CNN host Brianna Keilar on Tuesday accused Republicans of making a “euphemistic smear” against Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting she was hired on a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) basis.
Keilar was responding to Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee calling Harris the “vice president for DEI.” X Post Burchett, who on Monday criticized the media for its silence about President Joe Biden's mental capacity, said in an interview on Monday that Harris is a “100% DEI hire.” interview In an interview with CNN's Manu Raju, he cited Biden's promise during the 2020 campaign that he would “hire a Black woman for vice president.”
“I heard Rep. Tim Burchett refer to VP Harris as a DEI hire, and I think it's almost become a euphemism slur because I see people use it when it doesn't make sense – people who weren't hired, but maybe elected,” Keilar began. “And I've found that this tends to only be said about people of color and people who aren't men.”
CNN host says 'DEI' is a 'veiled smear' against people like Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/ZPLIjJPxVB
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 23, 2024
Illinois Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley agreed that the allegations were “intended as a smear” to obscure real Republican concerns about Harris being a former prosecutor since a jury in May convicted Trump in the hush-money trial of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“I think this is meant to be a smear, and I think you're just starting to see the signs, and I think the American people will see through that and unite against anything like that,” Quigley said. “And obviously she's not someone who was hired, she's someone who was elected by the United States of America. It's not the DEI label or her past history that they're concerned about, it's the fact that she's a former prosecutor and their nominee is a convicted felon. This country is rich and diverse, and we want to see that as a strength, not a weakness. Why can't we be represented by someone who represents so much of that fabric that we hold dear?”
Biden endorsed Harris in a statement on Sunday, minutes after she formally withdrew from the 2024 presidential race. raised It raised $81 million in the first 24 hours, and then raised more than $100,000 from more than 1.1 million donors as of Tuesday. according to To CBS News. (Related: 'I'm not a fan': Battleground state voters tell MSNBC they 'definitely' won't support Kamala Harris)
Liberal media pundits and Democrats have accused Burchett and other critics of being racist following the DEI comments as they blast Harris ahead of the November election. New York Times editorial writer Mara Gay said on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” on Tuesday that Republicans' “first instinct” will be to spew “racist and sexist” talking points against Harris.
Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost Said Those calling Harris a “DEI hire” are also planning to call her the “N-word” during a CNN interview on Tuesday morning.
Harris announced Tuesday that she has secured enough delegates to become the Democratic nominee, a stark contrast to the 844 she won during the 2020 campaign. At least 2,688 delegates had pledged their support for Harris as of Tuesday morning, more than the 1,976 needed to win the nomination.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
