{"id":2317815,"date":"2024-08-01T19:54:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T23:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-trump-can-reshape-his-messaging-on-dei-after-nabj-interview-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T19:57:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T23:57:24","slug":"how-trump-can-reshape-his-messaging-on-dei-after-nabj-interview-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-trump-can-reshape-his-messaging-on-dei-after-nabj-interview-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"How Trump can reshape his messaging on DEI after NABJ interview &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-trump-can-reshape-his-messaging-on-dei-after-nabj-interview-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2317815&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses former President Donald Trump&#8217;s recent interview at the National Association\u2064 of \u2063Black \u200cJournalists (NABJ) convention, \u200dduring which\u2064 his comments regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) \u200dreceived criticism. Trump \u2063was asked if he believed Vice President Kamala\u2062 Harris was a &#8220;DEI hire,&#8221; to which he questioned her racial identity, implying she changed her identity for political gain. This response drew concern from some \u2062Republicans, who \u200bfelt it distracted from deeper issues at\u200b play.<\/p>\n<p>Tariq Nasheed, a longtime \u2062NABJ member, \u200badvised Trump to reconsider his\u2063 approach to DEI rhetoric,\u200c suggesting \u2063it risks reinforcing \u2062accusations\u200d of racism.\u2064 He\u200c highlighted that many\u2062 Black \u200cAmericans question Harris\u2019s authenticity\u2064 regarding her\u2062 racial identity. Other conservative commentators echoed similar sentiments, urging Trump to\u2063 focus more on policy issues rather than race. They argued that Harris has failed in her roles related to pressing concerns like inflation and border security, and that\u2064 concentrating on these issues could \u2064resonate better with \u200dvoters.<\/p>\n<p>The piece\u2062 also defines DEI initiatives as \u2063efforts aimed at promoting fairness and \u200drepresentation across diverse groups but notes\u2062 that these initiatives have become contentious \u200cin political discourse. there\u2019s a push for \u2064Trump\u200d to pivot his messaging \u2064to center on policy rather\u2062 than race, avoiding the \u200cpitfalls of racial discussions that could be construed\u2064 as divisive.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">How Trump can reshape his messaging on DEI after NABJ interview goes off the rails<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1719408\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s messaging on <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a> was put under the microscope during a hostile <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>interview<\/a> at the National Association of Black Journalists convention on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Trump was directly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3106396\/trump-nabj-spar-black-journalists-harris-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>asked<\/a> if he believes Vice President Kamala Harris is a &ldquo;DEI hire,&rdquo; and his response was to criticize Harris for previously leaning into her Indian heritage only to &ldquo;turn black&rdquo; and embrace her African American heritage. Some Republicans were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3107102\/trump-attack-harris-race-frustrates-panics-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>disconcerted<\/a> by his retort.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Race and gender have nothing to do with why Kamala Harris is the most unpopular Vice President in history,&rdquo; Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign National press secretary, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kamala failed at her job as Border Czar, supported all of Joe Biden&rsquo;s disastrous policies, and lied to the American people about Biden&rsquo;s cognitive decline,&rdquo; Leavitt added. &ldquo;She is weak, dishonest, and dangerously liberal, and that&rsquo;s why the American people will reject her on November 5th.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Harris publicly supported Biden to remain as Democrats&rsquo; presidential nominee up until the point that he dropped his reelection bid and endorsed her. She has not signaled any knowledge or feeling that she believes his mental acuity has been impaired. Republicans, such as Trump and his campaign, however, have accused her of covering for her boss.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From a longtime NABJ member&rsquo;s point of view<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tariqnasheed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tariq Nasheed<\/a>, a longtime <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tariqnasheed\/status\/1818770792861384899\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>member<\/a> of the NABJ, shared his thoughts on Trump&rsquo;s messaging on DEI with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Nasheed said that &ldquo;Trump needs to drop the DEI messaging&rdquo; because people used the term as &ldquo;another boogieman code word meant to vilify Black people.&rdquo; He warned that &ldquo;it would be hard for Trump to get away from the racism allegations while still using racial code words, that everyone understands to be racial.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Nasheed, who has been <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tariqnasheed\/status\/1816292714092323250\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>critical of Harris<\/a> regarding her black identity before, said he doesn&rsquo;t believe the vice president was &ldquo;a DEI hire,&rdquo; but he doesn&rsquo;t consider Trump&rsquo;s comments about her racial identity to be &ldquo;an attack.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This has been a major discussion within Black American society,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Many Black people question why Kamala Harris, who does NOT come from a Foundational Black American lineage, starts engaging in performative Blackness during every political season. We remember when she was absolutely being promoted and identified as an Indian American woman.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He added, &ldquo;She has a practice of cosplaying Foundational Black American cultural aesthetics, and this legitimately causes many Black people to question her motives and authenticity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black commentators warn Trump not to &lsquo;take the bait&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>Three black conservative or conservative-leaning political commentators told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>how they would recommend Trump reshape his messaging on DEI going forward. The commentators, all of whom have been critical of Harris before, agreed that the former president should turn his focus away from race and slam Harris on policy.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;DEI is a tired dog whistle for Democrats,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armstrongwilliams.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Armstrong Williams<\/a>, radio host and part owner of the <em>Baltimore Sun<\/em>, said. &ldquo;Trump &amp; Co. don&rsquo;t need to take the bait. Make this race NOTHING about color. No one cares.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Williams said inflation is &ldquo;killing the black community&rdquo; just as much if not more than it is the white community. He also listed fentanyl use, housing, immigration, and wage growth as issues that are hurting black people the most. &ldquo;You name the policy, and Harris is weak on it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So don&rsquo;t chase these DEI and other fake words,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Stay on mission: she&rsquo;s a failed border czar who can&rsquo;t govern on the issues that matter most.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stacyontheright.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Stacy Washington<\/a>, an Air Force veteran and ambassador for black leadership network <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalcenter.org\/project-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Project 21<\/a>, agreed with criticism of Harris leaning into her black heritage &ldquo;after years of her using her Indian heritage to identify with voters in California,&rdquo; but warned that focusing on this distracts the public from Harris&rsquo;s far-left record.<\/p>\n<p>Washington told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Harris leaning into her black heritage &ldquo;smacks of rank opportunism&rdquo; but &ldquo;that is her personality, and she will continue to distract from her far left viewpoints as long as we dance to her tune.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From here on out,&rdquo; Washington said Trump should focus on the issues voters by and large agree on. &ldquo;Americans want the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-majority-of-voters-reject-450k-payout-to-illegal-aliens-want-southern-border-closed-until-crisis-solved\/\" title=\"Poll: Majority of Voters Reject 0K Payout to Illegal Aliens, Want Southern Border Closed Until Crisis Solved\">southern border closed<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-to-stop-inflation-from-hurting-americas-working-and-middle-class\/\" title=\"How To Stop Inflation From Hurting America\u2019s Working And Middle Class\">lower interest rates<\/a>, lower inflation, and less foreign entanglements (less war),&rdquo; Washington said. &ldquo;President Trump gave America all of these things and can do so again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fedsoc.org\/contributors\/deroy-murdock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Deroy Murdock<\/a>, Fox News contributor and emeritus media fellow with the Hoover Institution, said, &ldquo;Kamala Harris and the far-Left Democrats want Donald J. Trump to focus on race&rdquo; so that anything &ldquo;he says will be turned into, &lsquo;Racist!&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Rather than play their game,&rdquo; he offered, &ldquo;Trump should focus on public policy.&rdquo; He recommended Trump ask voters if they are better off now than they were under his first term, if they are &ldquo;happier now paying higher prices for energy, food, and housing,&rdquo; if they prefer the Biden-Harris administration&rsquo;s &ldquo;wide-open border&rdquo; to Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;much-tighter border,&rdquo; and if they &ldquo;feel safer on America&rsquo;s streets and with this country&rsquo;s place in the world&rdquo; under the current administration.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a &lsquo;DEI hire&rsquo;?<\/h2>\n<p>When ABC&rsquo;s Rachel Scott asked Trump if Harris was a &ldquo;DEI hire,&rdquo; before mentioning her race, he asked for a definition of &ldquo;DEI.&rdquo; Scott told him that it stands for &ldquo;diversity, equity, and inclusion&rdquo; but did not elaborate, possibly standing as the reason Trump did not directly answer the question.<\/p>\n<p>Featured in many colleges, businesses, and government agencies, DEI initiatives were designed to foster the participation and equitable treatment of all people regardless of their race, sex, and other categories. However, these initiatives have resulted in such categories being considered for college admittance, job roles, and other positions that are traditionally awarded through merit.<\/p>\n<p>When Scott asked Trump if Harris was a &ldquo;DEI hire,&rdquo; she was really asking him if the vice president was selected based on her race, sex, or some other unchangeable category. As Nasheed, the longtime NABJ member, noted, this language has adopted racial undertones, and some people have used the term &ldquo;DEI hire&rdquo; to describe any woman or minority chosen for a prominent role.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>However, accusations of Harris being a &ldquo;DEI hire&rdquo; were fed by then-presidential hopeful Joe Biden&rsquo;s 2020 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/03\/15\/biden-woman-vice-president-131309\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>promise<\/a> to select a woman as his running mate. He additionally vowed to put a black woman on the Supreme Court before eventually nominating Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>As of 2024, 10 states have signed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bestcolleges.com\/news\/anti-dei-legislation-tracker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>anti-DEI legislation<\/a> into law and 16 other states have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alabamas-crackdown-on-vaping-clouded-by-smoke-over-claims-it-helps-big-tobacco\/\" title=\"Alabama&#039;s efforts to regulate vaping are hindered by accusations that it inadvertently supports &#039;Big Tobacco\">proposed similar legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1719408\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1719408\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**How Trump Can Revise His DEI Messaging Following a Contentious NABJ Interview**<\/p>\n<p>During a challenging interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump&#8217;s stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) faced intense scrutiny. When asked if he considers Vice President Kamala Harris to be a &#8220;DEI hire,&#8221; Trump criticized her for previously emphasizing her Indian heritage before embracing her African American identity. This response unsettled some Republicans. Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign&#8217;s national press secretary, stated to the Washington Examiner that race and gender are irrelevant to Harris&#8217;s unpopularity as vice president. She attributed this unpopularity to Harris&#8217;s failures in various roles and policies.<\/p>\n<p>Harris has consistently supported Biden as the Democratic nominee until he withdrew from the race and endorsed her; she has not indicated any concerns about his mental fitness. However, Republicans have accused her of shielding him from criticism.<\/p>\n<p>Tariq Nasheed, a long-time NABJ member, expressed that Trump should abandon DEI rhetoric since it is often perceived as derogatory towards Black individuals. He cautioned that using such language could lead to ongoing accusations of racism against Trump while acknowledging that many within the Black community question Harris\u2019s authenticity regarding her racial identity.<\/p>\n<p>Three conservative commentators advised Trump on how to adjust his messaging regarding DEI moving forward. They suggested he shift focus away from race-related issues and instead critique Harris based on policy failures. Armstrong Williams emphasized avoiding racial discussions altogether since they detract from more pressing issues affecting all communities.<\/p>\n<p>Stacy Washington echoed this sentiment by highlighting how focusing on Harris\u2019s racial identity distracts from discussing her leftist policies effectively. Deroy Murdock also recommended that Trump concentrate on public policy rather than engage in racially charged debates initiated by Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about whether Harris was a &#8220;DEI hire,&#8221; Trump sought clarification on what DEI meant but did not directly respond after being informed it stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion\u2014concepts aimed at promoting fair treatment across various demographics but often criticized for prioritizing these factors over merit in hiring practices.<\/p>\n<p>The term &#8220;DEI hire&#8221; has gained negative connotations among some who believe it implies selection based solely on race or gender rather than qualifications\u2014a notion fueled by Biden\u2019s 2020 commitment to select a woman as his running mate and appointing a Black woman to the Supreme Court later with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson&#8217;s nomination in 2022. As of 2024, several states have enacted or proposed legislation against DEI initiatives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2670,"featured_media":2317816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/donald-trump-nabj-convention.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[16574,16409,36952,3634,32076],"class_list":["post-2317815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-dei","tag-messaging","tag-nabj-interview","tag-trump","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/donald-trump-nabj-convention.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2670"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2317816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}