SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
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)
Calls Grow for Fortune Magazine to Rescind Kirstjen Nielsen Invitation to 'Women in Power' Summit
"Fortune should not be giving Nielsen, or others like her, a platform to rehabilitate her appropriately damaged reputation."
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."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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.