Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren promised that, if she wins the 2020 presidential election, she will fill half of her Cabinet with women and nonbinary people.
In a Medium post entitled “Restoring Integrity and Competence to Government After Trump,” Warren, 70, said her presidential administration would be committed to diverse racial and gender representation, providing a checklist of goals she intends to accomplish in office. One such goal includes filling half of her Cabinet with either women or nonbinary individuals.
“Our government officials can best serve the American public when they reflect the diversity of the country itself,” she wrote. “I will build a Cabinet and senior leadership team that reflects the full diversity of America, including having at least 50% of Cabinet positions filled by women and non-binary people.”
Warren faced backlash from the co-hosts of ABC’s The View. Meghan McCain, Whoopi Goldberg, and Joy Behar agreed that she was using the strategy of identity politics. “I know you guys hate when I say this, but I really don’t like identity politics,” said McCain, the conservative host on the show. “None of us like identity politics,” Goldberg responded. Sunny Hostin, a liberal host on the show, disagreed, adding that she likes identity politics. But Goldberg fired back, “This is how people say to you that you’re not smart enough to figure out who you want.”
Warren’s promise echoed one she made during the PBS/Politico Democratic presidential primary debate in December, when she pledged to “go to the Rose Garden once every year to read the names of transgender women, of people of color, who have been killed in the past year.”
Warren is not the only candidate to make such a promise. In October 2019, Pete Buttigieg also promised that at least half of his Cabinet would be filled with women.
“Pete will nominate a gender- and racially-diverse Cabinet to ensure meaningful representation across federal agencies and throughout government,” his campaign said.
