Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a scathing statement Wednesday condemning President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Breitbart News executive Stephen Bannon to a senior White House position.
“The appointment by President-elect Trump of a racist individual like Mr. Bannon to a position of authority is totally unacceptable,” said Sanders, I-Vt. “In a democratic society we can disagree all we want over issues, but racism and bigotry cannot be part of any public policy. The appointment of Mr. Bannon by Mr. Trump must be rescinded.”
Senate Democrats on Wednesday elected Sanders, who challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, to a leadership position. Sanders will serve on the Democrats’ steering and outreach committee.
“This country, since its inception, has struggled to overcome discrimination of all forms: racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia,” Sander said. “Over the years we have made progress in becoming a less discriminatory and more tolerant society — and we are not going backward.”
