Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), a long-shot Democratic presidential candidate, recently scrapped a reference to “diversity, equity and inclusion” from his campaign website while strengthening ties with billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who opposes DEI. 

The Minnesota Democrat removed “DEI” from his campaign site’s platform section earlier this week, replacing the term with an “Equity and Restorative Justice” tab. As of Wednesday, the description under the header remains unchanged, in which Phillips is described as an “ally” who “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.”