Republican candidate for Governor blames staff for tweeting pic of Black woman after bridge collapse

“This is what happens when you have governors who prioritize diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens,” said Lyman, a Republican running for governor, said in a post on X.

Lyman’s post included a retweet of the Young Conservative Federation, which wrote: “Let’s meet the Commissioners for the Port of Baltimore, starting with Karenthia A. Barber. She knows nothing about Ports, but she is a ‘diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) auditor and consultant.’”


A photo and bio of Barber, a Black woman, was included in the post.

Later, Lyman posted: “DEI=DIE.”

Barber is one of six commissioners serving at least three-year terms overseeing the Port of Baltimore. In addition to work on DEIB training, coaching and consulting, Barber’s bio includes experience teaching on the university level and being the first female chair of the board of Maryland Automobile Insurance. The other five commissioners’ bios say they also have a range of career experience, including in maritime science, shipping, the airline industry, corporate law and Maryland’s department of transportation.

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But Lyman, in talking to The Salt Lake City Tribune, blamed the posts on his social media staff, saying he did not approve the post before it went live.

“It was not our best moment,” he told the newspaper. “The post was a knee-jerk reaction to some of the things others were putting out there.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-lawmaker-blames-diversity-for-baltimore-bridge-collapse/ar-BB1kEnhp