Groups and other lawmakers slammed Donald Trump regarding his choice for chief strategist.
Several groups and some members of the Republican party criticized Donald Trump for choosing Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist in the White House.
Bannon is from the conservative Breitbart News Network. He was appointed by Trump together with Washington insider Reince Priebus as his chief of staff.
According to Trump, the two would share the task of steering his administration as “equal partners.”
Following the announcement for his key aides, Democrats, civil rights groups and even some Republicans slammed Trump for choosing Bannon.
Critics slammed the selection of Bannon, who spearheaded a shift of the Breitbart News website into a forum for the “alt-right,” a loose online group of neo-Nazis, white supremacists and anti-Semites.
Some lawmakers called on Trump to rescind his choice for Bannon.
“There should be no sugarcoating the truth here: Donald Trump just invited a white nationalist into the highest reaches of the government,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said.
According to Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, the appointment of Bannon sent an alarming signal that President-elect Trump remains committed to the hateful and divisive vision that defined his campaign.
Some conservatives and even party-mates of Trump, the Republicans, was dismayed on the president-elect’s decision for Bannon.
On Twitter, Evan McMullin, who ran as a conservative independent presidential candidate, expressed his feeling wondering if any national Republican leaders would condemn the pick of “anti-Semite” Bannon.
John Weaver, a top strategist for Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich, also took on Twitter to show his analysis of the selection. He tweeted that the “racist, fascist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office. Be very vigilant America.”
Meanwhile, Priebus defended Bannon on the criticisms. The future chief of staff called Bannon as a wise and well-educated former naval officer. Priebus also said he had not encountered the sort of extremist or racist views that critics are assailing.
“He was a force for good on the campaign,” Priebus said on Fox News.