Posted on 01/04/2018 1:39:04 AM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
If it holds, the end of Bannon’s influence will give better men and women a chance to rise in the White House.
Early this morning, the Guardian reported on the contents of a new book by journalist Michael Wolff. According to the paper’s story, Steve Bannon spoke to Wolff on the record about his experiences in the Trump campaign and the Trump White House, and he sounded more like a member of the #Resistance than the president’s former chief strategist.
According to Wolff, Bannon called Donald Junior’s now-infamous June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.” He said that Trump Jr. should have “called the FBI immediately” after the Russians first made contact. He also speculated that Trump knew about the meeting, declaring in typical Bannon language that “the chance that Don Jr. did not walk these jumos up to his father’s office on the 26th floor is zero.” And he speculated that the Mueller probe would focus on money laundering, predicting that “they’re going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.”
It didn’t take long for President Trump to respond with one of the most blistering statements of his presidency so far:
Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind. Steve was a staffer who worked for me after I had already won the nomination by defeating seventeen candidates, often described as the most talented field ever assembled in the Republican party.Now that he is on his own, Steve is learning that winning isn’t as easy as I make it look. Steve had very little to do with our historic victory, which was delivered by the forgotten men and women of this country. Yet Steve had everything to do with the loss of a Senate seat in Alabama held for more than thirty years by Republicans.
Steve doesn’t represent my base — he’s only in it for himself.
Steve pretends to be at war with the media, which he calls the opposition party, yet he spent his time at the White House leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was. It is the only thing he does well. Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books.
We have many great Republican members of Congress and candidates who are very supportive of the Make America Great Again agenda. Like me, they love the United States of America and are helping to finally take our country back and build it up, rather than simply seeking to burn it all down.
If this statement marks the definitive end of the Trump–Bannon relationship — as Erick Erickson notes, there’s still reason to be skeptical that it will — then Trump just made one of the best decisions of his presidency, for at least three reasons.
First, Bannon is the public figure who has done more than any other person to introduce the evil alt-right into mainstream American life. He bragged about turning Breitbart into the “platform” of that movement, backed one of its most prominent politicians in Paul Nehlen, and relentlessly promoted its foremost apologist, the noxious Milo Yiannopoulos. He was also reportedly one of the driving forces behind perhaps the worst moment of Trump’s term so far: the president’s decision to equivocate following the alt-right rally and terrorist attack in Charlottesville, Va.
Second, Bannon is the primary pseudo-intellectual advocate of the incoherent, destructive nationalist–populist ideology that he tried to transform into “Trumpism.” His isolationism would harm American national security, his protectionism would harm the American economy, and his populism veers dangerously into the realm of white-identity politics. If his influence over the president is truly at an end, the GOP will have a real chance to restore itself as a party of conservative ideas.
Third, Bannon’s fall gives space for better men and women to rise. There are good and decent people who work in this White House, people who haven’t merely latched on to Trump to leech off his fame and climb to power. There are conservatives who seek to use this historical moment to advance the common good, and there are pragmatists who understand that divisiveness is not in the nation’s — or Trump’s — best interests. There is never any guarantee that virtue and good policy will prevail, but decisively breaking with a man so vile is unquestionably a positive step.
Questions about Trump’s presidency weren’t limited to questions about Trump himself. As he rose to power, other people would obviously rise right alongside him. Their identities and characters mattered, and still do, because their mere proximity to Trump gives them real influence. When Trump rose, Bannon rose, and Bannon is one of the worst men in American politics. Today represents a perfect example of addition by subtraction. Trump did well in rejecting Bannon. Here’s hoping he holds to that decision and replaces Bannon’s voice with the better voices that still remain.
I am so sick of this D French fa___t! And I rarely use that word. Who appointed him god? National Review are idiots to feature him predominantly.
SAD!!!!!!!!
Have you noticed that when false quotes are attributed to Trump or Melania, the denial is swift and harsh? This is bc Trump is an honest straight-shooter who doesn’t play games. He sets the record straight as a matter of integrity.
Bannon has spoken out, and in no way, shape or form denied the quotes attributed to him. If he didn’t say them, why not correct the record? That’s what an honest person would do. The longer the quotes remain unchallenged, the more the Left uses them against Trump. It’s happened many times already.
This isn’t complicated. It’s as simple as Breitbart promoting Wolff’s book ***until*** Bannon got hit with the cease and desist. Then all at once, the Wolff-promotion articles disappeared.
How soon they forget. Steve Bannon was key to Trump winning. So was Paul Manafort. Bannon is a free wheeling guy and was miserable in the White House. You could see that he hated putting on a suit and tie each day.
It's number one at Amazon, I won't buy it, but there are so many Trump haters that will.
Let me he'p you, the word you couldn't remember is FAGGOT!!!
‘Steve Bannon was key to Trump winning.’
Please. Bannon was a key player on the national stage, but he couldn’t manage to haul a Republican Senatorial candidate over the finish line in ruby red Alabama? This stuff is becoming ridiculous.
Jared and Ivanka are global socialist elitists who do not understand the conservative movement.
They have tried to undermine much of Trump’s campaign agenda and are the biggest proponents of trading DACA for the border wall.
Ivanka wants to be POTUS herself. This is a couple that is looking out for their own opportunity rather than ensuring their father’s success.
How do you know any of that is true? Most of the worst things attributed to Jvanka have come from unsourced gossip—much of it promoted by Bannon. If you have any firsthand evidence to back your claims, you’d be the first one. To be clear, I am no fan of the Kushners. I just don’t understand conservatives’ pathological love of unsourced gossip in this one, particular case.
Worth repeating, especially after the epic downfall of Bannon who is/was locked in a war with them to the death.
fwiw, the Fake Media Awards are being presented this Monday at 5 o’clock.
Happy New Year, btw. Your comments are always among the best.
David French is a day late and a dollar short with this analysis. Saying it is the most important decision by President Trup is an insult to all the great decisions the President has made. David French truly has an exaggerated image of himself and his importance.
+1
Thank you Sir, I enjoy yours as well, and you really made a good point above. I never really liked Bannon, he always appeared more like a stand up act seeking attention than a serious thinker, and deep down I believe many Trump supporters feel the same. The left will have a field day, but Trump won’t lose a single percentage of his supporters I predict. Brietbart would be wise to part ways, quickly.
Which has what exactly to do with accusing Don Jr. of treason? He has seemed to be on the same page as his old man.
‘The left will have a field day, but Trump won’t lose a single percentage of his supporters I predict.’
Right as usual. When anti-Trump stuff like this comes out, the base rallies and some fence-sitters come out for POTUS. Americans don’t like to see the CIC under assault by the biased media or disloyal supposed supporters. (I’ve been watching the membership #s at The_Donald surge. It never fails. When the Left overplays its hand, support for Trump increases.)
Like you, I’ve found myself nonplussed by Bannon’s strong support among conservatives. Bannon went to great lengths to hire and promote Milo Yiannopoulus, who is militantly gay. Why such a man (Bannon) would then become a conservativeicon is more than I can fathom.
Wolff notoriously misquotes conservatives all the time, according to those he’s misquoted in the past.
This is a load of BS. If you believe this that then you are my enemy and the enemy of patriots everywhere. This has nothing to do with Bannon it has everything to do with Republican globalist Free Traitors™ trying to regain control. YOU ARE BEING PLAYED. If The GOPe regains control of the agenda I will vote against them in every general election even if it means voting for a Democrat. The GOPe IS the problem.
The globalist Free Traitors™ are trying to make hay of this rift between Bannon and Trump. Good luck because this is a battle between nationalists and globalists and not about individuals. So FU Free Traitors™ and FU interNational Screw. Stuff your globlaism and overplay your hand. Eat me GOPe hacks and K Street whores.
Yep.
There’s simply no defence possible for what Bannon has done.
It’s extremely disappointing.
He has f*cked up his chance to be apart of the opportunity that he helped to created. Its madness.
I’m not one to speculate, but people have often pondered if the man has a drinking problem - might that explain him running his mouth off?
I’m not sure, but what a stupid distraction this is.
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