Vice President Kamala Harris recently said that distributed aid following natural disasters should be “based on equity.”
“It is our lowest-income communities and communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues not of their own making,” she said Friday.
Harris was speaking at a Democratic National Committee Women’s Leadership Forum.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas interrupted her to add “women.”
“Absolutely,” Harris replied. “And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity,” she continued.
“Understanding that we fight for equality but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out in the same place and if we want people to be in an equal place sometimes we have to take into account disparities and do that work,” Harris said.
The vice president’s comments were immediately met with criticism online.
“This is false. @VP’s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background,” said Christina Pushaw, rapid response director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Journalist Ian Miles Cheong tweeted “Kamala Harris couldn’t even make it through five minutes before bringing up social justice and equity.”
“Hurricane Ian gave a chance for the Biden administration and its lackeys to behave like normal politicians, they completely failed to pass the bar,” he added.
AEI Fellow Sadanand Dhume said “Why do they make everything about race and gender?”
“If a hurricane hits a state, we should expect the government to help all those affected: black, brown white, purple, green. And there’s no such thing as ‘communities of color.’ Real people don’t talk like this,” he continued on Twitter.
Elon Musk also added his opinion, saying resource distribution “should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else.”
Hurricane Ian is now making its way through South Carolina after slamming into Florida.