President Trump finally pulled the plug on his chief troublemaker Steve Bannon, the self-styled “alt-right” leader and white nationalist who is credited with coming up with the far-right Republican base campaign strategy that shockingly catapulted the real estate developer to the White House.
The relationship soured almost immediately. As usual, the falling out began with an injury to Trump’s ego. Trump is said to have taken umbrage at the portrayal of Bannon on Saturday Night Live and elsewhere as the real power behind the throne. Trump also reportedly took offense at Bannon’s cooperation with journalist Joshua Green’s explosive new book, Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the storming of the presidency, which depicts Bannon as at least Trump’s equal.
But it took the white supremacist and neo-Nazi murder and mayhem in Charlottesville for the president and his new chief of staff, John Kelly, to show Bannon the door. As right-wing agitator and publisher of the alt-right Breitbart, Bannon spent years preparing these fringe groups for the rally that ended in death and disaster.
At the same time, Bannon actually distanced himself from the Charlottesville travesty. While Trump defended the agitators, saying there were “good people” in the lot, Bannon denounced them as a “collection of clowns”– despite spending years apologizing for them.
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The question now is whether Bannon and the alt-right base will turn on the administration as a result. The question is critical to Trump’s standing in the GOP, and is particularly salient amid already dismal poll numbers.
The early indications are that Bannon will lead the revolt. “It will be Bannon the barbarian,” a person said to have spoken with Bannon reported to CNN. “He’s not going to go out peacefully.”
Vanity Press reporter Gabriel Sherman also reported that Bannon is likely to return to Breitbart.
Source close to Bannon confirms Bannon expected to return to Breitbart after a WH exit
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) August 18, 2017
Bannon friend says Breitbart ramping up for war against Trump. "It's now a Democrat White House," source says.
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) August 18, 2017
Breitbart editor Joel Pollak echoed those sentiments in a one word/hashtag tweet.
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) August 18, 2017
