What is a ‘DEI hire?’ Tim Burchett’s interpretation of Kamala Harris’ hiring, explained

It may not be official quite yet, but Kamala Harris is the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee for president. She was already voted in — as vice president rather than president, to be fair — and voters are quickly flocking to show their support for the Joe Biden-endorsed candidate.

Following Biden’s decision to step down, Harris was seen as the obvious next choice, given her alignment to Biden’s platform — something that helped earn him the nomination in the first place — and her clear qualifications for the position. Despite her tenure in politics and clear experience, however, Harris’ many opponents are already pushing back at her presumed nomination. They’re even leaning on a longtime complaint among Conservative talking heads, accusing the 59-year-old of being a “DEI hire.”

What is a DEI hire?

That particular accusation comes from Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett, who blasted the Harris nomination as spurred by “DEI.” That acronym stands for “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and it’s a real effort being made by companies across the nation to correct persisting wrongs.

America has long been a nation with racism woven into our very roots, but we’re working to do better. These veiled jabs at Harris harken back to our fractured early days, and lean on the same style of dog whistles that have long pushed back on diverse candidates.

Kamala Harris is Black. She’s also a woman, which makes her the boldest potential presidential candidate in American history. Electing her would be an unprecedented move, thus far in America’s history, and it would mark a historic shift in how our politics work.

By labeling Harris as a DEI hire, her opponents are using the same language that has, for generations, kept people of color, women, and those with disabilities out of positions they are more than qualified for. The hugely invalidating claim attempts to strip down Harris’ decades of experience, and instead treat her as nothing but a “diversity hire.”

That claim couldn’t be farther from the truth. The highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, Harris has spent the last three decades (and then some) working to make this nation a better, safer place, with an emphasis on taking down child abusers, sexual assaulters, and violent criminals. Over the course of her career Harris has fought for Americans at every turn, eventually turning a career in law into one in politics.

To call Harris a DEI hire is the same as accusing her of being an inept, inexperienced, incapable candidate who only got the spot because of her skin color and gender. That is a massive insult to a woman who’s spent decades fighting for this nation, and the last seven years grinding into politics in an effort to reshape the same issues she fought so hard against in a courtroom. She has far, far more experience than Donald Trump, her tenure in office is far less riddled with controversy and outright illegal activity, and she’s been wiping the floor with predators and criminals for most of her life.

Now let’s just hope she can do it again come November.