Sen. Hirono slammed after suggesting anti-DEI lawmakers doubt her trustworthiness because she is a minority

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, was slammed by a Republican colleague on Wednesday after suggesting that lawmakers who are critical of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives must inherently think her views are untrustworthy because she is a minority.

The comments came during a Wednesday afternoon hearing about the state of DEI in the United States under the second Trump administration. The senator’s comments came after she got into a back-and-forth with a witness from an anti-DEI law group over whether the courts have ever opined on the constitutionality of DEI.

“Okay, well, I’m out of time,” Hirono said, seemingly unsatisfied that the witness pushed back on her claims that the courts have never called diversity, equity and inclusion unconstitutional. “You can see that we are very – we are a very divergent group of people here.”

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“Intellectually diverse!” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, quipped in response to Hirono. 

Hirono looked in Schmitt’s direction and smiled before saying: “You know, on the basis of the suspicion supposedly for people who are DEI, that would mean that you suspect me of something – I cannot be trusted. I hope that is not your view.”

“I don’t know if you’re talking – hopefully you’re not talking about me, because that is a ridiculous accusation,” Schmitt shot back.

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Hirono then turned back to Schmitt and said, “good, thank you.”

“I wish everybody else would say the same thing – about those people in our country who happen to look different from the rest of us…” she continued before Schmitt interjected to adjourn the hearing. 

“Okay – your time has expired, senator. Thanks. Thanks so much.”

Hirono has frequently criticized Republicans, President Donald Trump and his administration over the past few months, and she had an odd line of questioning for many of Trump’s nominations during the confirmation process.

During his confirmation hearing to be defense secretary, Hirono accused then-nominee Pete Hegseth of being willing to shoot at lawful protesters. She was also the only lawmaker on the Senate’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee to oppose the confirmation of Trump’s nominee for Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary.