Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Quad Caucus Demand Immediate Removal of Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller from White House
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and leadership of the Congressional Quad-Caucus – which is composed of chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) – sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling for the immediate removal of Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller from the White House. Bannon, Gorka and Miller serve as senior advisors to the President.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressional Quad-Caucus leadership released the following statements upon release of the letter. Full text of the letter can be found here.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13):
“The white supremacists who descended upon Charlottesville have brought vile racism, hatred and bigotry to the forefront of our political discourse once again. We cannot address the dangerous spread of white supremacy in America without honestly examining its influence on the Oval Office. President Trump has elevated hate and discrimination to the highest levels of our government. From the Muslim Ban, to raids on immigrant communities, a ban on transgender Americans serving in our military, attempts to revive the failed war on drugs and an all-out assault on civil and human rights, the influence of the alt-right is clear in the Trump Administration’s policy agenda.
“Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and Stephen Miller have long embraced the views of white supremacists, white nationalists and Neo-Nazis. These prejudiced ideologies have no place in the highest office in our land. I urge President Trump to remove Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka from the White House without delay.”
CAPAC Chairwoman Judy Chu (CA-27):
“President Trump's delayed denunciation of white supremacists and their violent actions in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend cannot be separated from this Administration's ongoing assault on racial and religious minorities. This is not surprising, as the President has filled his inner circle with known supporters of white supremacists, including Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Sebastian Gorka. Their continued presence in the White House is not only an affront to communities across this nation that were threatened and attacked by the violent protests over the weekend, but is a direct contradiction to President Trump's own delayed condemnation of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK. Actions speak louder than words. I join my colleagues and call upon President Trump to remove these white supremacists from office, and take action to defeat hate.”
CHC Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01):
“The extremist, racist, and white supremacist ideology that led to violence and terror in Charlottesville does not belong in our communities and has absolutely no place in the White House. It is shameful that Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Sebastian Gorka, who each have ties to extremist and white nationalist ideological groups and leaders, are serving as President Trump’s top advisors. Extremists groups have used their presence in the White House to legitimize their divisive and violent rhetoric, ideology, and actions. They should have no role in creating national policy or pushing their twisted political agenda. The President should send a strong message to those who wish to divide our country by removing and replacing them immediately.”
CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (LA-02):
“If President Trump truly wants to start healing the country post-Charlottesville, he should fire the white supremacists working for him in the White House. Bannon, Miller, and Gorka shouldn’t be advising any president of the United States, especially on issues that affect African Americans and other marginalized groups.”
CPC Co-Chair Raul Grijalva (AZ-03):
“Trump continues to showcase his hypocrisy and overall ineptitude in the handling of the violent terrorist attack in Charlottesville. To pretend to denounce racist rhetoric and dispel actions by white supremacists as ‘repugnant’ while also entrusting in and employing individuals like Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka, who espouse these extreme views, boggles the mind. Their open intolerance is a threat to the values we seek to promote and protect – they must go.”
CPC Co-Chair Mark Pocan (WI-02):
“President Trump’s comments and actions so far have allowed people who used to wear sheets over their heads to take them off and go into the streets to start riots and problems. While President Trump finally denounced white supremacists, the KKK, and neo-Nazis, he did so two days late and with carefully scripted remarks. Now that President Trump called out these groups as ‘criminals and thugs,’ he needs to take the next step and remove Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Sebastian Gorka from the White House. President Trump must stop giving them a platform to advance their dangerous and hateful world view and political agenda.”
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