Trump's choice for one of his top advisers has been met with a storm of criticism
Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP
President-elect Donald Trump set off a firestorm of criticism Sunday when he announced that Steve Bannon, his controversial campaign CEO, would play a major role in his administration.
In a statement, Trump named Bannon, the chairman of the alt-right news site Breitbart who joined Trump's campaign in August, as his chief strategist. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus was named Trump's chief of staff.
While the news didn't come as a surprise — Bannon was expected to have a role in Trump's staff — it triggered an outpouring of criticism from pundits on social media.
Many users pointed to what they considered racially charged, discriminatory rhetoric used on Breitbart under Bannon's leadership. John Weaver, an adviser to Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, said Bannon's appointment meant the "racist, fascist extreme right" was "footsteps from the Oval Office."
Here's a glimpse at the criticism:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/797915777231777792
The headline is Reince but the news is Bannon. A person accused of anti-Semitism and white nationalism THAT close to the POTUS
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/797918770136117248
The racist, fascist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office. Be very vigilant America.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/797911504318144515
Given circumstances, @Reince as COS is good news. The other choice was white supremacist, anti-gay, anti-Semite, vindictive, scary-ass dude.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/797911476585381889
So Priebus will deal with the actual hard parts of management and Bannon will still be in the West Wing advising Trump directly. Joy.
Some of the harshest words came from Adam Jentleson, the spokesman for outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. On Friday, Reid accused Trump of having "fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate," and he said Trump's election had "emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America."
Jentleson was equally critical of Bannon:
"President-elect Trump's choice of Steve Bannon as his top aide signals that white supremacists will be represented at the highest levels in Trump's White House," the spokesman said in a statement. "It is easy to see why the KKK views Trump as their champion when Trump appoints one of the foremost peddlers of white-supremacist themes and rhetoric as his top aide."
He also provided examples of contentious Breitbart headlines published during Bannon's tenure, including "Bill Kristol: Renegade Jew" and "Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy."
Trump's decision also drew strong condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League, a nongovernmental civil-rights organization that opposes anti-Semitism.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/797984801248673792
We at @ADL_National oppose the appt of Steve Bannon to sr role at @WhiteHouse bc he & his alt-right are so hostile to core American values pic.twitter.com/qCVEPKoa7q
The announcement comes after days of nationwide protests, during which thousands of people took issue with the tone of Trump's campaign.
Bannon's appointment stands in contrast to that of Priebus, a party insider considered a generally safe pick for Trump's administration.
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