View’s Sunny Hostin Blasts Pete Buttigieg Calling Out Dems On DEI Strategy: ‘So Wrong. So Tone Deaf’

The View’s Sunny Hostin accused Pete Buttigieg of being “tone deaf” on diversity after he offered up criticism for his own party’s approach to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs.

During a recent panel discussion the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, Buttigieg addressed DEI amid President Donald Trump slashing such programs out of government. The former transportation secretary argued that Democrats’ Portlandia-style approach to diversity only helps to fuel Trump’s popularity.

Buttigieg said:

“What do we mean when we talk about diversity? Is it caring for people’s different experiences and making sure no one is mistreated because of them, which I will always fight for? Or is it making people sit through a training that looks like something out of Portlandia, which I have also experienced. And it is how it is how Trump Republicans are made.”

The hosts of The View reacted to Buttigieg’s comments on Friday and Hostin took the strongest stance against him, arguing in favor of DEI programs. Hostin argued “blind hiring” does not create diverse workforces and people can’t depend on the “benevolence” of white billionaires like Elon Musk.

“I like Pete of course, but I think he got that so wrong and it was so tone deaf considering what’s going on,” Hostin said.

“Which part?” Joy Behar asked.

“All of it. I thought all of it was tone deaf,” Hostin said.

She argued that backlash to DEI is because white men feel “oppressed” and cited data from a consulting firm Buttigieg formerly worked for to help make her case that DEI is not the hindrance that critics paint it to be.

Check out the exchange below:

SUNNY HOSTIN: “I like Pete of course, but I think he got that so wrong and it was so tone deaf considering what’s going on.”

JOY BEHAR: “Which part?”

HOSTIN: “All of it. I thought all of it was tone deaf because what happens is from 1776 to 1965, you have basically white men in charge of everything, right? Women, people of color, we’re left out of just equality, equality of opportunity, that sort of thing. And I think when that equality stops popping up in terms of diversity programs, equality now feels like oppression to those people who were at the top of the ladder, not necessarily because of their merit but because of their identity, right? And so in my view, when you look at the stats, it is really clear from McKinsey, a consulting firm that Pete used to work for — that firm found that companies with more diversity financially and socially outperform those that are less diverse so the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion, it makes sense, and I think we can all agree that we want our workforce to reflect to reflect what our world looks like.”

BEHAR: “I think he does too though.”

HOSTIN: “No, I think he does, but my question is really — I think we need to reframe the discussion. If the problem is these programs, what is the solution? Should we just then depend on the benevolence of people like Elon Musk and white billionaires to hire women and people of color?”

BEHAR: “No.”

HOSTIN: “Should we just depend on corporations to on their own make the workforce more diverse? They didn’t do it from 1776 to 1965, why do we think it’s going to be any different?”

Watch above via ABC.