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A growing number of Senate Democrats are demanding that President-Elect Donald Trump fire Stephen Bannon, arguing he should not be given a White House position.
"We call on President-Elect Trump to exclude the proponents of discrimination and hatred from the ranks of his administration and that includes immediately firing Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). "It is time for Donald Trump to act boldly... to put the nation on a path of healing."
Merkley, as well as Democrat Sens. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Senator-elect Chris Van Hollen (Md.), spoke to reporters during a press conference next to a sign that read "fire Bannon."
Stabenow added picking Bannon as a chief strategist and senior counselor is the "wrong message" after a contentious presidential election.
"This is a someone who has expressed racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBT sentiments," Stabenow, a member of Senate Democrat leadership, added to reporters. "This is someone whose views do not belong in the White House."
Democrats have widely panned Trump for giving Bannon a White House job. Tuesday's press conference comes after Dem Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Al Franken (Minn.) separately said on Tuesday that Trump must take back his job offer to Bannon.
Merkley also launched a MoveOn.org petition urging supporters to "tell Trump: Fire Steve Bannon."
Democrats argue Bannon's appointment goes against Trump's pledge during his victory speech that he would work with Democrats and reach out to voters who did not support him.
Markey said Tuesday that appointments like Bannon "will forever poison the well with Congress and the American people" after Democrats offered a tentative olive branch to Trump.
Republicans in Congress have generally avoided discussing Bannon, while other Trump advisers have defended him. Bannon served as the campaign chairman for Trump.
Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said people should look at Bannon's entire career, which besides his work at Breitbart includes stints on Wall Street, in the Navy and in Hollywood.
"He has got a Harvard business degree. He's a naval officer. He has success in entertainment," Ms. Conway told reporters Monday in Trump Tower, according to The New York Times. She also called him a "brilliant tactician."
Bannon has repeatedly attacked House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). But Ryan shrugged off questions about Bannon at a press conference earlier on Tuesday, saying it was time to "look forward."
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