Photo: Getty Images
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds (R) defended the Trump administration's attack on DEI and tech billionaire Elon Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during a recent town hall.
On Monday (April 22), Donalds held a town hall in Estero, Florida, where he pushed back against criticism of DOGE amid the agency's efforts to reshape the federal government and cut spending, per NBC News.
“If you’re going to talk about what Oversight is doing, we actually have to let the DOGE committee, the DOGE department, actually finish its work,” Donalds said at the event in Estero, Florida.
Donalds, who is running for Florida governor, also defended the Trump administration's efforts to end DEI programs. The Republican lawmaker claimed that it was a "false premise" that "somehow minority kids cannot get ahead" without DEI initiatives in boardrooms and classrooms, saying, "It is a lie."
"There’s no level playing field in life; it doesn’t exist," Donalds said.
During Monday's town hall, a man in the audience spoke out against Donalds' comments, telling the congressman he ought to read a particular book. Donalds shot back, telling the man not to "educate me about my life, sir."
"I love how everybody is shouting at me, the Black guy with the microphone in his hand onstage," he said. "Don’t marginalize my life and what I’ve done. Don’t do that."
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.