First appearance on Fox: Officials in Washington, D.C., have visited the White House twice since President Biden’s press secretary said he would not be invited back after praising prominent anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, Fox News Digital revealed. Understood.
Cora Masters Barry, who was appointed CEO of the city’s Recreation Wish List Committee, praised Farrakhan as a “friend” and “member of the family” in mid-2022, saying: “I love you more than words can express,” he added. ”
Shortly after her comments, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates slammed Farrakhan and said he would never invite Barry to the White House again.
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Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates recently complained that journalists questioned Mr. Biden’s mental strength after reporting on the president’s “deteriorating memory”. (Getty Images)
“For decades, the president has unequivocally condemned Louis Farrakhan and the hatred he represents and co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to do so,” Bates told Fox News Digital. “He also condemns any praise, including this one, of Louis Farrakhan and his offensive anti-Semitic values.”
But Barry returned to the White House in June 2023 and again in December 2023, according to a Fox News Digital review of visitor records.
Cora Masters’ Barry spoke at a private ceremony to remember her late husband, former Democratic mayor Marion Barry, and praised Louis Farrakhan, calling him a “friend” and “part of the family.” (Getty Images)
His first visit, on June 13, 2023, appeared to be for the Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn of the White House, where both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris delivered greetings. The purpose of her second visit on December 14, 2023, remains unclear, but she appears to have attended an evening reception along with hundreds of other guests.
The White House and Mr. Barry did not respond to requests for comment.
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Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed Barry to her current position and said she is “grateful for women” like Barry to serve in 2021. Bowser specifically supported Barry after City Council President Phil Mendelsohn moved to block her from serving on the D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission.
All told, federal filings show Barry has donated $500 each to Biden’s presidential campaign and the Biden Victory Fund, and has visited the White House at least six times since Biden took office. There is.
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan (left) has a long history of anti-Semitic rhetoric dating back decades. The White House announced that President Biden (right) condemned Farrakhan. (Getty Images)
Barry has previously come under fire for comments attacking white women and likening supporters of former President Trump to the Ku Klux Klan.
Her praise for Farrakhan, who heads the religious group Nation of Islam, came in October 2022 at a private event honoring her late husband, former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam have been harshly criticized by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which were founded to combat defamation of Jews. The ADL called Farrakhan “one of the most prominent anti-Semites,” and the SPLC classified the Nation of Islam as a hate group.
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The White House has repeatedly reaffirmed the president’s disavowal of Farrakhan, the most recent public example being Biden’s speech to the full Senate 40 years ago in 1984. .
The Nation of Islam did not respond to requests for comment.
