A Democratic senator is being accused of “political malpractice” in an essay published by The Atlantic, which argued that his internship job posting, which it said contained diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language that fuels White identity politics that Democrats allegedly oppose. The commentary piece was written by Conor Friedersdorf and was headlined, “The DEI Language That’s Doing More Harm Than Good.”
Friedersdorf’s article cited a social media post created by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) that said he was looking for new interns for his Boston office. The post said, “BIPOC, LGBTQ+, working class, veterans, and other underrepresented candidates with Massachusetts ties are encouraged to apply.” The call for applications immediately caused controversy online, as critics suggested Markey was discriminating against White men while also trying to look inclusive.
The essay pointed out that Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo alleged that the internship posting was actually in open violation of civil rights law and issued a call for the Justice Department to pursue federal charges against Markey. Former Trump Justice Department appointee Theo Wold weighed in on the matter.
According to Fox News, Wold wrote that the goal of the Democratic Party is to make sure White men “have no opportunities to find gainful employment.” Friedersdorf also referred to Markey’s wording as “political malpractice,” stating that language that fuels White identity politics harms Americans regardless of race, even if the intention is a good one.
He then said that Democrats should adopt rhetoric that clearly commits to equal opportunity. “White identitarians would exist even in a world without bias of any sort in recruitment or hiring –– but using language that fuels White identity politics, as Markey’s language did, is political malpractice that’s bad for Americans of all races, no matter how well intentioned it might be,” he wrote.
Ever since President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, companies across the country have also been discussing DEI policies with many seizing the opportunity to ditch it altogether in order to go back to simply choosing the most qualified person for a given position, rather than fulfilling a quota based on arbitrary criteria such as race.
One of the first companies in the United States to toss out DEI policies after the president was elected was Walmart, according to a report from The Heritage Foundation. The article revealed that 486 companies on the Fortune 500 list have a statement, report, or advocacy material for its DEI programs. Popular pet brand Chewy doesn’t have any DEI information on their website, but they have a director of DEI position at its office in Washington state.
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Before becoming the vice president, then-Sen. JD Vance introduced a piece of legislation that would ban federal agencies from having DEI policies. Vance referred to these policies as a “destructive ideology that breeds hatred and division.” The article goes on to champion the view that all CEOs should follow Walmart’s example and toss out DEI policies, which many believe actually creates racism instead of fighting against it.