Markey's Intern Posting Draws 'Political Malpractice' Charge Over DEI Language

A social media post seeking interns for Sen. Ed Markey's Boston office has become the subject of an argument about how Democrats talk about diversity. The Massachusetts Democrat wrote that BIPOC, LGBTQ+, working class, veterans, and other underrepresented candidates with Massachusetts ties were encouraged to apply. On Friday, an essay in The Atlantic called that wording "political malpractice."

The essay, by Conor Friedersdorf, is headlined "The DEI Language That's Doing More Harm Than Good." His argument is that language of this kind can fuel the White identity politics Democrats say they oppose. In his words, White identitarians would exist even in a world with no bias in recruitment or hiring, but using language that feeds White identity politics is bad for Americans of all races, however well intended it may be.

The post drew criticism online almost immediately. Critics suggested Markey was openly discriminating against White men while trying to look inclusive. Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, alleged that the posting openly violated civil rights law and called on the Justice Department to pursue federal charges. Theo Wold, a former Trump Justice Department appointee, wrote that the Democratic Party's goal is to make sure White men have no opportunities to find gainful employment. Fox News Digital contacted Markey's office for comment and had not received a response.

Friedersdorf placed the episode in a wider context. Democrats, he wrote, are more likely than Republicans to back policies that promote diversity in employment, and those policies have prompted credible allegations of discrimination from White men. He added that members of Generation Z are even more likely to perceive discrimination against young White men, and that generational differences can sharpen the feeling. He cited a figure: in 2019, about a third of young men said men face some discrimination in America, and by 2025 the share was reportedly 51%.

Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff told Fox News Digital that the post may have done more harm than good for the party's public commitment to equality. He called it virtue signaling that feeds the outrage cycle without doing much for diversity. If an office truly wants a broader applicant pool, he said, it should already have relationships with colleges, community groups, and organizations that can put a posting in front of those candidates. He said the post looked more like announcing values than doing the harder work of diverse recruiting.

Shroff also raised what he called a basic competence question. A Senate office, he said, should not need social media language that makes half the country wonder whether they are less welcome in order to find diverse applicants, and the post looks like a substitute for infrastructure that should already exist.

The Atlantic essay ends by pointing to the state's other senator, Elizabeth Warren, as a model. Her office's intern posting describes it as an equal-opportunity employer and encourages all individuals from all backgrounds to apply, a clear contrast with Markey's wording. Shroff echoed that approach, arguing that Democrats keep handing the right easy cultural fights for almost no substantive benefit. Most people understand the case for widening opportunity, and even for rebalancing past unfairness where possible, he said. What they resent is language suggesting that lifting one group requires putting down or excluding another. Politics, in his words, is about addition, not subtraction.

What to watch is whether Markey's office responds, and whether the argument changes how Democratic offices word their recruitment postings.