4chan Isn’t Dealing So Well With Steve Bannon’s White House Departure

New York Magazine ^ | August 18, 2017 | Madison Malone Kircher

[nickcarraway]

In today’s Trump-administration Friday news dump, the New York Times reports that Trump’s infamous senior strategist Steve Bannon is out at the White House. A source close to the matter told the Times Bannon had actually submitted his resignation notice on August 7 and the announcement had been pushed back following the violence in Charlottesville. The Wall Street Journal attributes Bannon’s resignation to his disagreements with Trump’s chief of staff, John Kelly. Politico says Bannon’s “tactics and behavior” ultimately did him in. And Reddit and 4chan, well, they’re bummed no matter what lost Bannon the job.

Over on 4chan, users are discussing whether or not they’ll continue to support Trump now that Bannon is gone. While there’s some support for a Bannon-free Trump administration, the bulk of comments mourn the senior strategist in some, uh, colorful language. Here’s a sampling of comments from the thread. (You can read it in full here. We’ve lightly edited — as in, took words out of all-caps internet shouting voice and tweaked some typos — to make them easier to read.)

“Now Trump’s advisors consist of his family and the generals. Very frightening.”

“*** this ******* Drumpf ******. Bannon was /ourguy/. Every time Trump messed something up, I told myself ‘well, at least Bannon is still on board.’”

“Bannon was the main one I liked.”

“No Bannon means Trump is solely advised by kikes and his neocon generals now.”

“His [Trump’s] whole cabinet is neocons, neoliberals and Jews now.”

“Bannon being there was a promise. Yeah, stuff wasn’t happening or happening slowly but his presence said “eventually it will happen”. Trump needs to actually accomplish things now with him gone. I want to actually see the wall and see tax reform and trade reform.”

“Bannon was the last Christian in the White House, so no. Not going dem or anything just no longer supporting GOP.”

“I’ve un-ironically given up hope for this administration now that Bannon’s out. Still better than the dems, but not good by any means. It’s just your average kosher neocon republican administration now.”

There’s a similar conversation happening over on Reddit, too. Though it’s slightly — thank you, moderators — more tame.

Meanwhile, Twitter reaction has been everybody making the same joke about Trump taking down a pro-Confederacy statue at the White House. The statue, of course, being Bannon.

Follow emptywheel @emptywheel BREAKING:

Trump has removed a statue honoring the confederacy from the White House. 9:53 AM - Aug 18, 2017

[aragona]

This is hysterical. 4CHan is going to have a field day with her. She has been punked bad. Lurkers and newbies (they use a different word) have no clue how to interpret the commentary on 4Chan.

[FreedomPoster]

Trying to characterize 4chan in general, and 4chan/pol in particular, is difficult. Computer savvy misfits, with a heavy sprinkling of racists and other undesirables, for a first cut at it. Some useful skills there, for sure, good at connecting dots at time, but prone to diving into conspiracy theorizing, and not the sort of folks you’d want on a stage with you.

[nevermorelenore]

The dismal remarks are playing right into the Dems hand !
If my people pray .... it’s not all about ONE man leading, it’s about living righteously and Divine Intervention - His strength in our weakness.
See it through
Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap ~ if you faint not !

[sargon]

“No Bannon means Trump is solely advised by kikes and his neocon generals now.”

“His [Trump’s] whole cabinet is neocons, neoliberals and Jews now.”

Sounds like some antisemitic assh-les frequent 4chan. I'm glad I never visit there, and I'm suddenly a bigger fan of "kikes" and "neocon generals" now.

Who are these clowns that would talk like this? And why should I care what they think?

[gaijin]

If the sophisticated reaction to Bannon’s departure, the one that shows really amazing gravitas is complacency or celebration, then please picture me with a propeller beanie, x-ray gogs and and elastic paddle ball.

Good God, there are YOUNG people at 4chan who know how to make jokes and post images..?

Wow, that’s disgusting, eh..?

The WH is soooo much better, now that it’s wall-to-wall GLOBALISTS, right?

It will be wonderful that they all join forces and move Heaven and Earth to assure that Trump’s VERY MOST BASIC PROMISE, namely The Wall, does NOT get built.

Kay, now I’m off to wet my pants and play more paddle ball...!

Back to POLITICS AS USUAL, wheeeeeee...!!!

[escapefromboston]

Now this is journalism: Reporting on what a 13 year old nazi anime fan thinks about todays news.

[LS]

1) So-called Trump supporters (doubting now if they are) act like Trump is an empty vessel who must be “directed” by Banno or McMaster. How silly.

2) I’ve known Steve for about 15 years. Not terrifically well, but well. He is an adrenaline junky. I was very surprised that he stayed after the campaign, but I could see how setting up a new government was exciting. However, I could tell a month ago that the plodding drudgery of governing was not sitting well with him. He likes blitzkrieg. We are now in trench warfare.

3) His decision to leave was his alone. He was not pushed out. I was in the EEOB on Aug. 4, three days before he wrote his resignation, and he wasn’t talking resignation then, but he was quite frustrated with the size and mammoth structure of government. It was obvious he (and perhaps Trump) thought they could turn this around faster.

4) Bannon is NOT well suited for trench warfare, and is much better off outside, as is the country. Like it or not, some of the people Trump has in now are very good plodders. Sometimes we need that.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Exactly.

[House Atreides]

As long as they plod in the right direction.

[LS]

Correct.

For example, did you know that no one in Exec Branch is permitted to speak with ANYONE at DOJ unless a White House Counsel is present? So the notion that Bannon or anyone other than Trump could “call up Sessions” and demand that he “investigate Rice” can’t happen.

[Truth29]

Yep.

“The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over,” Bannon said Friday, shortly after confirming his departure. “We still have a huge movement, and we will make something of this Trump presidency. But that presidency is over. It’ll be something else. And there’ll be all kinds of fights, and there’ll be good days and bad days, but that presidency is over.”

http://www.weeklystandard.com/bannon-the-trump-presidency-that-we-fought-for-and-won-is-over./article/2009355

[mac_truck]

The dirty secret is that the main stream media even looks in a deep dark hole like 4-Chan in the first place.

No wonder reporters all seem so triggered..

[ichabod1]

The point being they don’t care what YOU think.

[tcrlaf]

Many of the 4 chan’frs are burn-it-all-down Bernie tarts, who know how the DNC cheated.

They are a minority, but very vocal. And they are pi#^^{d off.

[UCANSEE2]

“Now Trump’s advisors consist of his family and the generals. Very frightening.”

“*** this ******* Drumpf ******. Bannon was /ourguy/. Every time Trump messed something up, I told myself ‘well, at least Bannon is still on board.’”

“Bannon was the main one I liked.”

“No Bannon means Trump is solely advised by kikes and his neocon generals now.”

“His [Trump’s] whole cabinet is neocons, neoliberals and Jews now.”

“Bannon being there was a promise. Yeah, stuff wasn’t happening or happening slowly but his presence said “eventually it will happen”. Trump needs to actually accomplish things now with him gone. I want to actually see the wall and see tax reform and trade reform.”

“Bannon was the last Christian in the White House, so no. Not going dem or anything just no longer supporting GOP.”

“I’ve un-ironically given up hope for this administration now that Bannon’s out. Still better than the dems, but not good by any means. It’s just your average kosher neocon republican administration now.”

[UCANSEE2]

P.S. Notice that I said they are ‘behaving’ like snowflakes. Which is different from being a snowflake.

Also, Bannon wasn’t fired.

[Non-Compliant_Deplorable]

This is hilarious...she got trolled by 4chan/pol! They’ve been posting fake Bannon freakouts, to bait newbies and lefties. They’ve got a post up about this article now and are ripping the article author to shreds. LOL

[Non-Compliant_Deplorable]

Not true. Huge Trump support base on /pol. Many of them are “after-Berners.” ;-)

[Non-Compliant_Deplorable]

If you read the actual article, and parse what Bannon said, he’s clearly indicating that the first phase of Trump’s presidency is over...they’re moving into the next phase, and Bannon’s departure is part of it. This twit thread from Thomas Wictor explains it nicely:

https://twitter.com/ThomasWictor/status/898696927516045314

[sargon]

The point being they don’t care what YOU think.

Wow! Just popped over to 4chan for the first time ever.

Various forms of racism on full and casual display there.

I didn't realize 4chan was frequented by hatemongers. Their ilk are precisely the kind of people who don't belong in this movement.

They deserve repudiation—whether they care what people think or not...