Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's selection for White House chief strategist, on Sunday said that he was an "economic nationalist" and he rejects racist and anti-Semitic elements of the nationalist alt-right movement.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Bannon, cast himself as a strident opponent of "globalism" -- including free trade deals that Trump has bemoaned, CNN reported.
"I'm an economic nationalist. I am an America first guy," Bannon was quoted as saying.
"And I have admired nationalist movements throughout the world, have said repeatedly strong nations make great neighbours. I have also said repeatedly that the ethno-nationalist movement, prominent in Europe, will change over time. I've never been a supporter of ethno-nationalism," he added.
Bannon said that "the black working and middle class and the Hispanic working and middle class, just like whites, have been severely hurt by the policies of globalism."
He noted that he had urged Trump to reach out to minority communities on the campaign trail.
"I was the one who said we are going to Flint, Michigan, we are going to black churches in Cleveland, because the thrust of this movement is that we are going to bring capitalism to the inner cities," Bannon said in the interview.
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