CBS Host Gayle King Insists DEI Means 'Definitely Earned It'

CBS host Gayle King took a stand for what she believes DEI truly represents during a Wednesday morning segment, arguing that people misunderstand the essence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). For King, it's not just a buzzword, but a principle of fairness and merit, which she summed up as "definitely earned it."

King's comments came after her co-host Vladimir Duthiers introduced a Washington Post report about the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) removing online content about prominent minority servicemen, including Ira Hayes, a Native American Marine immortalized in the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo during World War II. The move was described as part of former President Donald Trump’s "anti-DEI mandate," which King found deeply offensive.

"It’s insulting to include that in DEI," King said, visibly upset. "People don’t understand exactly, I think, what DEI is. It’s really heartbreaking to see what’s happening here." Her frustration seemed to underline a broader concern about the politicization of DEI initiatives.

While some of the removed pages, such as the one on Hayes, have since been restored, the incident sparked outrage. Another significant deletion involved a feature on Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who served as a second lieutenant during World War II. Following backlash, this story was also reinstated by Wednesday.

Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot defended the department’s actions, claiming that efforts to remove DEI content aim to refocus on individuals’ service rather than race. He stated, "In the rare cases that content is removed – either deliberately or by mistake – we instruct the components to correct the content so it recognizes our heroes for their dedicated service alongside their fellow Americans, period." However, the Pentagon remained tight-lipped about whether these deletions were intentional or accidental.

King’s stance on DEI isn’t new. In 2023, she lamented how terms like "wokeism" had been weaponized to represent radical left-wing ideologies. "It’s so sad to me now that the word ‘wokeism’ has almost become weaponized," King said back then. "I don’t look at it as ‘wokeism’ so much as ‘truthism.’" Her consistent defense of these values reflects a broader cultural debate over the meaning and future of inclusivity in public institutions.