One member of President Donald Trumpās National Diversity Council has a message for the president: Fire Steve Bannon.
Javier Palomarez, the president and CEO of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said in a press release that condemning white supremacy āshould have been a no-brainerā for Trump after a white nationalist rally turned violent in Charlottesville over the weekend. Instead, Palomarez said, Bannon, the White House’s chief strategist, and other members of the administration have used āwinks and nodsā to win votes from āthe most evil elements of our society.ā
On Monday, after widespread criticism from both parties, Trump finally issued what many saw as a reluctant condemnation of white supremacist violence. Palomarez did not say he would resign from the diversity council. On Tuesday, Scott Paul of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a nonprofit group, became the fourth business leader to resign from Trumpās American Manufacturing Council in the immediate aftermath of the president’s tepid Charlottesville response.
Palomarez made clear that he believes the blame āultimately residesā with the president. Firing Bannon, he said, is just the first step.