California Rep. Barbara Lee said "systemic racism" was in the DNA of America.
Lee made her remark during a Thursday night appearance on CNN with host Kaitlan Collins in reference to GOP presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's recent remarks on racism in America at a town hall hosted by the network.
"Institutional racism is in the DNA of our country," Lee told Collins. "Look at our Native Americans, the genocide of Native Americans. When you look at what is taking place as it relates to African Americans, 250 years plus of enslaving African Americans and then look at the disparities now in terms of healthcare, unemployment, the wealth gap, housing. You can't tell me that systemic racism does not exist."
Lee said systemic racism was "not just a little kink" and provided a personal story in which she claimed she was turned away from entering an elevator in the Capitol.
"I was walking from the House building on Capitol Hill to the Capitol ... and a white guy stopped me and told me I could not get into the Member's elevator," she said.
"We have pins, and I was going to vote," she said, pointing at her coat. "He blocked me from getting into the elevator."
Lee said the man insisted she wasn't a congresswoman.
"I said, 'Sir, I'm a member of Congress,'" she continued. "I showed him my pin, and he said, 'Whose pin did you steal?'"
The California representative said her story was an example of "personal racism" and how "people of color constantly have to deal with [it] each and every day."
"Systemic racism is in the policies of this country," Lee said. "Just look at what they're trying to do in terms of eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion. They're trying to not allow for an equal and level playing field."
Lee said Haley's stance on racism in America was "dangerous" and said the GOP hopeful was "clueless."
During Thursday's town hall, fellow CNN host Jake Tapper asked Haley about her previous suggestion that America has "never been a racist country."
Tapper asked if Haley stood by her comment given the country's history with slavery. "I understand you don't think America is a racist country now," Tapper said, noting her home state seceded from the Union during the Civil War. "Do you really think, as a historical matter, America has never been a racist country?"
"I was a brown girl that grew up in a small rural town," she said. "We had plenty of racism that we had to deal with."
"But my parents never said we lived in a racist country, and I’m so thankful they didn’t,” Haley said. “Because for every brown and black child out there, if you tell them they live or were born in a racist country, you’re immediately telling them they don’t have a chance.”
Haley clarified, "We have too many people with this national self-loathing."
"It is killing our country," she continued. "We have got to go back to loving America."
