Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen listens in March 2019 as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Oct 11, 2019
Progressives are decrying a decision by Fortune Magazine to feature Kirstjen Nielsen, the former secretary of Homeland Security whose tenure was marked by child separation, child detention, and other harsh anti-immigration measures promoted by President Donald Trump, as a speaker at the company's Most Powerful Women Summit 2019.
"Kirstjen Nielsen does not deserve to have a platform at Fortune's MPW Summit," said Restore Public Trust's Karl Frisch. "Nielsen helped carry out Trump's horrific family separation policy. On Nielsen's watch, children taken from their families were abused and sexually assaulted. Some even died. Fortune should not be giving Nielsen, or others like her, a platform to rehabilitate her appropriately damaged reputation."
In September, as Common Dreams reported, Nielsen dropped out of a previously planned appearance at The Atlantic Ideas Conference due to public outcry over The Atlantic Magazine hosting her and "providing a platform to people who worked hand-in-hand with Trump to separate families, lock babies up in cages, and terrorize communities of color."
\u201cOUTRAGEOUS. @FortuneMagazine plans on having Kirstjen Nielsen speak at its Most Powerful Women Summit on Oct 21-23.\n\nNielsen separated immigrant families for the Trump admin & lied about it.\n\n#NoSoftLanding means no platform to ANYONE who helped prop up this bigotry. #FortuneMPW\u201d— Bend the Arc: Jewish Action (@Bend the Arc: Jewish Action) 1570804373
On Tuesday, Nielsen rejoined the Trump administration after the president appointed her to his National Infrastructure Advisory Committee.
The Fortune summit, which features other politicos such as former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former U.N. ambasssador Susan Rice, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), and others, will be held from October 21 to 23 in Washington, D.C.
According to the summit's website, it "has evolved into the world's most extraordinary leadership community, convening the preeminent women in business--along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education, and the arts--for wide-ranging conversations that inspire and deliver practical advice."
Frisch, of Restore Public Trust, said that he doubted Nielsen was the right person for the job.
"After helping to put migrant kids in cages during her tenure with the Trump administration," said Frisch, "Nielsen's ability to offer 'practical advice' to attendees at this conference is questionable at best."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Progressives are decrying a decision by Fortune Magazine to feature Kirstjen Nielsen, the former secretary of Homeland Security whose tenure was marked by child separation, child detention, and other harsh anti-immigration measures promoted by President Donald Trump, as a speaker at the company's Most Powerful Women Summit 2019.
"Kirstjen Nielsen does not deserve to have a platform at Fortune's MPW Summit," said Restore Public Trust's Karl Frisch. "Nielsen helped carry out Trump's horrific family separation policy. On Nielsen's watch, children taken from their families were abused and sexually assaulted. Some even died. Fortune should not be giving Nielsen, or others like her, a platform to rehabilitate her appropriately damaged reputation."
In September, as Common Dreams reported, Nielsen dropped out of a previously planned appearance at The Atlantic Ideas Conference due to public outcry over The Atlantic Magazine hosting her and "providing a platform to people who worked hand-in-hand with Trump to separate families, lock babies up in cages, and terrorize communities of color."
\u201cOUTRAGEOUS. @FortuneMagazine plans on having Kirstjen Nielsen speak at its Most Powerful Women Summit on Oct 21-23.\n\nNielsen separated immigrant families for the Trump admin & lied about it.\n\n#NoSoftLanding means no platform to ANYONE who helped prop up this bigotry. #FortuneMPW\u201d— Bend the Arc: Jewish Action (@Bend the Arc: Jewish Action) 1570804373
On Tuesday, Nielsen rejoined the Trump administration after the president appointed her to his National Infrastructure Advisory Committee.
The Fortune summit, which features other politicos such as former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former U.N. ambasssador Susan Rice, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), and others, will be held from October 21 to 23 in Washington, D.C.
According to the summit's website, it "has evolved into the world's most extraordinary leadership community, convening the preeminent women in business--along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education, and the arts--for wide-ranging conversations that inspire and deliver practical advice."
Frisch, of Restore Public Trust, said that he doubted Nielsen was the right person for the job.
"After helping to put migrant kids in cages during her tenure with the Trump administration," said Frisch, "Nielsen's ability to offer 'practical advice' to attendees at this conference is questionable at best."
Progressives are decrying a decision by Fortune Magazine to feature Kirstjen Nielsen, the former secretary of Homeland Security whose tenure was marked by child separation, child detention, and other harsh anti-immigration measures promoted by President Donald Trump, as a speaker at the company's Most Powerful Women Summit 2019.
"Kirstjen Nielsen does not deserve to have a platform at Fortune's MPW Summit," said Restore Public Trust's Karl Frisch. "Nielsen helped carry out Trump's horrific family separation policy. On Nielsen's watch, children taken from their families were abused and sexually assaulted. Some even died. Fortune should not be giving Nielsen, or others like her, a platform to rehabilitate her appropriately damaged reputation."
In September, as Common Dreams reported, Nielsen dropped out of a previously planned appearance at The Atlantic Ideas Conference due to public outcry over The Atlantic Magazine hosting her and "providing a platform to people who worked hand-in-hand with Trump to separate families, lock babies up in cages, and terrorize communities of color."
\u201cOUTRAGEOUS. @FortuneMagazine plans on having Kirstjen Nielsen speak at its Most Powerful Women Summit on Oct 21-23.\n\nNielsen separated immigrant families for the Trump admin & lied about it.\n\n#NoSoftLanding means no platform to ANYONE who helped prop up this bigotry. #FortuneMPW\u201d— Bend the Arc: Jewish Action (@Bend the Arc: Jewish Action) 1570804373
On Tuesday, Nielsen rejoined the Trump administration after the president appointed her to his National Infrastructure Advisory Committee.
The Fortune summit, which features other politicos such as former secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former U.N. ambasssador Susan Rice, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), and others, will be held from October 21 to 23 in Washington, D.C.
According to the summit's website, it "has evolved into the world's most extraordinary leadership community, convening the preeminent women in business--along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education, and the arts--for wide-ranging conversations that inspire and deliver practical advice."
Frisch, of Restore Public Trust, said that he doubted Nielsen was the right person for the job.
"After helping to put migrant kids in cages during her tenure with the Trump administration," said Frisch, "Nielsen's ability to offer 'practical advice' to attendees at this conference is questionable at best."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.