Sen. Mazie Hirono, (D-HI) attends a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine Texas's abortion law on Capitol Hill on September 29, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images)
"Intellectually diverse!" Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, quipped in response to Hirono.
Hirono looked in Schmitt's direction and smiled before saying: "You know, on the basis of the suspicion supposedly for people who are DEI, that would mean that you suspect me of something – I cannot be trusted. I hope that is not your view."
"I don't know if you're talking – hopefully you're not talking about me, because that is a ridiculous accusation," Schmitt shot back.
HAWAII'S HIRONO ONLY SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON COLLINS, CONTINUING PARTISAN STREAK AT HEARINGS
Criticism over workplace DEI commitments was bolstered following last year's affirmative action ruling from the Supreme Court that barred racial preferences in university admissions. (Getty Images)
Hirono has frequently criticized Republicans, President Donald Trump and his administration over the past few months, and she had an odd line of questioning for many of Trump's nominations during the confirmation process.
During his confirmation hearing to be defense secretary, Hirono accused then-nominee Pete Hegseth of being willing to shoot at lawful protesters. She was also the only lawmaker on the Senate's Veterans’ Affairs Committee to oppose the confirmation of Trump's nominee for Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sen-hirono-slammed-suggesting-anti-dei-lawmakers-doubt-trustworthiness-because-minority