On Friday March 16th, Trayon White- DC Council Member Representing Ward 8 made a video from his car recording the snow on DC's 695 highway.
In this video, broken by the Washington Post, White made Comments about the unusual snow event that was happening at that moment, and possibly unknowingly made anti-semitic comments in reference to the weather.
“Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man. Y’all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation,” he says. “And D.C. keep talking about, ‘We a resilient city.’ And that’s a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.” (video and WaPo Article link posted below)
-Trayon White via the Washington post
While Council Member White may have unknowingly made anti-semitic comments, this type of behavior should never be accepted. With hate crimes on the rise, Washington's history of segregation, and our current national political climate, the last thing we need from the leaders in our own back yard, is the perpetuation of stereotypes of historically oppressed groups. It is imperative that the Jewish community, and other minority groups of this city know that Council Member White will support legislation that will support them, not spite them.
While Council Member White has made an apology and an excuse of ignorance; as a law maker, Council Member White should know that ignorance is no excuse of the law (or in this case, racial/religious intolerance). There is simply no place for anti-semitism and conspiracy theories in District government.
If we have learned anything in recent weeks with the Chancellor Willson and Mayor Bowser's refusal to testify in front of the Education Committee headed by Council Member Grosso, it's that accountability in District government is lacking, and I call upon the Council's Ethics officer, Ellen Efrosto, to review the conduct of Council Member White and after review, if any wrong doing had taken place, implement appropriate and measured sanctions.
It is time to make the District Government takes accountability and works for all of us.