In response to Sebastian Gorka’s comments made yesterday on the bombing at the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, DNC Deputy Chair Keith Ellison released the following statement:

“The Pledge of Allegiance promises liberty and justice for all Americans – including Muslim Americans. The President’s failure to condemn the terrorist attack on the Bloomington Islamic Center is an outrage. It suggests that his oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, including the right to equal protection under the law, only extends to people who meet certain racial and religious criteria. Every second that goes by that he fails to address the attack shows that he is not serious about his oath.”

“Even worse, Sebastian Gorka, one of Trump's top aides, is trying with no evidence whatsoever to distract the public’s attention from the real story: that a group of Americans who were peacefully worshipping were the target of a terrorist act. By minimizing the attack and insinuating that the 'left' is behind this act, the Trump administration is once again showing its disdain for the Muslim American community.”

“President Trump must condemn this terrorist act, and he must condemn Sebastian Gorka. By failing to do so, the president is strengthening the forces of hate across the world.”