San Francisco commissioner explains decision to resign from Trump commission
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There are only four members left on President Donald Trump's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
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The commission is basically a liaison between the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and the government.
The commissioners who remain say they want to see projects underway through to completion while those who have resigned way the lines of communication between them and the president are practically closed.
Of 20 commissioners, 16 have resigned.
Six of them left when Trump was elected. Ten more resigned Wednesday including Dr. Tung Nguyen, the now former chair.
"We were told that there is basically no way to communicate information to the president unless it is congruent with his policies," Nguyen told ABC7 News.
Nguyen says he and other commissioners do not support those policies from immigration to healthcare.
He says the closed line of communication to Trump is also why he and the others resigned.
Four commissioners remain.
"It does give you room for pause, however; I think the game here is to make sure we're patient," said one of the remaining commissioners Ravi Chaudhary. "Wait for that communication to occur and when it does we need to take the work we've done and make sure that it flourishes."
Another commissioner echoed that sentiment by email writing: I am staying on because I am still working with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders staff on a few remaining projects and wish to complete them.
"I respect very much and their decision to stay," Nguyen added.
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He believes Trump will either appoint replacements for those who have resigned, create a new commission or do nothing at all and let the current commission lapse.
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