House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) created another explanation for why authorities were unable to thwart the New Year’s Day carnage in New Orleans: diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives.
In the wake of the bloody attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, Republicans have suggested that “wide open borders” are somehow responsible for the carnage despite authorities identifying a 42-year-old, U.S.-born military veteran from Texas as responsible for the massacre.
But by Thursday, the Louisiana congressman had thrown another wrench into the stream of news by pointing to a familiar GOP attack line during an interview with New Orleans radio station WWL.
“It’s not just illegal immigration,” Scalise said when radio host Tommy Tucker asked what Homeland Security missed.
“Some of these agencies have gotten so wrapped up in the DEI movement – call it wokeness call it whatever you want – but their main focus is on diversity and inclusion as opposed to security,” Scalise said. “And they’re two very different things, and we have to get back to that core mission.”
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He added that the same activity is going on in the Department of Defense and the FBI.
“And so, if nothing else, let’s get back to these agencies keeping people safe, period,” Scalise said.
But the radio host continued to press Scalise for proof that DEI initiatives contributed to signs of an impending ISIS-inspired terrorist attack being missed – “Or are you just speculating this?” he asked.
Scalise said it’s been his experience that any agency “moving away” from their mission will result in a shift in focus “and that’s when things get missed.”
“We’ve seen at agencies when you start focusing on that – I mean you can only have so many focuses at any agency – each agency has a mission, Tommy,” Scalise said. “And when you move away from your main mission, and Homeland Security – their mission is to keep Americans safe in our homeland and they’ve started to move away from that – and we’ve pointed that out for years now.”