Stephen Bannon at the premiere of "Sweetwater" during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in 2013 in Park City, Utah. Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP President-elect Donald Trump set off a firestorm of criticism Sunday when he announced that Steve Bannon, his controversial campaign CEO, would play a major role in his administration.

In a statement, Trump named Bannon, the chairman of the alt-right news site Breitbart who joined Trump's campaign in August, as his chief strategist. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus was named Trump's chief of staff.

While the news didn't come as a surprise — Bannon was expected to have a role in Trump's staff — it triggered an outpouring of criticism from pundits on social media.

Many users pointed to what they considered racially charged, discriminatory rhetoric used on Breitbart under Bannon's leadership. John Weaver, an adviser to Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, said Bannon's appointment meant the "racist, fascist extreme right" was "footsteps from the Oval Office."

Here's a glimpse at the criticism:

Some of the harshest words came from Adam Jentleson, the spokesman for outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. On Friday, Reid accused Trump of having "fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate," and he said Trump's election had "emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America."

Jentleson was equally critical of Bannon:

"President-elect Trump's choice of Steve Bannon as his top aide signals that white supremacists will be represented at the highest levels in Trump's White House," the spokesman said in a statement. "It is easy to see why the KKK views Trump as their champion when Trump appoints one of the foremost peddlers of white-supremacist themes and rhetoric as his top aide."

He also provided examples of contentious Breitbart headlines published during Bannon's tenure, including "Bill Kristol: Renegade Jew" and "Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy."

Trump's decision also drew strong condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League, a nongovernmental civil-rights organization that opposes anti-Semitism.

The announcement comes after days of nationwide protests, during which thousands of people took issue with the tone of Trump's campaign.

Bannon's appointment stands in contrast to that of Priebus, a party insider considered a generally safe pick for Trump's administration.