He was responding to a question about a shouting match that erupted at the postmortem forum when Clinton aides accused Trump’s advisers of providing “a platform for white supremacists” on the Breitbart news website. The site’s former chief executive, Stephen K. Bannon, became the Trump campaign’s chief strategist during the summer and has been named a top adviser in the coming administration.

AD

AD

Breitbart is popular with the alt-right, a small movement known for espousing racist views.

“This wasn’t a typical campaign. I was not surprised there would be a feisty program,” Schultz said. “And I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. It’s okay to be candid.”

The White House’s stance is notable because Obama, after denouncing Trump as “temperamentally unfit” to be president during the campaign, has refrained from criticizing the New York business mogul since he won the election. Obama’s aides said he does not take back his critique of Trump but that he is determined to focus on a smooth transfer of power to the new administration.

The Harvard forum, by contrast, exposed the lingering animosity between the two main presidential contenders and their teams. And the Clinton advisers involved in the spat used to work for Obama. Jennifer Palmieri, who joined Clinton’s team after working in the White House communications office, said Trump sent “dog whistles” to his supporters, presumably over race and ethnicity. Trump aides responded that Clinton offered no message for the working class and was out of touch with the economic anxieties of voters.

AD

AD