Anti-Defamation League and Council on American-Islamic Relations decry Bannon hire

It’s not every day when these two groups both criticize the appointment of a top official to the incoming White House. “[T]he ADL strongly opposes the appointment of Steve Bannon as senior adviser and chief strategist in the White House. It is a sad day when a man who presided over the premier website of the ‘alt right’ – a loose-knit group of white nationalists and unabashed anti-Semites and racists – is slated to be a senior staff member in the ‘people’s house,'” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. Added the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Nihad Awad: “We urge President-elect Trump to reconsider this ill-advised appointment if he truly seeks to unite Americans.”

On “Today” this morning, Priebus defended Bannon. “The guy I know is a guy that isn’t any of those [controversial] things,” he said. “Here’s a guy who’s Harvard Business School… He’s a guy who is very, very smart.” Priebus added of Trump, “He’s going to be a president for all Americans.” Per NBC’s Hallie Jackson, “A couple of Bannon’s friends and associates — who spoke with NBC by phone — vigorously defended his character, flatly denying charges of anti-Semitism against him, acknowledging that Breitbart is ‘provocative’ but calling Bannon a champion of diverse voices. They describe him as a focused and intense leader.”