Maxwell Frost claims Kamala Harris being called a ‘DEI’ candidate is comparable to racial slurs

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) pushed back against candidates comparing Vice President Kamala Harris to a “DEI candidate,” arguing these claims are “racist dog whistles.”

Frost, the youngest member of Congress at 27 years old, predicted the 2024 election cycle would see “a racist and misogynistic” campaign from former President Donald Trump against Harris, whom President Joe Biden has endorsed to take his place as the 2024 Democratic candidate. The Gen Z lawmaker questioned why Harris would be compared to someone hired by DEI, referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion, when “she has more experience than Trump and J.D. Vance combined.”

“And so these are just racist dog whistles,” Frost said on CNN. “When you hear DEI, I want you to think about the N-word. I want you to think about racial slurs. That’s what they actually mean.”

Frost was then asked if he believed his fellow lawmaker, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), is racist for referring to Harris as a “DEI vice president.” Frost stopped short of saying yes, saying he has “a good relationship” with Burchett but that he sometimes uses “rhetoric that is racist.”

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Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) stated the Democratic Party’s 2024 candidate would either have to be Biden or “DEI” Harris, prompting Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) to criticize him as “ignorant as all get out.” Roy has defended his criticism of Harris , arguing that Biden was “very specific” in wanting either a woman or a person of color as his vice president.

Biden announced he would bow out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday, with Harris receiving multiple endorsements from both Democratic lawmakers and celebrities. Frost was among the first to give his endorsement to Harris on Sunday afternoon, less than two hours after Biden posted his statement to X.