MAGA World Under Fire for Racism Against Indian American CISA Chief
Criticism against top officials of the Trump administration often veers wildly from incompetence to personal attacks, but when it comes to individuals with a perceived "otherness," the defense mechanism kicks in. Take the recent case of Madhu Gottumukkala, the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Contrast this with how other Trump officials like JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, and Mike Waltz - who inadvertently disclosed classified information on a chat platform - received treatment when accused of putting American lives at risk. It is clear that these individuals were not held accountable for security breaches due to their racial backgrounds.
Now, Gottumukkala's name has sparked outrage among pro-Trump social media circles after it was reported that he uploaded sensitive files to ChatGPT last year. The Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation into CISA employees who had given the unsanctioned polygraph test to Madhu Gottumukkala - a test which he reportedly failed.
Protesters' online attacks against Gottumukkala were marked by overt racism, questioning his ability to hold a high-ranking government position simply because of his Indian heritage.
This trend of pro-Trump influencers targeting prominent Indian Americans with racist undertones has been observed before in the case of former FBI Director Kash Patel and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
The backlash against Gottumukkala brings us one step closer to acknowledging this disturbing pattern, where the perceived threat lies not in their competence but in their "otherness."
Criticism against top officials of the Trump administration often veers wildly from incompetence to personal attacks, but when it comes to individuals with a perceived "otherness," the defense mechanism kicks in. Take the recent case of Madhu Gottumukkala, the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Contrast this with how other Trump officials like JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, and Mike Waltz - who inadvertently disclosed classified information on a chat platform - received treatment when accused of putting American lives at risk. It is clear that these individuals were not held accountable for security breaches due to their racial backgrounds.
Now, Gottumukkala's name has sparked outrage among pro-Trump social media circles after it was reported that he uploaded sensitive files to ChatGPT last year. The Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation into CISA employees who had given the unsanctioned polygraph test to Madhu Gottumukkala - a test which he reportedly failed.
Protesters' online attacks against Gottumukkala were marked by overt racism, questioning his ability to hold a high-ranking government position simply because of his Indian heritage.
This trend of pro-Trump influencers targeting prominent Indian Americans with racist undertones has been observed before in the case of former FBI Director Kash Patel and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
The backlash against Gottumukkala brings us one step closer to acknowledging this disturbing pattern, where the perceived threat lies not in their competence but in their "otherness."
... I mean, who wouldn't want to take a polygraph test and risk failing it? 
... But seriously though, the fact that he was targeted by racist attacks online is super concerning 
. It's not right to question someone's qualifications just because of their background. I've seen some of these pro-Trump influencers go off on people like JD Vance and Mike Waltz when they messed up with classified info, but this is different... Gottumukkala's actions were reckless, but so was the way he got torn apart online 
.
. I mean, think about it - the guy's a highly qualified expert in cybersecurity and he's being targeted for his ethnicity? It's just not right. 
? It's like they're trying to gaslight us into thinking that people of color aren't competent enough for high-ranking government positions.
.
. And what's even more disturbing is how some of these pro-Trump influencers have been accused of similar behavior in the past, but nobody bats an eye 
. We need to start calling out this kind of behavior and holding people accountable for it, regardless of their background or party affiliation 
.
... it's like every time someone with an "other" background does something, suddenly they're the problem. newsflash: just because u don't agree with someone's politics doesn't mean u gotta drag 'em through the mud and question their integrity cuz of their ethnicity or nationality 
. that's not right. we need to call out racism when we see it, even if it's coming from ppl we might otherwise agree with 
.
We need to start holding our leaders accountable for more than just their competence, but also for the kind of toxic culture they're perpetuating 
.
dat's some serious xenophobia right der.