Actor Kal Penn and other members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities have resigned after Trump elevated racists and white supremacists.
Here is the stinging letter of resignation from 14 members of the Committee:
According to the Committee’s website, “Created in 1982 under President Reagan, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues. PCAH works directly with the three primary cultural agencies—National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services—as well as other federal partners and the private sector, to address policy questions in the arts and humanities, to initiate and support key programs in those disciplines, and to recognize excellence in the field. Its core areas of focus are arts and humanities education and cultural exchange.”
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Trump’s comments supporting and elevating racists were important than politics and policy. Donald Trump crossed a moral line that should cut through partisanship and cut to the consciences on individual Americans. CEOs dumped Trump after his remarks because they realized that going anywhere near racism can kill their businesses. The public backlash that comes with being viewed as supporting a racist will hurt the bottom line and a brand’s reputation.
For others who are walking away from this president, they are doing so as a matter of basic human decency. Donald Trump has revealed himself to be lacking in the bare minimum that society deems necessary for a functioning participant in the community. Forget the standards of conduct expected of a president; Trump isn’t meeting the standards of conduct of a decent human being.
The reason why the fallout from his Charlottesville comments is sticking to Trump is that it reflects upon him as a human being. There are lines that people should never cross, and by elevating racists, Trump not only defined himself as a failed president but also as a terrible person.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
