The White House on Monday remained firm in its rejection of Stephen Bannon’s apology for attacking President Trump’s children in a new book, saying that first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are “sacrificing” to serve the American people.
“When you go after somebody’s family in the manner in which he did — two of the president’s children who are serving this nation, sacrificing in their service — it is repugnant, it is grotesque,” Trump spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters aboard Air Force One. {mosads}
“They both gave up personal and private lives to come work at the White House and work for the American people. They do that every day. And it’s ridiculous for anyone to try and attack what they do for this nation,” he added.
Gidley’s remarks come after the former chief strategist was quoted in Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,
Neither Kushner nor Ivanka Trump takes a salary for their work as White House advisers.
Bannon is also quoted in the book as saying Donald Trump Jr.’s controversial June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower was “treasonous” and “unpatriotic” — an attack he later walked back.
Bannon’s shots at the president’s family ignited the fury of Trump, who sought to distance himself from the former White House aide and painted him as a deranged and bitter former staffer.
Trump took to Twitter to slam the book, while calling Bannon “Sloppy Steve.”
Days after the Breitbart News chief executive faced a heavy fallout from allies and donors alike for his comments, Bannon came forward with a statement of “regret.”
“Donald Trump, Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around,” Bannon said in a statement to Axios, emphasizing that he meant the comments to be about former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
“I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr. has diverted attention from the president’s historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency,” he added, without walking back his remarks about Ivanka Trump and Kushner.
Gidley suggested Bannon crossed a red line going after the president’s family.
“I challenge anybody to go and talk about someone else’s family and see if that person doesn’t come back, and come back hard,” Gidley added.