Kamala Harris and the power of diverse coalitions: why DEI criticisms miss the mark

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses a crowd in Detroit at a rally for her campaign for president on Aug. 7, 2024. | Anna Liz Nichols

When President Biden withdrew from the presidential campaign last month, setting the stage for Vice President Kamala Harris to make history as the first Black woman and first South Asian American candidate to earn a major party nomination, voters nationwide immediately mobilized in support. Within days, the Vice President secured record-breaking campaign donations, volunteers, and swift endorsements from a variety of reproductive health organizations, climate and environmental coalitions, youth advocacy groups, and major labor unions. 

Yet this moment of hope and progress was quickly met with a resurgence of blatant racism and sexism from her opponents. Less than 24 hours after President Biden’s withdrawal and endorsement, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) issued a tweet labeling Harris a “DEI Vice President,” deliberately perpetuating a narrative steeped in white supremacy and cloaked in the guise of meritocracy that Black people and other historically marginalized groups can only ascend to leadership roles due to quotas or preferential treatment rather than their qualifications, education, and experience. 

Please make no mistake; these racist and sexist attacks aim to reinforce a belief that only white men are truly qualified to run our country. Of course, using ad hominem attacks to undermine a person’s credibility is not new. Nor is demagoguery as a tactic to distract and divide Americans along the lines of race, religion, national origin, or immigration status. What is new, however, is the coordinated and collective weaponization of DEI.

With Harris now confirmed as the Democratic nominee, the Trump campaign has discarded the subtle dog whistles of the past in favor of brazen and overt assaults. This tempest of blatantly racist attacks is not merely permissible, but central to his strategy. 

Despite signals that the Republican Party wants to focus on Harris’ policy positions and her long record in public service, the hateful attacks on her race and gender continue, with Trump’s incendiary remarks questioning her racial identity at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference on July 31 marking a dramatic — and unapologetic — escalation.

These ongoing attacks have forced Harris supporters into the defensive position of having to deny that she’s a “DEI candidate.” We must quickly move beyond this narrative. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not mere buzzwords but rather critical pillars for creating a more equitable and just society. Weaponizing DEI as a tool of ridicule exposes a deep-seated disregard for empathy, a concerning absence of vision — and a stark disconnection from the core values that define modern America. 

Simply put, the Trump campaign is deeply out of step with the American public, and his party’s stalwart defense of his indefensible remarks at the NABJ conference is yet another example of how intentionally divisive and regressive they truly are.

But who is surprised?

As the leader of a reproductive health organization, I know how strongly Americans support our mission. Nearly two-thirds support abortion access in all or most cases, and for people under 30, that number rises to nearly 80 percent. Yet gerrymandered Republican-controlled state legislatures have banned or severely restricted abortion access in 22 states since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and anti-abortion extremists plan to enact a national abortion ban if Trump wins in November.

But they’re not just out of step on abortion. The vast majority of Americans oppose anti-democratic actions and political violence, such as the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Many are also deeply concerned about the climate crisis, believing it is already causing significant harm, yet the Republican Party’s platform is silent on this critical issue. Voters overwhelmingly support LGBTQ+ rights, non-discrimination protections, and marriage equality, yet increasingly hostile rhetoric targeting LGBTQ+ communities has led to an alarming rise in hate crimes and violence. Furthermore, despite the vitriolic and racist attacks on the Vice President, an overwhelming number of voters believe that diversity strengthens our nation.

Harris has her fingers on the pulse of popular opinion far better than Republicans do — and they know it. That’s why they’re attacking her rather than her policy positions.

Vice President Harris is not a “DEI candidate” in the way they are trying to weaponize the term. She is an immensely qualified candidate with years of governing experience at the highest levels. She is also a Black and South Asian American woman, giving her multiple lenses through which to see our nation’s challenges — and their solutions. We need not apologize or shy away from that. We need to celebrate it because representation is powerfully important. For far too long, women and underrepresented racial groups have been overlooked, ignored, and passed over for opportunities for which they were deeply deserving.

While Trump continues to run a campaign centered on bigotry, hatred, and division, Vice President Harris’ campaign is laser-focused on moving us forward, not backward — and the public is responding as she surges in the polls. If her election in November makes Vice President Harris a “DEI President,” so be it. When our leaders reflect the best of every kind of citizen, more people than ever may finally be heard.