Congressman-Elect Gottheimer Speaks Out Against Trump's Appointment Of Bannon

WYCKOFF, N.J. — President-elect Donald Trump's choice of Steve Bannon to be his chief strategist has many people worried, including Congressman-elect Josh Gottheimer.

Gottheimer, a Jewish democrat, is a resident of Wyckoff. He defeated seven-term incumbent Rep. Scott Garrett earlier this month to represent New Jersey's 5th Congressional District.

Bannon is the former head of Breitbart News and a supporter of the alt-right. The news outlet has run stories with inflammatory headlines, including: "The solution to online 'harassment' is simple: Women should log off" and "Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage."

RELATED: Josh Gottheimer Defeats Scott Garrett

In a statement he made on social media Wednesday night, Gottheimer said he was "deeply concerned" about the move.

"As someone who was once privileged to serve in the White House, I believe the men and women who work there must represent our country's highest ideals, not its basest prejudices.

"In his previous job, as leader of Brietbart News, Mr. Bannon frequently used his perch to attack women and people of virtually every race and religion, including conservative columnist Bill Kristol, whom Bannon's site called a "Renegade Jew" for not supporting Donald Trump. Bigotry, misogyny, and anti-Semitism have no place in the West Wing."

Bannon was a controversial figure well before he began working for Trump. In a 2015 article about him, Bloomberg News called Bannon "the most dangerous political operative in America."

Send local news tips, photos, and press releases to daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Image via Michael Vadon, Flickr, used with permission via Creative Commons license