Washington, DC — On Tuesday, the Pentagon named anti-Muslim bigot Anthony Tata as undersecretary for Defense policy. The appointment came after the previous undersecretary resigned Tuesday morning. After President Trump nominated Tata for the position earlier this year, Muslim Advocates led a coalition of civil rights groups who criticized his record of anti-Muslim, anti-Black bigotry. After an outcry from this coalition and others, the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Forces Committee abruptly cancelled a scheduled hearing on the nomination, leading Trump to bypass the Senate and appoint Tata to a lower ranking Pentagon position on an acting basis. The following is a statement from Muslim Advocates Public Advocacy Director Scott Simpson:

“While he continues to deny the outcome of the election, President Trump is now defying his own party and the American people to install a bigoted, conspiracy theorist yes man at the Pentagon. The undersecretary of Defense for policy serves as the chief adviser to the secretary of Defense helps shape key issues like our nuclear deterrence strategy and our relationships with China, Russia and Afghanistan. It’s terrifying and absurd that these responsibilities are now in the hands of a man who told former CIA Director John Brennan on Twitter that he should die by ‘firing squad, public hanging, life sentence as prison b*tch, or just suck on your pistol.’

Anthony Tata is patently unqualified to helm the Pentagon’s policy shop. He’s a segregationist who is hostile to women, people of color and Muslims. That’s why his own party refused to confirm him. Every day that he serves as undersecretary of Defense is a day where all Americans are in danger. President-elect Biden must remove him as soon as possible.”

Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination. 

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