Steve Bannon Didn’t Want Children Going to School With ‘Whiny’ Jews

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s newly appointed top White House aide, once objected to his twin daughters going to school with “whiny brat” Jews, court documents revealed.
The incoming president’s future right hand man complained that there were too many Jewish students at the Archer School for Girls, an elite private school in Los Angeles because many Jewish students were enrolled at the elite institution.
“The biggest problem he had with Archer is the number of Jews that attend,” Bannon’s ex-wife Mary Louise Piccard said in a 2007 court declaration during their contentious divorce.
The outrageous comments were first reported by the New York Daily News.
“He said that he doesn’t like the way they raise their kids to be ‘whiny brats’ and that he didn’t want the girls going to school with Jews,” Piccard wrote.
Bannon complained that another elite school had too “many Hanukkah books” in its library.
Bannon denies making the remarks and pointed out that his daughter wound up attending the Archer school.
Critics say Bannon turned the conservative Breitbart News site into an outlet for racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
