How to respond: His appointments have thus far largely proved otherwise, as he has stacked his cabinet with some folks who have a history of racism and xenophobia. No matter your party lines, it's clear that many of Trump's choices hold disturbing beliefs. Here are a few of the individuals he has nominated:
- Stephen Bannon is Trump's right-hand man, his pick for chief strategist, and was the CEO of Trump's presidential campaign. He is a leader of the white supremacist "alt-right" movement, and used to run the far-right "news" website (air quotes encouraged) Breitbart, known to perpetuate anti-minority and antiwomen sentiments. Bannon has consistently made troubling comments against women and minorities, among other marginalized groups.
- Jeff Sessions has been appointed by Trump as attorney general. Sessions is a Republican Alabama senator whose federal judgeship nomination in 1986 was denied due to troubling racist comments; he is also a climate change skeptic and opponent of both legal and illegal immigration programs.
- Betsy DeVos has been picked by Trump to be secretary of education. She is an ardent opponent of the American public school system, and supports school vouchers (a means of putting public funding toward private schools), charter schools, and homeschooling while opposing Common Core.
