A former Trump White House aide was taken to task live on Newsmax for calling Vice President Kamala Harris a DEI hire.

John Ullyot, who served in the Department of Veterans Affairs and as National Security Council spokesperson in Donald Trump s administration, first baselessly claimed former President Barack Obama had really been running the show during Joe Biden s presidency.

It meant the Democratic 2024 presidential nomination will now go to Harris (even though Biden has steadfastly refused to quit his campaign, despite increasing calls to do so following his disastrous debate performance) because she was a DEI hire, said Ullyot.

Newsmaxs Sarah Williamson responded: OK, the DEI thing I strongly disagree with here but this is not my place to have the disagreement with you.

Columnist Ellis Henican, a Democrat, jumped in: Yeah. You shouldnt talk, John, you shouldnt talk like that. It makes you sound like a racist. Dont talk like that.

Look, its the party that embraces DEI, Ullyot countered. Those are the guys that put identity above qualifications.

Henican pushed back, Dont talk like that.

Watch the video here:

Right-wingers have increasingly used the term DEI hire in recent years to attack efforts that seek to boost diversity, equity and inclusion, with some critics now equating their use of it to a racial slur .