By TAYLOR FARNSWORTH
Opinion Editor
Steve Bannon, Former Chief White House Strategist, had his first interview since his removal from Trump’s staff with Charlie Rose on CBS’s Sixty Minutes. The interview came as a surprise given Bannon’s desire to often be kept in the shadow throughout the campaign and the Presidency. Some television commentators, such as Trevor Noah, advised Bannon to remain in the shadow after the airing of the interview last week. What Bannon may not realize, is that he revealed a lot more about not only himself, but the Trump’s administration, than he probably intended to.
Bannon, the man represented as the Grim Reaper on Saturday Night Live, was undoubtedly an influential voice throughout Trump’s campaign and his Presidency up until August when he was removed. “I can’t take the fight to who we have to take a fight to when I am the advisor to the President as a federal government employee,” said Bannon when asked about his removal from Trump’s staff. Bannon referred to himself as a “street fighter” and insisted on using Breitbart News as a platform to promote the President and attack “the swamp.”
While interviewing Bannon, Rose didn’t shy away from asking about controversial topics. One topic in particular seemed to aggravate Bannon as he clenched his jaw the entire time Rose spoke about why the President never denounced Neo-Nazi’s since the beginning of his campaign. Bannon narrowed his eyes in on Rose, clenching his jaw, all the while looking far too uncomfortable discussing the topic of white supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan. But Bannon remained defensive and continued to defend the President in as little words as possible saying that, “The President has condemned David Duke and what David Duke stands for.”
The discussion on removing DACA also seemed to be a hot topic for Bannon, given the information regarding the removal came out only days before Rose conducted the interview. Bannon, whose great grandfather was once a DREAMer that emigrated from Ireland to this Country in the fifties, is in full support of Trump’s decision to remove DACA. “As the work permits run out, they self deport. There is no path to citizenship, no path to a green card, amnesty is non-negotiable,” argued Bannon who believes that America was built with intent on controlling our borders. When pushed further on the topic, Bannon stated that if we are to look out for our own then “this country is going to be greater, more powerful than it’s ever been.” But what exactly does he define as our own?
It’s no secret that Breitbart News, caters to the alt-right. Bannon being the former Executive Chairman for the website, confirmed this statement back in 2016 when he said that the website was the “platform for the alt-right.” The website has been subjected to criticism by other news sources, such as The New York Times, who described the content as being racist and sexist. So when Bannon, someone who has worked for a platform criticized of catering to white supremacy ideology, makes a statement about “looking out for our own,” it’s no wonder why so many are curious as to what exactly he considers as being “our own.”
Bannon also praised Trump during the interview for his use of Twitter. “I think he’s very presidential,” said Bannon, “I think what he does on Twitter is extraordinary. He disintermediates the media. He goes above their head and talks directly to the American people.” This comment is everything but subtle. We have witnessed the Trump administration undermine the media consistently and for Bannon, a former Executive Chairman of a political website, to denounce the credibility of the media is quite the contradiction. Essentially what Bannon states is that if it promotes, defends, and supports the President then let it be heard, and if it does the opposite, well then we need to shut them down.
Although he praises Trump’s use of Twitter, he does say that, “You’re going to get some good there, and every now and then you’ll get some less good.” We have clearly seen some of the “less good” when Trump rambles on Twitter uncensored and with little clarity to what he is saying. But that is why journalism has such value to this Presidency. Journalists are needed to decipher Trump’s twitter rhetoric and turn it into something comprehensible for the public. Bannon would argue against that though. He believes that we are “just going to have to live with it,” and let Trump reach out to us in the only way he seems to know how without the “fake news media” twisting his words.
When dissecting every miniscule comment or physical reaction Bannon had during his interview with Rose, a lot can be gathered. One thing remains very clear, and that is that Bannon has no intention on being anything less than the number one advocate for Trump, while doing his best to inject his own beliefs into those that still hold positions within the White House. Bannon may no longer hold the title of Chief White House Strategist, but his influence in this administration is not going to go away. He is a “street fighter” and he won’t go down without a fight.
