Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk was called out after she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hillsdale College over the weekend, prompting many to point out her hypocrisy over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
DEI programs are organizational strategies aimed at ensuring fair treatment and full participation for everyone, with a special focus on historically marginalized or discriminated groups. These frameworks strive to create an environment where all individuals, regardless of their identity or abilities, are valued and included.
Critics argue that DEI programs are discriminatory and try to address racial discrimination by disadvantaging other groups, particularly white Americans. However, supporters and industry experts maintain that DEI practices, which have been in place for decades, have been politicized and are often misunderstood.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued with its broader push to dismantle federal programs focused on diversity and inclusion—part of what President Donald Trump pledged in his inaugural address would be a campaign to stop attempts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
Against this backdrop, Erika Kirk, the widow of the late far-right activist Charlie Kirk, received an honorary doctorate from the Christian Hillsdale College in Michigan for “public service"—something critics say her late husband, who was assassinated in September, would not have supported.
The late Kirk stirred controversy in January 2024 after saying, "If I see a Black pilot, I'm gonna be like 'boy, I hope he is qualified.'"
Facing criticism, he claimed that's "not what I believe," attributing his reaction to concerns over policies implemented by major companies regarding ethnic minorities. He expressed apprehensions that these policies might lead to less-qualified individuals being appointed to positions of significant responsibility, such as airline pilots.
Notably, he expressed strong opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, describing its enactment as a "huge mistake." He has criticized it for allegedly establishing a "permanent DEI-type bureaucracy." Kirk suggested that the legislation's ultimate objective is to "re-found the [United States]," with the intention of abolishing the First Amendment.
He also claimed higher education is a "scam," was prominent among conservatives who have argued for years that college degrees no longer guarantee bright futures, and criticized what they perceive as an emphasis on "social justice" and "indoctrination."
The late Kirk not only disparaged higher education, he believed women should strive for marriage instead. He once asserted that “we have more 30-something young women that are single than married and they are by far the most reliable Democratic bloc," admonishing women in this age bracket who have "a nice apartment, a corporate job, and cats."
Insisting that birth control "screws up female brains" so much that they become Democrats, he said women have been pushed away from marriage to the detriment of society, contributing to "mass political hysteria."
People were quick to call out Erika Kirk's hypocrisy in light of all of this.
We wonder if Erika Kirk will get the memo.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads