WASHINGTON 鈥� A D.C. Council member has apologized again Monday for posting a video on Friday that echoed an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, claiming that a wealthy Jewish family is controlling the weather.
鈥淭oday was a new beginning for me,鈥� said Council member Trayon White, D-Ward 8. 鈥淢y job now is to take full responsibility for any actions I have participated in that [were] derogatory or [defamatory] to anyone. That鈥檚 not who I am and not what I do.鈥�
He again sent his 鈥渁pologies to the Jewish community鈥� and said he was meeting with a group of rabbis later Monday afternoon. He then walked away, ignoring questions from reporters.
White had apologized Sunday on his social media platforms, saying, “I work very closely with the Jewish community and never want to offend anyone, especially with anti-Semitic remarks.”
I really do apologize. I work very closely with the Jewish community and never want to offend anyone, especially with Anti-Semitic remarks.
鈥� Trayon White (@trayonwhite)
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wouldn鈥檛 say Monday whether White should resign, but said he was 鈥渁nswerable to the community.鈥� She said 鈥淲e have no place for [anti-Semitism] in our community,鈥� and that by reading White鈥檚 apology, she learned 鈥淚 learned that he did not realize and did not intend for those comments to be anti-Semitic.鈥�
She added, 鈥淲e鈥檙e resilient because we are inclusive and diverse.鈥�
Council member Eilssa Silverman, I-At Large, said in a statement Monday that she had spoken with White; she added that 鈥渉e expressed to me that he did not realize that referencing the Rothschild family would be construed as anti-Semitic, and he apologized for the comments.鈥�
She added, 鈥淲e both agreed that hate speech of any kind has no place at the D.C. Council or in our city. I believe that Trayon is remorseful about what he said, and I believe he is taking steps to understand why these comments were so offensive 鈥� not only to Jewish residents but to all who want an inclusive, welcoming city.鈥�
D.C. Council member Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, said he was “appalled” and “deeply concerned” by White’s comments.
“His comments apparently embrace irrational, anti-science conspiracy theories about an agency or group controlling the weather. We cannot normalize such fringe theories and conspiracies or we risk permitting the radical鈥攐r worse, dangerous鈥攖o enter into the mainstream,” Cheh said in a comment released Monday.
D.C. Council member Brianne K. Nadeau, D-Ward 1, told 草莓传媒 that White discussed the video with her Sunday.
“I believe he is being truthful when he says he didn鈥檛 realize what his statement implied,” said Nadeau. “It is my sincere hope that my colleague has learned from this experience 鈥�”
On Friday, as light snow fell on the District for a short time, White posted the below video to Facebook, courtesy of :
鈥淚t just started snowing out of nowhere this morning. Y鈥檃ll better pay attention to this climate control,鈥� White said in the video. 鈥淚t鈥檚 climate manipulation and D.C. keep talking about 鈥榃e are a resilient city,鈥� and that鈥檚 a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.鈥�
The Post said they reached out to White for clarification, to which he originally wrote, 鈥淭he video says what it says.鈥�
草莓传媒’s Jennifer Ortiz, Mike Murillo and Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
