It didn’t take long for things to heat up in round one of political speeches at the 2024 Neshoba County Fair.
During his time at the stump on Wednesday, State Auditor Shad White took aim at taxpayer dollars being used by government-run entities, specifically public universities, to cover the cost of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. The Republican pointed his finger at another Republican, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, as the main culprit in allowing what White deems to be “indoctrination” funded from the pockets of taxpayers.
“Unfortunately, my office found that here in Mississippi – me and you, the taxpayers – we pay millions of dollars every single year for DEI training at our public universities. It makes absolutely no sense. It’s got to stop,” White said, adding that attempts to stop publicly funded DEI programs have proven futile under Hosemann’s leadership in the Senate.
“We’ve had some shots to stop it. There have been bills that went forward that would have eliminated taxpayer funding for DEI,” White continued. “There has only been one reason why all these bills continue to get killed and why we have to keep funding DEI. And the reason is the lieutenant governor’s office. To be honest with you, it’s Delbert Hosemann.”
White sits atop a long list of Republicans calling for an end to publicly funded DEI initiatives. Earlier this year, a Senate bill touted by many GOP members would have banned state agencies and public universities from using taxpayer funds to facilitate DEI. However, it died without ever going to the floor for a full vote.
The auditor asserted that DEI programs ostracize white individuals and it’s possible to promote the representation and participation of all races and backgrounds without the organizational framework.
“We have DEI offices telling students that the biggest evil in the world is ‘whiteness’ – whatever that is. What is that? It makes no sense at all. And we’re paying for it every single day. To me, it’s not just evil; it’s wasteful,” White said.
He didn’t stop there, either. White used his qualms with DEI to compare Hosemann to Democratic President Joe Biden while resurfacing Hosemann’s “Go jump in the Gulf of Mexico” statement to President Donald Trump’s administration over a request for detailed voter information in 2017.
“We have Republican politicians who need to start acting a little bit more like conservatives and a little less like Joe Biden,” White said. “I know that now that I’ve said all this stuff, somebody will probably tell me to go jump in the Gulf of Mexico and that’s fine. This is not personal. This is about policy.”
Hosemann, who took the stump right after White, opened by taking a shot at the auditor’s stature. As the lieutenant governor raised the microphone by a few inches, he referred to White as “the short guy” before embarking on his 10-minute speech.
Hosemann then remained positive and commended the legislature on its work this past session while outlining a plan to reduce the state’s 7% grocery tax – the highest in the nation. Hosemann did not further address any more of White’s comments until meeting with reporters afterward.
Off stage, Hosemann claimed he did not hear White’s speech in its entirety and would not comment on the DEI accusations. He did seize the opportunity, though, to say he was surprised White even showed up for the Neshoba County Fair.
“I’m glad he’s here. He’s usually on a book tour. I haven’t read it yet. I’ll see if (Attorney General) Lynn Fitch will read it first. Then, we will get her comments,” Hosemann said, referring to White’s book on the public welfare scandal and the auditor’s continual spat with Fitch on the matter.
Both White and Hosemann have had their names floated out as gubernatorial candidates come 2027. While SuperTalk Mississippi News has previously reported on Hosemann’s aspirations for higher office, White was more straightforward when asked by reporters on Wednesday: “I’ll be honest with you. I am seriously considering a run for governor in the next election.”
