US congresswoman with Jamaican ties joins House members petitioning Trump

American congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, who is of Jamaican parentage, has joined 168 members of the US House of Representatives in urging President-elect Donald Trump to remove white nationalist sympathiser Steve Bannon from his White House team.

Clarke told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that she is deeply concerned about the appointment of Bannon as Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the president-elect.

She argues that Bannon’s longtime association with white nationalist, xenophobic, and anti-women politics has raised serious concerns that he will use his position in the federal government to undermine the best traditions of the United States.

In their letter to Trump, the congressional representatives say that immediately following his victory, many Americans were optimistic that he would take the steps necessary to unify the country following the divisive and contentious election.

However, they say Trump’s appointment of Bannon undermines his ability to unite the country.

The congress members say millions of Americans have expressed fear and concern about how they will be treated by the Trump Administration, adding that Trump’s appointment of Bannon only exacerbates and validates their concerns.

Clarke is the representative for the ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn.