Meghan McCain turned a rant about identity politics into a major self-own on Wednesday’s episode of “The View.â€
McCain took issue on Tuesday with Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s move to oppose any “non-diversity†nominees put forward by President Joe Biden unless the White House appointed more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to high-level positions in his administration. (Duckworth and Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii later reached an agreement with the Biden administration.)
“We’re going to a place where, even if people need money, even if people are qualified to get into Ivy Leagues, race and gender is more important than your skill qualifications, the content of your character; it is not what Martin Luther King Jr. preached,†McCain said. “I think this is a very, very slippery slope.â€Â
McCain then brought her argument about “the natural progression of identity politics†closer to home, and things got really awkward.
“‘The View’ is 25 years old next year. We’ve only had one Asian American host co-host this show. Does that mean one of us should be leaving because there’s not enough representation? We’re talking about ― is identity politics more important than the qualifications of a job?â€
McCain’s rant came two days after she apologized for spreading anti-Asian sentiment on “The View.â€
Although McCain might have thought she was making a great political point, she was on dangerous ground. Twitter users quickly retorted that she owes her own career to her identity as the daughter of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
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