Democrats silent on Patel as first ‘person of color’ FBI director despite previous DEI emphasis

Democrats have remained notably silent since Kash Patel became the first "person of color" to head the FBI, after previously emphasizing diversity and representation on the campaign trail and during the Biden era. 

Patel, a fervent Trump ally, underwent a rocky path to confirmation, with Democrats on the panel attempting to delay the vote earlier this month and continuing to protest his nomination into Thursday. 

Despite the criticism, Democrats have yet to make note of Patel, who is Indian-American, making history as the first "person of color" FBI director.

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Democrats and the media have remained notably silent on Kash Patel becoming the first "person of color" to head the FBI, after previously emphasizing diversity and representation on the campaign trail and during the Biden administration era.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, including ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., protested Patel's confirmation outside the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday morning. 

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., in particular, drew criticism from conservatives on social media after saying, "Kash Patel, mark my words, will cause evil in this building behind us, and Republicans who vote for him will rue that day." 

"Did Sheldon Whitehouse come up with this pathetic line of attack at his all-white beach club?" asked conservative commentator and longtime Trump adviser Steve Cortes, referencing Whitehouse's membership in an exclusive beach club that has a controversial history. Whitehouse’s office previously denied that the club was all-White.

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"President Trump nominated Kash Patel because of his qualifications and commitment to restoring integrity to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In contrast to the picture the media tries to paint, President Trump wants equality for all Americans regardless of skin color, which is why he eliminated unfair DEI policies and is restoring common sense to our country," Harrison Fields, Principal Deputy Press Secretary, told Fox News Digital. 

Democrats notably emphasized diversity and representation during both the 2020 and 2024 campaign trails as well as during the Biden era.

While on the 2024 campaign trial, Democrats made notable efforts to increase support among Black men for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who would have made history if she had been elected as the nation's first female president. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Prior to his 2020 win, former President Joe Biden committed to naming a woman as his running mate and noted during the run-up to his decision that Black women were among his finalists.

Likewise, upon taking her post as White House Press Secretary in 2022, Karine Jean-Pierre pointed to her race and sexual orientation during her first opening remarks on the job, thanking those who had fought for the progress that allowed her to fill her new role.

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"I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts. I am a black, gay, immigrant woman, the first of all three of those to hold this position," Jean-Pierre said during her first briefing. "I would not be here today if it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me. I stand on their shoulders."

Biden also announced that same year that he was committing to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court after Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. 

Upon taking her post as White House Press Secretary in 2022, Karine Jean-Pierre pointed to her race and sexual orientation during her first opening remarks on the job, thanking those who fought for the progress that allowed her to fill her new role. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

While on the 2024 campaign trial, Democrats made notable efforts to increase support among Black men for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who would have made history if she had been elected as the nation's first female president.

Former President Barack Obama rebuked Black voters during a Pittsburgh campaign event, saying he couldn't understand why Harris wasn't enjoying the same level of enthusiasm, noting that the hesitation was "more pronounced with the brothers."

Speaking directly to Black males, Obama said that "part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that."

Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw, Michael Lee, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.