Pelosi asks Pence to reconsider Steve Bannon as top White House strategist
During a meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asked Vice President-elect Mike Pence to urge President-elect Donald Trump to reconsider his appointment of Steve Bannon as his chief strategist.
A Pelosi spokesperson said the top Democrat expressed her fellow Democratic lawmakers’ “deep concerns” with Bannon, who critics have called a racist, an anti-Semite and a white nationalist.
The topic didn’t come up in the brief statement Pelosi and Pence made to the press afterward, in which they both expressed their desire to find “common ground” going forward. Both of them made mention of the fact that Pence, who served in Congress for 10 years, is familiar with Capitol Hill.
“You know the territory -- no disrespect for the sensitivity and knowledge of the President-elect, you know the territory,” Pelosi said. “So in that territory we will find common ground when we can, and of course stand our ground when we can’t.”
Pence, too, mentioned his tenure on the Hill, calling Pelosi a “worthy opponent” and saying he is “grateful for the time you and I served together when I served in this building.”
He added that he is meeting with congressional leaders from both parties to find issues on which the Trump administration and Congress can “move forward on together.”
“We’re beginning to discuss areas that we might move forward on together,” he said. “And that’s what the American people want us to do is find ways to revive our economy, improve American lives, enhance the security of this nation. And I’m grateful to begin those discussions on behalf of the President-elect here today.”
