Dean Phillips replaces DEI with 'Equity & Restorative Justice' but description remains the same

Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips' campaign website no longer features "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" as a section of his platform, but the section title was replaced with a new heading of "Equity & Restorative Justice" – and the description remains the exact same.

Phillips removed the DEI section after one of his largest donors, Bill Ackman, publicly prodded the Minnesota congressman several times about it on X, formerly Twitter, over the past week. 

Even though the campaign website no longer contains DEI as a part of Phillips' platform, the title is the only thing that changed in that section. While the title is now "Equity & Restorative Justice," the description is the exact same as it was under the previous heading. Even after the change, the section still contains the same five paragraphs, which describe Phillips as an ally who is committed to "confronting" complicated history and reforming policies that have led to disparity. 

"Dean understands that in a country where all are created equal, disparities can only exist because our policies, systems, or structures have—intentionally or otherwise—propagated them," the campaign website currently states.

The change comes after Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager, donated $1 million to Phillips' presidential campaign.

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