Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has praised President Donald Trump for signing an executive order to ban divisive “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs.
Dr. Carson weighed in on Trump’s move while speaking to Newsmax on Wednesday.
Carson argues that America’s global dominance was built on honoring excellence, not pandering to identity politics.
“It’s wonderful to have an administration who recognizes that two wrongs don’t make a right,” Carson said during his appearance on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren.”
He further explained how America was already making strides in diversity long before former President Barack Obama brought identity politics into the national conversation.
“Now one of the reasons that the United States accelerated from a bunch of ragtag militiamen to the pinnacle of the world so rapidly is because we honored excellence,” Carson said.
Carson emphasized that America’s strength has always been rooted in meritocracy, selecting the best talent regardless of superficial traits.
“We weren’t looking to check boxes,” he said.
“We were looking for people who were excellent at what they did, and we encouraged them, and we gave them what they needed.
“And that’s what we need to do again if we really want to return America to greatness.”
Carson referenced an opinion piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal titled “Compassionate Action.”
The article highlights the importance of aiding the downtrodden without making race or gender the centerpiece.
“Of course, we always want to give a hand up to those who are downtrodden,” Carson said.
“We look out for the underdog, and the underdog can be any color.
“They can come from any ethnicity. That is a fair program.”
Carson warned that DEI initiatives and box-checking based on race or gender create division rather than unity.
“When you have to check a box about your gender or about your race and we make it about that, we totally distort the goodwill of the American people,” he explained.
“And I think it’s actually creating more conflict in our society than helping.”
Carson didn’t mince words while addressing his critique of Obama, however.
“He was the one who really started pushing the whole idea of identity politics,” he noted.
“Everything had to have a racial tilt to it.”
He also highlighted the absurdity of downplaying America’s progress.
“We have black admirals and generals, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, heads of foundations, and university presidents,” Carson stated.
“We’ve had a black president of the United States.
“To sit here and tell me that we haven’t made tremendous progress is ridiculous.”
Carson’s message is simple but powerful: America thrives when it rewards excellence and innovation, not when it panders to divisive identity politics.
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