her,” Horsford told a news conference. “If they launch attacks on DEI, they are attacks on you and me. We are a multi-racial, multi-generational society – this is what Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans refuse to accept. We are not going back to the days when we were not counted as full citizens.
While many Republicans, wary of DEI attacks, say campaign messages should focus on policy and not demographics, they also say they are poised to make inroads with minority voters as the 2024 election cycle heats up. Amber Rose’s inclusion at the Republican National Convention last week was seen by some in the party as part of a larger effort to broaden the party’s appeal and draw away from key Democratic voting blocs.
“Traditional Democratic voters, black voters, Asian voters, Hispanic voters, I would argue now liberal Jews, they are not coming to you in this country. … My grandfather’s Democratic Party has gone off the cliff to the left,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) argued last week. “They cannot support the social agenda. They cannot support the economic agenda.”
Aris Foley contributed.
