Politics

Diversity On Stage At The RNC Prompts A Wave Of Racist Attacks

Screen Shot_Grabien_Sen. Tim Scott_RNC Convention

Screen Shot_Grabien_Sen. Tim Scott_RNC Convention

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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A slate of racially and ethnically diverse speakers at the Republican National Convention quickly prompted a wave of racially charged attacks.

Critics ranging from Hollywood actresses to CNN and MSNBC contributors directed attacks at Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, football legend Herschel Walker and First Lady Melania Trump, among others. (RELATED: ‘Democrats Always Blame America First’: Nikki Haley Invokes Reagan Ambassador At RNC)

During the first night of the convention, when both Scott and Haley took the stage, CNN commentator Nia Malika Henderson suggested that they were being used to make the GOP appear diverse while still being “all about” white people.

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“It’s sort of an indirect appeal to white voters when you kind of put black issues, black people, black Republicans front and center, as we saw happen tonight,” Henderson began. “Nikki Haley, obviously a woman of color and Tim Scott and a couple of other African Americans. I mean, on the whole the party isn’t very diverse. It seemed a little diverse tonight with Tim Scott making that final sort of key note address and Nikki Haley making a kind of key note address.”

Henderson went on to allege that the RNC was putting up a diverse slate of speakers and issues in an effort to convince moderate white voters that they could be “comfortable” in their support for President Donald Trump.

And the attacks started rolling in for Scott (and Walker):

And Haley:

Haley was primarily attacked for her statement claiming that “America is not a racist country,” and critics suggested that racism was the reason she went by her nickname — Nikki — rather than her full given name, Nimrata.

But as some were quick to note, “Nikki” is actually a Punjabi nickname that means “little one.”

And Cameron:

And First Lady Melania Trump:

The third night of the RNC is set to kick off Wednesday.