Media reports speculated that Bannon had been at odds with ideological rivals such as Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, Economic Adviser Gary Cohn and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. The recent appointment of General John Kelly as Chief of Staff just probably added to the tension.
So, instead of Bannon being frustrated on the inside, he’s now unchained on the outside. He made his future plans clear in an interview with Bloomberg.
If there’s any confusion out there, let me clear it up. I’m leaving the White House and going to war for Trump against his opponents… on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America.”
Aiding Bannon in his “war” will be Breitbart News, which experienced enormous growth under his prior leadership. Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow put Bannon’s return in perspective:
The populist-nationalist movement got a lot stronger today. Breitbart gained an executive chairman with his finger on the pulse of the Trump agenda.”
Evidence of the schism within the White House staff was the stance Bannon took on invoking a Section 301 complaint regarding China’s unfair trading practices on intellectual property.
Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the President to take all appropriate action, including retaliation, against foreign governments violating international trade agreements.
In a parting victory for Bannon, last Monday President Trump asked U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to undertake a Section 301 investigation of Chinese trade practices regarding intellectual property, specifically, computer software.
Bannon’s push for a Section 301 probe was opposed by his adversaries in the White House, State Department and Defense Department who want Chinese help in reining in North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, and don’t want to antagonize the Chinese on trade issues.
The announcement of Bannon’s departure was portrayed as being agreed to mutually while the news media played it as a firing.
What’s unclear is how the relationship between the president and Bannon will fare going forward. Could his leaving be a head fake to lessen tension internally while Bannon keeps pushing the Trump agenda externally and goes after those opposing it without getting return fire directed at the White House? Something to consider.
Breitbart president Larry Solov welcomed Bannon’s return, noting the news site’s global expansion will accelerate. “The sky’s the limit,” he said.
Interestingly, Bannon took a shot at the far right as “irrelevant losers.”
Ethno-nationalism—it’s losers. It’s a fringe element. I think the media plays it up too much, and we gotta help crush it, you know, uh, help crush it more.”
One thing’s for sure. Breitbart will take on a higher profile, and Bannon Unchained will be really bad news for Democrats, globalists, the fake news media and turncoat Republicans.
Source: Bloomberg
Image: Michael Vadon
Nope that would be antifa BLM