President Donald Trump slammed diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as “absolute nonsense” during an address to the World Economic Forum Thursday and hailed his administration's move to abolish them, while House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats are willing to stand up to their Republican colleagues for everyday Americans.
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00:00My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and
00:06inclusion nonsense, and these are policies that were absolute nonsense throughout the
00:12government and the private sector.
00:14With the recent, yet somewhat unexpected, great Supreme Court decision just made, America
00:20will once again become a merit-based country.
00:24You have to hear that word, merit-based country.
00:29And I've made it official, an official policy of the United States, that there are only
00:35two genders, male and female.
00:39And we will have no men participating in women's sports and transgender operations, which became
00:46the rage, will occur very rarely.
00:49It's incredibly alarming.
00:50You know, we as a country strive to create a more equitable space for everyone.
00:58I think the misinformation and disinformation on what DEI hire is has been that there's
01:07an individual hired because of their diversity, and many of these positions are positions
01:13in which the person is responsible for diversifying the workplace, for recruitment, for retention,
01:21for creating a space that is welcoming for everyone.
01:24And it is unfortunate at this moment, as they are suspended with pay, that we are paying
01:31people not to work.
01:32And I think to have tax dollars go out to individuals who are actually not doing work
01:38at this moment does the opposite of efficiency.
01:42When they talk about creating a more efficient workplace, that is what DEI hires essentially
01:49do.
01:50The people who are in these positions are trying to create an environment where the
01:55most efficient people for the job are hired.
01:58Diversity, equity, and inclusion are American values.
02:04It's about economic opportunity for everyone.
02:09We support merit for everyone based on what you know, not who you know.
02:19The problem that seems to be unfolding is that there are some in this country who want
02:27an America of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires.
02:32No president in the United States of America can change the Constitution or change law
02:44like the 1964 Civil Rights Act, by way of example, through executive action or executive
02:53order.
02:54It can't happen.
02:55So it's my expectation that in response to all of the activity that we've seen this week,
03:05it will unleash an avalanche of righteous litigation on behalf of the American people.
03:14On that issue, and on many other issues.
03:17And over the first 100 days, when there will be 217 Republicans and 215 Democrats, despite
03:27their claims of a big, bold, beautiful, massive mandate, we're searching for it in the House
03:34of Representatives, we're going to stand up on behalf of everyday Americans.
03:44As a caucus, as a unit, as a team.
03:49And I'm proud to be in the leadership of that team, and we recognize that House Democrats
03:55are on the front lines of many of the battles that will be fought in the year to come.