Colorado Politics

Colorado Democrats hail Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s exit from White House, but say it isn’t enough

Colorado Democrats on Friday celebrated news President Trump had fired chief strategist Steve Bannon but questioned whether the ouster resolves complaints the president sympathizes with white nationalists and other extremist groups.

“Removing Mr. Bannon’s divisive, nationalist influence from the White House was long overdue; he should never have worked there in the first place,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in a statement.

“Regardless, the tone for this administration ultimately lies with the President,” Bennet continued. “His comments in the aftermath of the tragedy in Charlottesville were disgraceful. They showed a disturbing sympathy for white nationalists and extremist bigotry while failing to unite the country in a moment of tragedy and distress. The American people deserve far better from our President.”

U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter sounded a similar note, disparaging Bannon’s ties to the so-called alt-right, a movement Bannon embraced when he headed the conservative Breitbart News site before signing on as an advisor to Trump a year ago.

“The departure of Steve Bannon from the White House is good news for Americans,” Perlmutter said in a statement. “Since President Trump was first elected, I urged him to take the steps necessary to unify our country which included rescinding his appointment of Steve Bannon as White House chief strategist. Bannon’s ties to the White nationalist movement and his beliefs in anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racism have no place in the White House or in our country.”

Perlmutter continued: “Following the events in Charlottesville and President Trump’s disgraceful rhetoric this week, it is more important than ever that we have people in the White House who are committed to serving all Americans and who will uphold the core American values of inclusiveness, diversity and tolerance.”

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis charged that Bannon’s departure doesn’t undo Trump’s statements over the past week, since a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, left one woman dead and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemning the president’s evolving reactions.

“#Bannon firing does not expunge the hurtful rhetoric coming from the White House. #BannonOut does not erase the President’s failure to denounce “white nationalists” and neo-Nazis. Nevertheless, I welcome the removal of a white-nationalist, and propagandist from the White House,” Polis said in a series of tweets.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, who co-sponsored a House resolution to censure Trump and urged the president to fire Bannon and other advisors tied to extremist groups, took a glass-half-empty view of the news.

“#BannonOut, but #MuslimBan, #transgender military ban, other discriminatory policies and like-minded top White House staff remain, @POTUS,” she tweeted.


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