Trump 2020 adviser under fire for ‘bigoted’ tweet about Afghan evacuee plane

An adviser for Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign has come under fire for a tweet expressing opposition to the resettlement of Afghan civilians fleeing Taliban rule.

Steve Cortes, who currently hosts a show for the conservative network Newsmax, tweeted, “raise your hand if you want this plane landing in your town?” alongside an image of a US military plane packed with civilians fleeing Kabul after the Taliban took control of the government.

“America paid unimaginable costs in Afghanistan because of uniparty globalists who dominated the Bush and Obama administrations. No more,” Mr Cortes added.

A number of local officials and Twitter users hit back at Mr Cortes’ post, saying they would welcome Afghan civilians to their communities.

Former NFL player Stephen White responded to Mr Cortes on Twitter by saying: “I just want to know if the political media is still afraid to call this kind of rhetoric bigoted, racist and xenophobic? Because it for damn sure isn’t ‘economic anxiety.’”

“We’d rather have them than anti-American Trump/Putin white supremacist fascists like you,” political strategist and former Republican Cheri Jacobs responded.

Former Trump Administration official Andrew Kloster appeared to back Mr Cortes, writing: “They literally just opened a plane and said ‘everybody on’. There’s no way these are vetted. No way.”

“You worked for Trump. If you are ever ‘vetted’ you’ll wind up in prison, Terrorist,” former cable news anchor Keith Olbermann tweeted at Mr Kloster.

Former President Barack Obama’s first White House press secretary Robert Gibbs tweeted an image of the statue of liberty along with the words “I’m with her” – a phrase that also served as a slogan during former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Former Republican representative Joe Walsh responded: “Yes, Steve. Raising my hand. Now a question for you: Why wouldn’t a country founded by people who fled religious persecution and who yearned to be free welcome people today who are fleeing religious persecution and who yearn to be free? Especially people we hurt because of this war?”

“Vile, open racism is an acceptable political position right now. Congrats to everyone who thinks this is a victory for the marketplace of ideas,” Michigan Advance editor Susan Demas wrote.

“Hard-working, industrious, brave people who risked their lives to work with America, whom we promised to take care of, who will help ease our labour shortage with gratitude and grace and add to our tax base? Sign me up, b***h,” the executive producer of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, Miles Kahn, added.

Bernie Sanders’ foreign policy adviser Matt Duss tweeted: “If you call yourself a Christian and you can’t raise your hand here, you should probably keep Jesus’ name out of your mouth.”