Republicans are warning their colleagues to stop using diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) politics to attack Vice President Harris as she runs for president.
Republicans have had to scramble to reframe their attacks since President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and Democrats backed Harris to replace him, with some arguing that Harris’ race and gender make her unqualified.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called Harris a “DEI hire,” as did Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.).He spoke to local mediaDemocrats say they will push for her as an alternative to Biden because “they feel obligated to support her because of her ethnic background.”
Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, would be on the cusp of accomplishing a number of historic feats if elected president, and DEI has become a punching bag for Republicans, who have spent the past year trying to reverse equity and diversity efforts across the federal government.
But Republicans have been aggressive in courting black voters in this election, and women are a key base of support, so suggesting Harris was promoted solely because of her race or gender could backfire.
Republican leaders are urging party members to stick to policy arguments, not personal or demographic ones.
“This election is about policies, not about personalities. This is not personal about Kamala Harris,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said at a press conference on Tuesday. “Her ethnicity and gender have absolutely nothing to do with this election.”
Whitley Yates, diversity and engagement director for the Indiana Republican Party, said Republicans should “absolutely” be concerned about positioning Harris as DEI president.
“These horribly harmful things are going to drive people away,” Yates told The Hill, pointing to Trump’s efforts to reach out to black voters.
In fact, Yates said, Republicans need to steer clear of identity politics altogether if they want to build a more diverse coalition.
“I think we need to completely move away from race and gender and focus on what the policy is. [they] “Going forward, I don’t have time to focus on social issues,” Yates said.
Other Republicans also pointed out that Harris was put in office by voters and argued she should focus on policy.
“Rather than actually blaming her for voter motives, I think they should campaign on the fact that she hasn’t done her job very well,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, D-Lausanne.
That message may already be working.
Asked Tuesday about the criticism of his comments, Grossman shifted the topic to Harris’ policies.
“She’s known primarily for open borders,” he said.
But some Republicans continue to resist, pointing out that Biden promised to pick a woman as his running mate in 2020. Some Republicans also mistakenly remember Biden saying he would specifically pick a Black woman as his running mate, which was actually a promise he made on the campaign trail for a Supreme Court nominee.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) On Video Posting on Social Playform X, she touted Biden’s “most diverse administration in history, leveraging the full talent of our nation,” adding, “And that starts at the top, with the vice president.”
“Joe Biden called Kamala Harris the DEI adopter,” Boebert said. “Remember when he almost spoke for himself? That’s what he said then.”
Burchett also defended himself amid criticism.
“Any time you exclude one group over another, I feel that’s discrimination,” Burchett said.
He also denied claims that Harris won millions of votes as the 2020 Democratic candidate, saying “no one is voting for the vice president.”
Harris is not the only target of Republican attacks over DEI, as Republicans have accused the Secret Service of having a DEI problem in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
During Monday’s hearing, Burchett called Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned on Tuesday, a “DEI horror story.”
And he’s not alone in that sentiment: Reacting to her resignation, Rep. Monica de la Cruz (R-Texas) called the assassination attempt “the clearest example yet of DEI extremism among Washington’s elite.”
“An innocent man was killed, a woman was left a widow, and two little girls lost their father because Washington’s elites prioritized checking boxes over selecting the best candidate for a job that requires them to protect human lives,” de la Cruz said in a statement Tuesday. “It’s time to end this madness and build a culture that rewards merit, holds people accountable, and celebrates excellence, regardless of race or gender.”
Democrats have strongly opposed the remarks.
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (D-Nevada) said at a press conference on Tuesday that the DEI’s comments about Harris were “nasty and disturbing” and that Harris is “the best prepared and most qualified person to serve,” noting to The Hill that Harris has also served as a prosecutor, senator and attorney general of California.
“It’s not just an attack on her,” Horsford said at a press conference. “An attack on DEI is an attack on you and me. We are a multi-racial, multi-generational society. This is something Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are unwilling to accept. We have no intention of going back to a time when we didn’t count as full citizens.”
Some Republicans, wary of DEI attacks, say their campaign messages should focus on policies rather than demographics, while others are making the case for making inroads with minority voters as the 2024 election cycle heats up. Some in the party see Amber Rose’s appearance at the Republican National Convention last week as part of a larger effort to broaden the party’s support and chip away at Democratic core voters.
“Traditional Democrats, blacks, Asians, Hispanics and now liberal Jews, are not coming to this country as soon as they do. … My grandfather’s Democratic Party is broken as a left wing,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) argued last week. “They can’t support social policies. They can’t support economic policies.”
Alice Foley contributed.
