HOT TOPICS | Van Lathan on Trump's DEI Policies, Kanye, & Snoop Dogg - February 4th, 2025
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
All right, good morning, everyone. Welcome to Hot Topics, 10 a.m. Eastern time. We do it for you every single day. I'm not even gonna, this man needs no introduction. I know that sounds like a cliche, but he doesn't. There's Van Latham. Van, how you doing, brother? I'm well, my man, how are you? I'm great. Let's talk about everything that's happening, okay? Do you wanna start with Trump? Do you wanna start with Kanye? Do you wanna start with the Super Bowl? Do you wanna start with the Grammys? You tell me, we can go anywhere. You are the big homie. We start where you say start. All right. So let's talk about what I love what you said. And I agree with you. I said, why don't you just say the word? And you know what I mean by the word.
You said that DEI is worse than that word. Yeah.
So the reason why is because like so. The N-word, right. The N-word as a slur has existed to dehumanize Black people for a long time. And there's been a definition that signals not a person, not a human being, which is the reason why it still stirs up the emotions that it does. The DEI thing now is associating Black people with cataclysm in a way that I'm not sure even the N-word did. Meaning if there is a fire and there is a black person in the office that's supposed to deal with the fire, it's because that black person is there.
What does Van Lathan say about Trump blaming DEI for national tragedies?
The moment that this unspeakable tragedy happens in D.C., we start finding a way to blame DEI. OK, let's make sure or let's see if anybody piling in any of these flames or in the control tower was not a straight white male, which means that that was the reason that this happened. The list goes on and on. There's a bridge collapse in Baltimore. A duly elected mayor is called a DEI mayor, a duly elected mayor. So what DEI or the term DEI or the weaponization, the bastardization of the term DEI, what it does is it says all of society's problems. or because this group of people heavily heavily associated with black people as we've seen it uh use but also gay people trans people women and anyone of the like um the reason why we don't have a lethal military success is because of dei so it doesn't just seek to dehumanize you it makes you
the issue, the bottom problem of all of society, just because it doesn't reinforce the white male orthodoxy, the religious belief that only straight white males can deliver functioning societies in our world today.
Right after the plane crash happened, I mean, they didn't even have all the bodies out of the water. Sadly, I know that sounds harsh. And Donald Trump went to the podium to say this about it. Watch.
They put a big push to put diversity into the FAA's program. Then another article, the Federal Aviation Administration. This was before I got to office recently, second term. The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website. Can you imagine? These are people that are, I mean, actually, their lives are shortened because of the stress that they have. Brilliant people. have to be in those positions. And their lives are actually shortened, very substantially shortened because of the stress where you have many, many planes coming into one target.
When you heard that shit, what did you say? First of all, none of that's true is what he's saying. There's no evidence that any of that has happened.
Right.
How does the podcast compare DEI rhetoric to historical racial slurs?
So it's godly good, but he's not... he's not giving a speech as much as he's giving a sermon. And that sermon is based upon reinforcing a religious belief. Like if you grew up in a church, you know that when things go right, is because God is blessing you. And when things go wrong, it's because God is teaching you a lesson. But the most important thing is that you have the faith and the belief of the people in the core thing, which is that there is a presiding power above you that governs all things. The religious belief here is that Black people, is that anybody other than straight white people cannot operate society.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:13–1:37
2
What does Van Lathan say about Trump blaming DEI for national tragedies?
1:37–4:15
3
How does the podcast compare DEI rhetoric to historical racial slurs?
4:15–9:26
4
What examples are given of DEI being weaponized in public discourse?
9:26–12:11
5
How did Trump describe FAA hiring and what was the reaction?
12:11–37:30
6
Why does Van argue Kanye's rhetoric is harmful to Black communities?
37:30–38:26
7
What was Van's red carpet interaction with Kanye at the Grammys?
38:26–45:36
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from The Don Lemon Show
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