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Donald Trump's appointment of Steve Bannon gives extremism a role in government

The antisemitism of Breitbart News makes Bannon an unsuitable choice

Trump's attempt to marginalize mainstream media puts the public's right to know at risk

The nascent Trump administration sent up a few glimmers of hope in an avalanche of horrors.

In backtracking on some of his most outrageous campaign pledges, Trump is suggesting he might exercise restraint on health-care reform, prosecuting Hillary Clinton, mass deportations and banning Muslim immigration.

But any stabilizing effect from the president-elect’s choice of Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus as chief of staff was negated with the simultaneous appointment of Steve Bannon as his chief White House strategist.

MORE:When Bannon becomes 'the story'

These twin appointments are an attempt to placate both establishment Republicans on Capitol Hill (Priebus) and the “drain the swamp” factions that helped put Trump in office (Bannon).

But the Bannon appointment does much more.

Even some on the right are concerned

It raises disturbing questions about Trump’s comfort level with antisemitism and other extremist views. It also raises doubts about the depth of Trump’s commitment to a free society.

Bannon’s claim to fame before becoming Trump’s campaign chair was as chief architect of Breitbart News, an alt-right website decried as a “white ethno-nationalist propaganda mill” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Criticism of Bannon doesn’t just come from the left. In fact, some of the conservative movement’s leaders are aghast.

Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, whom Breitbart called a “renegade Jew,” tweeted this about the appointment:

GOP strategist John Weaver said the appointment means the “racist, fascist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office.”

But don’t just listen to those who find Bannon’s appointment problematic.

Consider who is happy about it.

What's the alt-right movement? Trouble

Richard Spencer heads the white-nationalist National Policy Institute. He crowed about the appointment, saying Bannon will be “freed up to chart Trump’s macro trajectory,” which is “pointing towards the #AltRight!”

Bannon himself called Breitbart the “the platform of the alt-right.”

Also the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis celebrated the selection. “Perhaps The Donald is for real,” said Rocky Suhayda, chairman of the American Nazi Party to CNN.

The alt-right movement is based on the belief “that ‘white identity’ is under attack by multicultural forces using ‘political correctness’ and ‘social justice’ to undermine white people and ‘their’ civilization,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

POLL:How Millennials view the 'alt-right'

Bannon’s ex-wife, who raised but did not follow through on allegations of domestic violence, says Bannon didn’t want his children going to a school where there were a lot of Jewish students. He denies the allegation.

What he cannot deny is the incendiary nature of Breitbart News, which has promoted antisemitic,anti-Muslim, misogynist, racist and anti-LGBT views, and has links to far-right movements in Europe.

Why would Trump dignify such delusions?

Still unclear is what role Bannon will play at Breitbart while he sits within whispering distance of the president. Even if he severs the tie, the link will remain.

Breitbart was Trump’s propaganda tool during the campaign. Former Breitbart spokesman Kurt Bardella left the site this year saying it had become a “super PAC” for Trump.

He told CNN Breitbart was “devoid of reality and facts,” and has “gone from being a propaganda arm of the Trump campaign to now being the propaganda arm of the federal government.”

Trump’s very own Pravda.

MORE:How do you use the media to win? Ask Trump

There are other disturbing signs that Trump is inviting fringe elements to center stage.

Alex Jones, a radio personality who pumps conspiracy theories, says Trump called to thank him for his help during the election and promised to appear on the show soon.

Trump previously gave an interview to Jones, who uses his radio show and website (InfoWars.com) to spread delusions, such as the whopper about the U.S. government playing a role in carrying out the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the one about the Obama administration orchestrating the mass shooting of schoolchildren at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

It is sickening to imagine a president elect dignifying those who peddle such vile conspiracies.

Trump wants to marginalize legitimate media

Meanwhile, Trump is marginalizing legitimate media. During his campaign, he characterized reporters and photographers covering his campaign as dishonest and untrustworthy. He revoked press credentials because of unfavorable coverage and vowed to make it easier to sue journalists who write things he doesn’t like.

In a free country, there is an adversarial relationship between the media and politicians. The public benefits when journalists report on the facts – not the spin politicians provide.

Trump uses Twitter to attack the motives of the press offering no evidence. For example, he suggested that nationwide protests that began after the election were orchestrated by the media.

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He broke tradition by denying media access to his initial meetings after the election. What’s more, it was Moscow, not Trump, that released word that Russian President Vladimir Putin had sent congratulations to the president elect.

If Trump intends to make good on his promise to serve all Americans, he should stop catering to extremists and fringe elements and show a commitment to openness.

The Bannon appointment does just the opposite. It was a bad choice that dimmed the few glimmers of hope coming from Trump’s early days of organizing his administration.