In the wake of President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris has quickly emerged as the favorite to replace him.
This sudden increased spotlight on Harris has intensified attacks against her from Republicans and other critics, who have been honing in on her status as a woman of color and marrying it with a wider criticism around DEI.
Attacking Harris
On the social media platform X, Republican Representative Tim Burchett from Tennesse slammed the incompetency of the current administration, branding Harris as a “DEI vice president.”
“The incompetency level is at an all-time high in Washington. The media propped up this president, lied to the American people for three years, and then dumped him for our DEI vice president,” wrote Burchett in the X post.
DEI Hire
Burchett in an interview with a CNN reporter also called VP Harris a “DEI hire” with an “abysmal record,” which some online saw as a subtle racist remark.
“Did anyone else hear that hard “N” when he said DEI?” said X user Eric Garcia.
Ugly Attacks
Supporters of Harris have been decrying what they see as increased attacks against the vice president proliferating on social media. In an interview with Fox News, former Trump White House official Kellaynne Conway had harsh words for Harris.
“She does not speak well. She does not work hard. She should not be the standard-bearer for the party,” said Conway.
Skin Color Considerations
Some critics of Harris assert that her skin color is one of the primary if not the only reason that she is being supported by the Democrats.
“It is gonna be more difficult to beat somebody who is not Joe Biden,” said Republican Representative Glenn Grothman. “Apparently, they feel, or a lot of Democrats feel, they have to stick with her because of her ethnic background.”
Gorka’s Comments
During an interview earlier this month, Trump’s former Deputy Assistant Sebastian Gorka made comments on Harris’ skin color that had some accusing him of racism.
“She’s a DEI hire, right? She’s a woman. She’s colored. Therefore, she’s got to be good,” Gorka said.
Attacks on Gender
Harris supporters have also been criticizing attacks against the vice president based on her gender which have continued through the election cycle.
“Both Joe + the Ho gotta go!,” said Jackson Lahmeyer, founder of Pastors4Trump and pastor of Sheridan Church on X.
Support for Harris
Some Harris supporters see these attacks as a badge of honor. In their view, the fact she is receiving these kinds of attacks means she is on the right path.
“Kamala Harris checks every single box that the Heritage Foundation & Project 2025 are trying to undermine. Women’s Rights, Voting Rights, Civil Rights, DEI, and Teaching Black History,” said X user Alex Cole.
DEI Rallying Cry
Conservatives have recently been rallying around criticism of DEI as an attack angle against Democrats and their opposition.
The recent shooting at a Trump rally was blamed on the Secret Service’s commitment to DEI and female agents of the SS were singled out on social media by critics.
Secret Service’s DEI
Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, previously expressed a desire to boost the ratio of female recruits to 30% by 2030.
This initiative, called 30×30, would increase female agents in the Secret Service, which currently make up a much smaller percentage than males.
Defending Agents
In the wake of attacks on its female agents, the Secret Service came out to defend them from criticism.
“As an elite law enforcement agency, all of our agents and officers are highly trained and fully capable of performing our missions,” said a Secret Service statement. “It is an insult to the women of our agency to imply that they are unqualified based on gender. Such baseless assertions undermine the professionalism, dedication and expertise of our workforce.”
Burchett Attacks Cheatle
Burchett, who was also at the center of the DEI criticism of the Secret Service, called director Cheatle a “DEI person.”
“Somebody really dropped the ball,” said Burchett. “You’ve got a DEI, basically, person — a DEI initiative person — who heads up our Secret Service. You know she was working at Pepsi before this. I know she was a former Secret Service agent, but still, this is what happens when you don’t put the best players in. It’s a complete failure on our part.”
