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Pingree and colleagues send letter asking President-elect Trump to rescind appointment of Stephen Bannon

Breitbart News Executive Chairman has given voice to white nationalism, misogyny, anti-LGBT views and more

Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree continued her strong opposition to President-elect Trump’s appointment of Stephen Bannon as Chief Strategist by joining 169 of her colleagues in asking the President-elect to rescind the appointment. 

“In the last few days, hundreds of constituents have contacted my office to say how horrified they are that this man will work just a few steps from the Oval Office—and I feel exactly the same way,” Pingree said.  “This is someone who has offended and disrespected wide swaths of the American people.  I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to tell the President-elect that he should rescind Bannon’s appointment immediately if he wants to unify the country like he says he does.”

In both his own words and through his time at Breitbart News, Bannon has slandered Jews, Muslims, immigrants, women, LGBT Americans and others while promoting white nationalism.  His appointment has been celebrated by the KKK, neo-Nazis and other hate groups, while being condemned by the Anti Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the NAACP.

Full text of the letter below: 

Dear President-elect Trump:

Immediately following your victory, many Americans were optimistic and hopeful that you would take the steps necessary to unify our country following the divisive and contentious election.  In your election night speech you said, “Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division.  It is time for us to come together as one united people.”  Unfortunately, your appointment of Stephen Bannon, whose ties to the White Nationalist movement have been well-documented, directly undermines your ability to unite the country.  As elected representatives of millions of Americans from diverse backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities, we strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to appoint Mr. Bannon to White House Chief Strategist. 

Since the election there have been a number of incidents across the country in which minorities, including Muslim Americans, African Americans, and Jewish Americans, have been the targets of violence, harassment and intimidation. Mr. Bannon’s appointment sends the wrong message to people who have engaged in those types of activities, indicating that they will not only be tolerated, but endorsed by your Administration.  Millions of Americans have expressed fear and concern about how they will be treated by the Trump Administration and your appointment of Mr. Bannon only exacerbates and validates their concerns.

As the Executive Chairman of Breitbart News, Mr. Bannon repeatedly and aggressively pushed stories that promote anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and racism. During an interview last summer, Mr. Bannon bragged that Breitbart was “the platform for the alt-right,” a movement that upholds White Nationalism while strongly rejecting diversity in any form. Under Mr. Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart has referred to a leading Republican who opposed your election as a “Renegade Jew,” suggested “Young Muslims in the West are a ticking time bomb,” declared that the “Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage,” and praised the alt-right as a “smarter” version of “old-school racist skinheads.”

Disturbingly, leading white nationalists like former KKK Grand Dragon David Duke, American Nazi Party Chairman Rocky J. Suhadya, Richard Spencer, Peter Brimelow, and Brad Griffin have praised the news of Mr. Bannon’s appointment.  We believe it should concern you that civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, are widely opposed to Mr. Bannon’s appointment.

As Members of Congress we are committed to working with your administration in good faith, but we strongly believe that Mr. Bannon’s appointment will not allow the country to heal and come together as one. As one of your top advisors, the White House chief strategist will help set the tone for your administration. The person in this role must be prepared to serve the interests of all Americans, not those of a select few. 

Once again, we strongly urge you to rescind this appointment immediately and build a diverse White House staff who are committed to the core American values of inclusiveness, diversity and tolerance.

Sincerely,

Members of Congress

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