The newly-appointed deputy is a former Google strategist.
QUICK FACTS:
- President Joe Biden has appointed former Google strategist Camille Stewart as his incoming cyber defense deputy.
- Stewart is reportedly in a position to be the national cyber director and claims that “systemic racism” is one of the nation’s biggest dangers in cybersecurity.
- Stewart has argued that “our #NatSec apparatus must be a part of dismantling systemic racism” and “pursuing anti-racist and anti-hate policy outcomes” should be a primary focus for the administration.
- The newly minted deputy has encouraged America’s foreign policy leaders to “talk about systemic racism in the U.S on a global stage” and acknowledge the “detrimental effects of racism at home and in U.S. foreign policy towards regions of the world.”
STEWART’S WOKE CLAIMS:
- Stewart recently claimed that the U.S. economy “lost $16 trillion b/c of Racism against Black Americans,” also warning in 2020 that “SYSTEMIC RACISM WILL RUIN THIS DEMOCRACY,” arguing that the problem of racism was a part of “every institution not just the criminal justice system.”
- Also in 2020, Stewart wrote a column for the Council on Foreign Relations titled “Systemic Racism Is a National Security Threat.” In the column, she asserted that “[Solutions] to cybersecurity challenges will never reach their full potential until systemic racism is addressed and diverse voices are reflected among our ranks at all levels.” She added that “communities of color are disproportionately affected by cyberattacks that target critical infrastructure.”
- In a 2020 column for the Hill, Stewart argued that the Biden administration’s initiatives to address racism “must be woven into leadership priorities, processes, structures, and domestic and international strategy.”
BACKGROUND:
- In her writing and on social media, Stewart, who worked as a policy adviser for the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration, has blasted America as having inherent racism.
- The White House did not respond to a request for comment but issued a press release on Monday saying Stewart was “regarded as not only an expert but also as an inspiration, especially to women and underrepresented minorities.”
- Biden’s appointees have been making Republican lawmakers particularly uncomfortable lately, with some GOP members objecting to other recent hires including U.S. special representative for racial equity and justice appointee Desirée Cormier Smith, who has claimed white diplomats lack empathy and humility.
