| | | |  | | By Brakkton Booker and Jesse Naranjo | What up, Recast fam. A programming note for next week: Due to the President’s Day federal holiday, we’ll be hitting your inboxes on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Now, on to today’s agenda.
- Baltimore’s mayor discusses DEI and the city’s lawsuit against the Trump administration
- Michigan’s gubernatorial contest heats up even more
- Eric Adams is one step closer to having the federal charges against him dropped
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Mayor Brandon Scott speaks Oct. 29, 2024, at the Dundalk Marine Terminal in Baltimore. | POLITICO illustration/Photo by AP | Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott takes attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts personally. Following the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last March, conservatives on social media derided him as the city’s “DEI mayor,” seemingly blaming him for the massive container ship crashing into the structure. Scott later looked to flip the derogatory moniker on its head, rocking paraphernalia that read “Duly Elected Incumbent” — but that moment has stuck with him. When President Donald Trump ordered the end of DEI-related government programs, federal contracting and spending, Scott, the Baltimore City Council and a coalition of other groups quickly sued. The lawsuit argues that the president does not have legal standing to enforce his executive orders and alleges that if they’re allowed to stand, the city would lose millions of dollars in federal grants that it relies on to carry out critical functions.
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We sat down with Scott to discuss the lawsuit and whether the Democratic Party at large is doing enough to fight Trump’s unprecedented attempts to reshape the federal government.
◆◆◆ This interview has been edited for length and clarity. THE RECAST: Why did you, as mayor, feel compelled to sue the Trump administration over its executive order to eradicate DEI policies from the federal government? SCOTT: The executive order threatens to cut off all federal funding for any entity that has diversity or equity programs, which are vaguely defined in the order. We as a city got involved because here in Baltimore, equity is the law of the land based on a piece of legislation that I passed as a city council member years ago. Equity is based in every single operation of Baltimore city government. And when you think about the consequence of having that funding taken away from the city of Baltimore, it can be devastating. I think that it's so important for me as a mayor — as a young Black man who's the mayor of the city that birthed racial redlining — that we always be mindful of allowing those types of policies to creep back in. | 
| THE RECAST: You've also challenged how conservatives use "DEI" to describe what they see as an unqualified person of color in a position of power, and you've created a campaign saying the letters stand for "Duly Elected Incumbent" and "Definitely Earned It." SCOTT: Often, when a person looks like you and I, and we're in a position that folks don't believe we should be in, they're going to look to discredit us immediately. When we had a horrendous tragedy here in Baltimore, when the Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship hit it, immediately you had all the racists running online to say: “It's because of the DEI mayor and the DEI governor.” The bridge was built before I was born. I am the “Duly Elected Incumbent.” And that's why I said at the time that I earned every single bit of it and made sure that they knew that I was elected by the voters of Baltimore. We know the word they want to say [when talking about DEI] — they just don't have the courage to say that out loud. | 
Scott (left) stands alongside local and federal officials at a Small Business Administration center in Baltimore. | Julia Nikhinson/AP | THE RECAST: What word is it you think they want to say, but don't? SCOTT: We all know when they're talking about Black people, they want to say ‘n---a,’ but they won’t say it. When they're talking about women, it's the B-word, but they won't say it. When they're talking about LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters, they have a [plethora] of words that they want to say, but they won't say it. Don't call me [a DEI hire], just have the courage to stand on your racism, to stand on your ignorance, so that we can help you unpack that. That’s why I wanted to dive deep into this issue for Black History Month, and create a campaign that rebrands DEI to “Definitely Earned It.” THE RECAST: There are serious questions about whether Democrats are moving quickly enough to respond to Trump’s unprecedented push to upend government norms. Congressional Democrats are staging walk-ups to try to get into the Department of Education or holding rallies outside the Treasury Department. Is that enough? How do you see it? SCOTT: We need leaders to lead. We need people to fight, and need everyone to be in the fight in every way that they can, period. When I think about Congress, I, of course, start with my wonderful Maryland delegation. We continue to see what Sen. Chris Van Hollen is doing with USAID. Everyone saw Sen. Angela Alsobrooks challenge Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation hearing on behalf of Black people. But we cannot simply wait and rely on Congress. ... And I know that my brother and sister mayors around the country are leading and fighting in every way.
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Scott, accompanied by Gov. Wes Moore, speaks during a news conference near the scene of the Key Bridge collapse, March 26, 2024, in Dundalk, Maryland. | Matt Rourke/AP | THE RECAST: You brought up the Maryland delegation. Let’s talk about Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, the leader of your state, who has said repeatedly, “I’m not the leader of the resistance.” Is this at odds with your own stance, since you’re very much positioning yourself as part of the resistance? SCOTT: My governor and I aren't — and will never be — at odds. I want to make that very clear. This is about fighting in the appropriate way, that your appropriate position allows you to do. I know the governor and his team are going to continue to push and make sure that Marylanders are protected. This is also why it's important for it to not just be on Gov. Moore. This is why it's important for ... all of us to be carrying our weight. This is not the time to be having petty side fights. This is not the time for folks to be looking for a political come-up — this is the time for us to hunker down and focus on preserving democracy.
| | | | We’ve re-imagined and expanded our Inside Congress newsletter to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy -- and we'll get it to your inbox even earlier. Subscribe today. | | | | | JOHN JAMES FOR MICHIGAN GOVERNOR?
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Rep. John James (R-Mich.) speaks with reporters as he departs a vote Sept. 20, 2024, at the Capitol. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | As we’ve noted, Michigan’s gubernatorial race could be a marquee contest in 2026 — and it looks like Rep. John James (R-Mich.) might throw his own hat into the ring. With Michigan’s Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist also weighing a bid, the Great Lakes State could see two Black candidates for governor. Like Gilchrist, James has not officially announced. But Semafor’s Kadia Goba recently overheard James — who represents a key swing district just outside of Detroit — telling his Hill colleagues that he’ll enter the gubernatorial race. James’ office did not return The Recast’s request for comment. James would be a formidable contender among the GOP field. One late January poll of 1,000 likely Republican primary voters shows him holding a commanding 40-point lead over state Sen. Aric Nesbitt, who officially launched his candidacy for governor late last month.
| | | WHAT ELSE WE’RE WATCHING
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall, Feb. 5, 2025, in New York. | Yuki Iwamura/AP | Here are a few storylines The Recast is tracking for the rest of this week.
- Over in the Big Apple: The Justice Department has directed prosecutors in the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams to dismiss the charges. It argues that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York “improperly interfered” with Adams’ reelection campaign, our Jeff Coltin, Joe Anuta and Josh Gerstein report.
- Will Tulsi make it through? Despite being considered a controversial pick, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, cleared a procedural hurdle on Monday evening to end debate on her nomination. It sets the stage for her final confirmation vote, which will likely take place this week, our Amy Mackinnon reports.
- White House x Black History Month: The White House is planning to host a Black History Month event this week — even as the Trump administration has moved to nix all diversity, equity and inclusion-related policies from the federal government. (The Pentagon has also called for the end of “identity months” at DOD.) We’ll be on the lookout for this one, for sure.
| | | TODAY’S CULTURE RECS ZENDAYA RETURNS: There’s no official premiere date yet, but HBO just dropped a first look at Season 3 of “Euphoria.” SERENA WILLIAMS?!?! Tennis icon Serena Williams — who briefly dated rapper Drake — went viral for her crip walk during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, heartily approves. SPEAKING OF K.DOT ... Here are all the Easter eggs you might have missed in his very artistic halftime show, via Ebony. AND TO THE EAGLES FANS: Congratulations on your team winning the big game … Philly’s championship parade, will, fittingly, take place on Friday (aka Valentines Day). Edited by Rishika Dugyala and Teresa Wiltz
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