Gary Cohn urges Trump team to do more to condemn neo-Nazis
Top economic official ‘reluctant to leave my post’ despite pressure to resign
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“I have come under enormous pressure both to resign and to remain in my current position,” the former banker said during an interview about economic policy.
“As a patriotic American, I am reluctant to leave my post . . . because I feel a duty to fulfil my commitment to work on behalf of the American people. But I also feel compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks,” he said.
“Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK,” Mr Cohn added.
“As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting ‘Jews will not replace us’ to cause this Jew to leave his job. I feel deep empathy for all who have been targeted by these hate groups. We must all unite together against them.”
While Mr Cohn urged the administration to confront racism more aggressively, almost all the criticism since Charlottesville has focused on Mr Trump, as many Republicans distanced themselves from the president’s response. During the past week, Mr Trump has alternated between trying to backtrack on his comments and accusing the media of having misrepresented his words.
Mr Cohn, a major supporter of Jewish causes, faced strong criticism from some Wall Street colleagues and friends over his decision to stay. But several chief executives, including some who resigned from the White House advisory council in protest over Charlottesville, urged him to remain in order to help promote a pro-business agenda in an administration in which he is seen as a mainstream official. “I really hoped he would stay and I told him that,” one chief executive said this week.
more & complete article:
http://www.ft.com/content/b85beea2-8924-11e7-bf50-e1c239b45787
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