Donald Trump almost always makes up with people after spats, but this time, he has refused to forgive his alter-ego, Steve Bannon. The former chief White House strategist plummeted from the pinnacle of his political career to a man no media organization wants. Now, Bannon has the chance to get even. 
Bannon cozied up to the alt-right, the Neo-Nazis, and the alleged child molesters wearing his trademark two shirts and scruffy appearance. The rebel’s cause was to tear down the U.S. government institutions, and he used Trump to hack away at them.
As late as 2015, Bloomberg News called Bannon “the most dangerous political operative in the world.” The chief strategist had been in the unusual position of being on equal footing with former chief of staff, Reince Priebus. Yet, when John Kelly replaced Priebus, the new chief of staff fired Bannon.
Bloomberg wrote that the former chief strategist “ran the vast right-wing conspiracy,” which he managed as executive chair of Breitbart News:
‘Bannon’s designs are clear enough. While he’d blanch at the comparison, he’s pursuing something like the old Marxist dialectical concept of “heightening the contradictions,” only rather than foment revolution among the proletariat, he’s trying to disillusion Clinton’s and Bush’s natural base of support, recognizing, as Goldman Sachs taught him, that you’re more effective if others lead the way.’
Bloomberg continued:
‘To succeed, Bannon will need to activate the anger and disgust with cronyism that’s as powerful among supporters of Sanders as it is among fans of Trump. In Tallahassee, as GAI’s phone keeps ringing, the vehicle for achieving this is clear. Editors and reporters at prominent magazines and newspapers, including ones that had passed when approached with Clinton Cash revelations, are calling to ask when the next salvo will arrive.’
Bannon went on to back a motley group of politicians, including Roy Moore, who wanted to take the Senate seat that Jeff Sessions abandoned to become Trump’s attorney general. The state refused to vote for a man who allegedly (but credibly) sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl when he was a state attorney general and in his 30’s.
On top of that, Michael Wolff’s tell-all White House book, Fire and Fury, exploded onto the scene. Bannon’s billionaire backers, the Mercers, dropped him. Then, the Mercers forced Bannon out of Breitbart, and killed off his Sirius XM radio show. Without their financial support and Trump, the executive lost most of his power. Not even the Fox network would hire him.
Now, the former chief strategist has hired attorney Bill Burck to help him get ready for his interview with the House Intelligence Committee next week. Bannon intends to “fully cooperate” with investigators.
Former federal prosecutor specializing in First Amendment issues, Ken White, discussed Mueller’s targets, according to The Daily Beast:
‘In general, prosecutors don’t like it when the same attorney represents multiple people who are subjects—or more—because it looks like they’re controlling the story.’
Bannon has managed to stay out of the Russian spotlight until now. Fire and Fury exposed him calling Donald Trump Jr. “treasonous” for holding the infamous meeting with the Kremlin-linked Russians in Trump Tower.
Now, the questions become, will this rebel turn on his former White House boss, and how badly could that hurt Trump?
Featured Image via Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla.
