Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.) on Thursday referred to White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as the president of the United States rather than Donald Trump during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol.
"We call on Donald Trump, President Steve Bannon, and everybody else to stand up and denounce this hateful activity," Ellison said, referring to discrimination and hate crimes aimed toward Muslims.
Ellison tweeted Thursday afternoon that when Trump "fans the fires of hatred against Muslims, he's endangering millions & millions of Americans' lives."
When the President of the United States fans the fires of hatred against Muslims, he's endangering millions & millions of Americans' lives. pic.twitter.com/JnQkN2ui40
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) June 8, 2017
Ellison, the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, is not the only Democrat who has trouble calling Trump the nation's president. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said over a week ago that "it's hard" to call Trump the "president," according to the NTK Network.
Scott Shafer, the senior California politics government desk at KQED asked Pelosi why she doesn't call President Trump "president."
"It's hard," Pelosi responded before breaking into laughter.
