A member of President Trump’s diversity council called on White House chief strategist Steve Bannon to resign Tuesday following the president’s belated denunciation of white nationalist groups for violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Javier Palomarez, president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, called Mr. Trump’s response to Charlottesville “shallow, belated and feckless.” He said Mr. Bannon, former CEO of Breitbart News and a hero of the “alt-right” movement, should be ousted.
“Denouncing white supremacy without equivocation and without reservation should have been a no-brainer for President Trump,” Mr. Palomarez said. “The blame here ultimately resides with President Trump, but so too should the president’s chief strategist take responsibility for offering an attentive ear to racism and bigotry and his history of proudly cultivating the so-called ’alt right.’”
He said if the president “wishes to maintain any credibility with the Hispanic community and other minority communities, he needs to purge his administration of all those who disparage diversity and inclusivity.”
“Firing Steve Bannon is the first step — and a needed step to begin the process of healing the bad feelings this administration has engendered,” Mr. Palomarez said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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