Opinion: Republicans are playing a dangerous game with DEI

The news cycle is a vicious tornado that just keeps on spinning.

Just one month ago, the first presidential debate unmasked President Biden to the American people as unfit for a second term. Then a loner tried to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Penn. Only days later, Biden came down with COVID and then dropped out of the race due to party pressure , endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris. Now, some Republicans are attacking her as a “DEI hire.”

Despite these attacks, Harris has quickly rallied Democrats around her campaign, receiving several high-profile endorsements and raking in large fundraising totals. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has sought to quell the DEI talk, saying it “has nothing to do with race.” It doesn’t help that Biden himself recently said he had “the most diverse administration in history” that represents “the values of diversity, equality, inclusion … and it starts at the top with the vice president.”

DEI, shorthand for diversity, equity and inclusion, started in the 1960s as a way to balance the sins of our past, and seeks to create a workplace where “everyone feels welcome and respected.” However, the effort has failed to achieve its goals; instead, it has created a backlash, leaving many conservatives to view DEI statements as a political litmus test rather than a solution to a problem. Instead of lifting others up, DEI has empowered a group of grifters who seek to profit for themselves.

The idea of hiring based on diversity, equity and inclusion rather than solely qualifications, experience and competency has fueled the rights fight against DEI. However, Republicans attacking Harris as a DEI hire are showing off their hypocrisy, and the evidence can be found in comments made by former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid .

Back in 2020, he said, “I think [Biden] came to the conclusion that he should pick a Black woman. … They are our most loyal voters and I think that the Black women of America deserved a Black vice-presidential candidate.” While on the surface it appears Reid is speaking of race, in reality, he is talking about patronage.

Political patronage is unavoidable in our republican system. It exchanges political appointments and jobs in return for political support and loyalty. Biden selected Harris because she could deliver a large voting block that he needed to win the presidency.

During times of political divide, patronage is often turned into a system of spoils. It hit the national stage with the Jackson administration during the Antebellum period, used to advance the interest of slavery against the will of the nation. After the Civil War, it was used by northern Republicans to maintain control of Congress and advance the interests of northern corporations. When patronage is spoiled, it elevates leaders who are incompetent and corrupt.

This can be seen in the story of Roscoe Conkling , As a lawyer, he championed the 14 ^th Amendment, designed to provide equal rights to formerly enslaved Americans, as a way to represent his corporate clients in the San Mateo County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company. This established the idea of “corporate personhood” — similar to the way modern DEI advocates have championed diversity to create a multibillion-dollar industry .

Republicans who are upset at Harris as the Democratic nominee are noticeably quiet on Trump’s plan to reclassify civil service employees as political appointees. Trump said he plans to restore “the president’s authority to remove rogue bureaucrats. … And I will wield that power very aggressively.” While Republicans might support the idea of removing “rogue bureaucrats,” this would give the Trump administration enormous power of patronage not seen since the days of the Gilded Age.

Will Trump hire the best and the brightest to replace them? No, he plans to reward loyalists and hire “patriots who love America.” I mean, who is he to decide who loves and doesn’t love America? That’s the type of vague policy practice that conservatives dislike about DEI.

Both DEI and patronage emphasize something other than qualifications and experience in the hiring process. They both shrink the talent pool and create opportunities for corruption, attracting grifters for power and wealth. Republicans should know better than to throw stones into their glass house. If they are serious about their concerns, they should focus on cleaning up the mess in their party first.

Jeff Mayhugh is a Christian, the founding editor of Politics and Parenting, the president of East Coast Operations for No Cap Fund, and the editor at large for Freemen News-Letter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.