Actor John Leguizamo said Friday on ABC’s “The View” that President Donald Trump was turning the federal government into a ‘”white-only club” with his actions against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
Partial transcript as follows:
JOY BEHAR: According to you, DEI, which is what you say you are, stands for diligence, excellence, and imagination.
JOHN LEGUIZAMO: That’s right.
BEHAR: Tell me what your reaction is to Trump’s executive order terminate all the DEI mandates, policies, and programs in the federal government.
LEGUIZAMO: It’s terrible. I mean, they’re removing plaques of black and Latino and women heroes, just, I mean, what kind of action is that? It’s like a white only club. DIE was supposed to be to help give us equity for black and Latinos because we’ve been here for 500 years, 400 years, and, you know, there was segregation, lynching, redlining, that we were experimented on. You know, we were kept from jobs, from, you know, going to the best places, churches, parks. This was to undo 500 years of being oppressed, to give us equity, give us a chance to get to the same level as everybody else. Yes, I think Americans do want inclusion. I think Americans do want diversity. They grew up with Latino, black people, Asian, and they know that we have value. They’re neighbors, they’re in love with us, you know? We’re lovely people, we’re very sexy.
BEHAR: White people have been in control, they don’t like it now that other people are doing it.
SUNNY HOSTIN: It sounds like oppression to people who have not experienced it.
LEGUIZAMO: Right. Some white people. I don’t think it’s all white people.
BEHAR: Of course not.
LEGUIZAMO: Yeah, but some white people don’t want that diversity and that’s why he has to demonize DEI. They have to make us feel like we’re getting a leg up and we don’t deserve it but all the black and Latin people that I know who are in positions of power have to be five times better than their white brothers and sisters.
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