Is DEI Dead? Jasmine Crockett's Texas Senate Run Seems Like an Afterthought Following Colbert's James Talarico Stunt

As the cultural and political landscape shifts under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump’s second administration, one progressive cornerstone appears increasingly unstable: diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For years, DEI initiatives were championed by left-wing activists as moral imperatives. Critics, however, have long argued that the framework merely replaces one form of discrimination with another — privileging identity politics over merit, character, and constitutional equality under the law.

Now, even Democrats seem to be quietly reassessing.

Few figures embody that shift more clearly than Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett, who once appeared poised to become her party’s leading Senate contender in the Lone Star State.

Crockett, a vocal Trump critic representing a reliably blue district, announced her Senate ambitions late last year. Yet party insiders reportedly greeted her campaign with skepticism. Success in a safely Democratic House district, they noted, does not automatically translate into statewide electability in Texas — a state that has consistently resisted Democratic takeover efforts.

Still, Crockett initially commanded attention. Her aggressive anti-Trump rhetoric and high-profile media appearances made her a recognizable figure. Within progressive circles, her candidacy also aligned neatly with the identity-focused priorities that have defined much of modern Democratic strategy.

But political winds shift quickly.

In recent weeks, another Texas Democrat has captured the spotlight: James Talarico, a white state lawmaker who unexpectedly found himself at the center of controversy involving CBS and late-night host Stephen Colbert. Colbert alleged that the Federal Communications Commission had pressured his show not to air an interview with Talarico — a claim CBS has since denied.

Regardless of the network’s rebuttal, the narrative took off among left-wing media figures, elevating Talarico as a supposed victim of federal overreach.

As noted by the X account Western Lensman:

“Talarico is now Leftwing Media’s Texas Democrat Darling,” the account posted. “A giddy Lawrence O’Donnell had him on in the wake of the Colbert stunt to talk about how he might the one to finally flip Texas blue. Sorry, Jasmine. You’re out.”

The speed of Talarico’s rise — and the apparent cooling of enthusiasm around Crockett — speaks volumes about Democratic priorities. When flipping Texas becomes the singular objective, ideological commitments to DEI rhetoric seem to fade in importance.

Indeed, in a surprising twist, Crockett even appeared to side with the president’s FCC regarding the Colbert controversy, as seen in another clip highlighted by Western Lensman:

Observers noted a markedly different tone from the usually combative congresswoman — less fiery, more restrained. It was a moment that underscored how political calculation often overrides ideological branding.

For Democrats desperate to make Texas competitive, pragmatism may now outweigh identity politics. Talarico’s perceived viability in a statewide contest appears to have vaulted him ahead, regardless of the party’s longstanding DEI emphasis.

Is DEI finished as a guiding political doctrine? Hardly. Progressive institutions remain deeply invested in it. But in this Texas Senate calculus, electability appears to be trumping identity symbolism.

When the stakes rise high enough, even the most loudly proclaimed principles can be quietly set aside.