During Donald Trump’s transition to the presidency, he named Steve Bannon as chief strategist. This was unsettling news for anyone who’s aware of how Bannon turned Breitbart News into a haven for anti-Semitic readers. And on Saturday night, news dropped that Bannon had scored a top position on the National Security Council. Reactions to this news have spawned the #StopPresidentBannon hashtag for understandable reasons.
Trump reshuffled the council to elevate Bannon to a permanent position and to remove both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of intelligence from regular attendance of the principal’s committee. So, the leader of a far-right publication will enjoy great influence in Trump’s administration and will be engineering key national security decisions. This prompted a former national security adviser to call Trump’s move “stone cold crazy.”
Not only that, but Bannon was instrumental in carving out Trump’s ban (and he overruled Homeland Security by declaring that it applied to green card holders, which the administration later backtracked on) on refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. All of this is leading to one big question …. Who’s really running the show? Folks are wondering if Bannon’s in charge.
Feel bad for @RealDonaldTrump
Worked hard to become president and he's not really in charge. Not tremendous. Very sad #StopPresidentBannon— rob corddry (@robcorddry) January 29, 2017
Remember, this is the same guy who admitted to viewing Satan and Darth Vader as role models.
https://twitter.com/GhostPanther/status/825773036359946241
Bannon’s critics are not mincing words, and the neo-Nazi label has come out, along with a key reaction GIF.
https://twitter.com/Fitz8897/status/825751731581640706
https://twitter.com/LivingBlueinRed/status/825773225263128577
The #StopPresidentBannon hashtag now accompanies photos of protests (against Trump’s immigration ban) in New York City’s Battery Park, Copley Square in Boston, LAX airport, and on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C.
https://twitter.com/KSWenger/status/825874407964897281
The #MuslimBan protest at #BatteryPark ! Incredibly! #NoBanNoWall #LoveTrumpsHate #StopPresidentBannon pic.twitter.com/AhXWfz8TO0
— Maxim Dmitriev (@max_dmitriev07) January 29, 2017
We're only just getting started and the crowd is overflowing in front of the White House. No #MuslimBan #NoBanNoWall #StopPresidentBannon pic.twitter.com/4h9bIQFPIx
— Nicole Ghio (@nicoleghio) January 29, 2017
Copley Square Boston. RIGHT NOW!!#MuslimBan #StopPresidentBannon pic.twitter.com/sS5ZPbuhc4
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/mcspocky/status/825762379367591936
https://twitter.com/charluv2011/status/825823690495455233
Perhaps equally important as the protests themselves are the below phone numbers for the House and Senate. If folks are truly worried by Bannon’s rise, they can call in their concerns to Capitol Hill.
How secure do you feel w/ Steve Bannon in National Security Council?
CALL Senate 866-985-2543 House 866-948-8977
— Loony (@girl_in_Germany) January 29, 2017