Vice President Mike Pence shared shots of Capitol Hill Pages, but social media users quickly noted something was conspicuously absent- any show of diversity among the smiling faces.
Pence posted the two images and captioned them: ‘Great work by the Fall 2017 Page Class, who graduate this week and will return to their homes across the country.’
‘Spoke with them about their work on the Hill and what they plan to do to help our Nation in the future. Inspiring group!’ the veep added.
Twitter users erupted in outrage over the select group of young Americans which appeared to be solely white.
One user cracked ‘It’s like a mashed potato sandwich with mayo on Wonder Bread.’
A sea of smiling (seemingly all white) faces in the Capitol Hill Page program’s class of 2017
‘Spoke with them about their work on the Hill and what they plan to do to help our Nation in the future. Inspiring group!’ the veep captioned the images
‘It’s like a mashed potato sandwich with mayo on Wonder Bread’ this Twitter user replied
Your idea of ‘our future’ contains no people of color: Several users took aim at Pence’s message
Sarcasm.’Wow, look at all the diversity in that group!’ this person replied to Pence’s tweet
Not inspired: Many people took aim at Vice President Pence’s caption for the Page photos
Another took a more pointed shot at Pence’s caption to the images: ‘Nice to know your idea of ‘our future’ contains no people of color.’
‘Wow, look at all the diversity in that group!’ another chimed.
Just last month the White House intern program’s group photo was on the receiving end of negative attention after one of the interns flashed what is known as a sign for ‘white power,’ in a photo-op with President Trump.
In the image, released in December, Jack Breuer, who graduated from Emory University in Atlanta last year, was bucking orders — personally given by the president — to give a thumbs-up in the picture that was taken in the White House in November.
While the other hundred or so interns smiled and followed Trump’s command, Breuer, a dentist’s son who grew up in Chicago’s western suburbs, stood stony-faced giving the ‘OK’ sign that has been linked with far-right groups.
It is the same sign that white nationalist Richard Spencer gave on the steps of the Trump International Hotel on election night and that right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos posed with in front of the White House.
It was also seen at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August – the same day an alleged Nazi sympathizer accelerated his car into anti-protesters, killing one and injuring several others.
All those surrounding Breuer on the right side of the picture are using their left hands to give their thumbs-up, with him standing out by using his right hand.
The gesture – which only makes sense if made with the right hand, although there are examples of people making it with their left hand – is said to depict the letter ‘W’ with the outstretched middle, ring and little fingers, and a ‘P’ with the circle made by the thumb and forefinger stretching down to the wrist. Together ‘WP’ stands for White Power.
Breuer’s controversial stand was only spotted when other interns were mailed the picture from the White House earlier this month — just in time for Christmas.
‘Context is everything,’ one fellow intern told DailyMail.com at the time. ‘Jack is pictured with President Trump, one of the most controversial leaders we’ve had.
Former White House intern Jack Breuer held up a ‘white power’ sign during a photo-op with President Trump and fellow interns in the East Room in November. The Emory University alum clearly bucked orders — personally given by the president — to give a thumbs-up
All those surrounding Breuer on the right side of the picture are using their left hands to give their thumbs-up, with him standing out by using his right hand
The hand gesture was made by white nationalist Richard Spencer on the steps of the Trump International Hotel on election night last November (pictured)
‘It is a distinct symbol known in alt-right circles and what makes it worse is that he is doing it in the East Room just below the portrait of George Washington.’
Breuer worked for Stephen Miller, the president’s senior advisor for policy for four months starting in September, according to his LinkedIn page.
Miller himself has been attacked for having allegedly racist views, with Essence Magazine pointing to a letter he wrote to a paper in Santa Monica, California, in which he attacked Spanish speakers, the LGBT community and native Americans, while Mother Jones reported that he had close ties to Richard Spencer.