Bannon, Trump's news target?

[Mormolyce]

The Mooch says Bannon is a White House leaker. Wanna see the video?

I don't know how useful of a source The Mooch is, but it's interesting that he flat-out says so in broad freaking daylight without doubt or sarcasm.

I have zero doubt Bannon is one of the leakers.

Among, basically, everyone else.

[Breccia]

Bannon lays low amid high White House tensions

Key excerpt:

The President broke from his vacation to return to the White House on Monday for a brief trip to sign an executive memorandum directing US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to explore ways to investigate China's alleged theft of US intellectual property.

Though the move was something Bannon had advocated, he remained in his office in the building next door as the event took place.

[zorkuus]

I never liked The Apprentice. This new season is the shit though.

[Bullettime]

I have zero doubt Bannon is one of the leakers.

Among, basically, everyone else.

Yeah it's a case of everyone leaking to try to control the narrative and further their own goals. Everyone is leaking damaging information about everyone else because they want their faction on top.

Bannon was obviously leaking shit the whole time and using Breitbart as a weapon against his opposition in the White House. Any time Bannon came under fire for anything or the white nationalist agenda was threatened, we see hit pieces on Comey, Priebus, McMaster, Kelly, etc start flooding the air waves.

And given Bannon's mysterious working conditions, he's got to be doing SOMETHING. Just doesn't seem like Trump has been bothering or caring to ask what.

[Breccia]

That sound you hear is the Fat Lady warming up.

Steve Bannon's job has never been in more jeopardy, sources say

The next White House staff shake-up could leave Steve Bannon on the outside.

Sources told CBS News President Trump's chief political strategist may soon be gone.

The former executive chairman of Breitbart News helped Mr. Trump win the presidency, but his future is at risk because the president's new chief of staff is working to restore order in the West Wing.

Several high-placed sources inside and outside the White House told CBS News that Bannon has never been in more jeopardy, and one well-placed source said he could be gone by the end of this week, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reports.

Bannon's stock has risen and fallen like other senior White House officials, and he has survived job scares before.

His close, personal relationship with the president can't be ruled out, but his fate is the topic of intense internal discussions involving the president and inside and outside adivsers, in part because of Bannon's history of clashing with members of the national security team as well as top economic advisers.

He's also accused of using his allies in the conservative media to try to undermine H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser.

The new chief of staff at the White House, retired four-star Marine Gen. John Kelly, is trying to eliminate that kind of open, factional warfare within the White House, and he has also tried to strengthen McMaster's position within the White House.

There's an ideological dimension to this as well: Bannon's hard-right, nationalist economic perspective and his reluctance to engage or expand military operations makes him clash with comparatively more moderate voices in the White House.

In the end, this could come down to the president's newly forged relationship with Kelly. Several sources told CBS News that Kelly wants "more adults" in the White House, and where Bannon falls on Kelly's estimation of adult or not adult could decide his fate.

There are three options.
1) CBS is blatantly making shit up. I don't believe that.
2) For some reason, some people in the WH think that stories of infighting and low morale are better news for them than what's really happening, and leaked a false story about Bannon to cover up things which are worse.
3) Bannon is not only in trouble, but knows it, and we should be watching Breitbart for some interesting stories about Kelly.

[Deleted]

3) Bannon is not only in trouble, but knows it, and we should be watching Breitbart for some interesting stories about Kelly.

Right now, they are attacking Rupert fucking Murdoch because of Bannon.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...-trump-voters/

It's funny when hyenas start to attack each other.

[Breccia]

Bannon fights back.



Someone's desperate. That's their front page headline.

[Edge-]

Yeah, somehow I doubt McMaster is going to get taken down by the alt-white supermacists. Trump is scared of "his generals", and no way will Kelly and Mattis silently let Trump fire or marginalize McMaster.

[Bullettime]

Yeah, somehow I doubt McMaster is going to get taken down by the alt-white supermacists. Trump is scared of "his generals", and no way will Kelly and Mattis silently let Trump fire or marginalize McMaster.

It's gone from the GOP vs Trump and goons to Trump and goons vs career military.

Kelly, McMaster, and Mattis will all be at each others' backs to keep control of the White House and prevent Trump from doing some disastrous.

[Breccia]

Yeah, somehow I doubt McMaster is going to get taken down by the alt-white supermacists. Trump is scared of "his generals", and no way will Kelly and Mattis silently let Trump fire or marginalize McMaster.

Never said it would work

[Edge-]

Never said it would work

Never meant to imply you did : )

But it's hilarious to think that they have any power over folks like McMaster. The alt-rights very obvious fear of McMaster is delicious though. He's removing them from positions of significance one after another and they have no recourse but shrill shrieking and temper tantrums.

[Mormolyce]

With Trump basically spending the last few days (especially this morning) deep-throating Bannon's camp at deep political cost to himself, you have to wonder what's next with this supposed purge.

In any sane political camp Bannon would be strapped into the guillotine by now, but of course in any sane political camp he would've never been hired in the first place so...

[Bullettime]

With Trump basically spending the last few days (especially this morning) deep-throating Bannon's camp at deep political cost to himself, you have to wonder what's next with this supposed purge.

In any sane political camp Bannon would be strapped into the guillotine by now, but of course in any sane political camp he would've never been hired in the first place so...

Especially when the recent incidents are going to put more focus on Bannon, Miller, and Gorka. I imagine McMaster and Kelly are going to find any way they can to get rid of them, but Trump is now in a place between backing up his generals or backing up his base.

If he doesn't back up his base, he's fucked. They're all he has left. If he doesn't back up his generals, he's toothless since he already lost congress.

[Mormolyce]

I never liked The Apprentice. This new season is the shit though.

Trump's greatest legacy in this world will be firing himself.

What an end to a reality show.

[Breccia]

Trump distances himself from strategist Steve Bannon in wake of Charlottesville violence

By the way, when you watch that video (where Trump says Bannon came on late in the campaign, not exactly a ringing endorsement) count the seconds until Trump tells an objectively false statement. The answer is "ten" as Trump says he won all the primaries.

Trump asked to fire Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Sebastian Gorka

Trump pressed to fire Steve Bannon and other White House staffers after Charlottesville

I like those last two because the nearly identical headlines come from the Washington Examiner and PBS. Not exactly the neighboring colors in the political spectrum.

White House Wonders If It’s Safe to Fire Steve Bannon

Donald Trump Says 'We'll See' What Happens to Steve Bannon (there are actually quite a few articles out there with nearly that exact headline). Hey, remember what I said about Trump using the passive tense to make it seem like he wasn't responsible?

Trump suspects Bannon of leaking, putting job in jeopardy

Steve Bannon’s Enemies See a Friend in John Kelly

Nervous Steve Bannon Binge-Eats Entire Class Of Interns Amid Calls For Removal

Shit. This stuff is literally everywhere you look. Whether Trump fires him or not, this has got to be demoralizing. Unlike Trump, Bannon (and most carbon-based life forms) are capable of accepting news that is about them, but not flattering.

- - - Updated - - -

Banish Bannon? Trump weighs his options as top aides feud

For months, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser and his chief strategist have battled for influence behind the scenes, and their feud may force another shake-up at the White House.

The dispute between Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster and political strategist Stephen Bannon has reached a level of animosity that is destabilizing Trump's team of top advisers just as the administration tries to regain lost momentum, three senior officials said.

Under pressure from moderate Republicans to fire Bannon, Trump declined to publicly back him on Tuesday, although he left his options open. "We'll see what happens with Mr. Bannon," he told reporters at Trump Tower in New York.

Whatever Trump decides could chart the fate of a nuclear-weapons deal with Iran, U.S. troop deployments to Afghanistan and White House staffing decisions - all issues over which Bannon and McMaster have sparred.

Bannon has been in a precarious position before but Trump has opted to keep him, in part because his chief strategist played a major role in his election victory and is backed by many of the president's most loyal rank-and-file supporters.

"The president obviously is very nervous and afraid of firing him," a source close to the White House told Reuters.

The source floated the possibility that Bannon could be demoted instead of fired, noting that he might turn into a harsh critic of the administration if he is forced out of the inner circle.

Two other senior officials, both supporters of McMaster who asked not to be identified, said he blames Bannon for a series of attacks against him by right-wing website Breitbart News, which Bannon used to lead, and other far-right conservative groups.

In recent weeks, Breitbart has published a series of articles making a case for McMaster's ouster on the basis that he is not a strong ally of Israel and that he has staffed the National Security Council with holdovers from the Obama administration.

JOSTLING

One of the senior officials said McMaster’s anger over the campaign “is known to the president” but declined to say whether the national security adviser had told Trump directly or through General John Kelly, an ally and the president's new chief of staff.

"McMaster isn't saying Bannon is the mastermind behind the campaign, but he does think Bannon could stop it if he wanted to,” said one of McMaster's defenders.

In a television interview on Sunday, McMaster repeatedly declined to answer when asked if he could work with Bannon.

About their feud, Bannon declined to comment and McMaster was unavailable for comment.

Instead of firing Bannon, Trump could move McMaster into a position outside the White House, possibly back to an active military command role, or keep both men where they are and insist on some form of truce.

Bannon has survived other White House power struggles this year and established a detente with Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner after a scolding from the president.

The two senior officials who support McMaster said Kelly is angry that the anti-McMaster campaign has made the White House appear chaotic, reflecting badly on him as he was brought in as chief of staff two weeks ago to restore order and discipline.

Bannon sees himself as the defender of Trump's nationalist base and has advocated for both an end or renegotiation of trade deals and a more isolationist approach to foreign affairs than McMaster.

He has pushed to scrap the 2015 nuclear-weapons agreement with Iran, which McMaster argues should remain in place, and has also proposed using contractors to fight the war in Afghanistan rather than expanding U.S. forces there, as McMaster has advocated.

McMaster is part of a more pragmatic group that Bannon likes to label "globalists."

He drew the fury of Bannon's supporters by recently overhauling the White House's National Security Council, pushing out four staffers who were seen as close to Bannon.

Conservative commentator Mike Cernovich is a Bannon ally and has been a vocal critic of McMaster, even leveling personal attacks against him.

Cernovich says he does not talk directly to Bannon but praises him as an important counterweight to McMaster.

He also warns that the president would alienate his most loyal supporters if he fires Bannon.

"I don't think that people who like Trump are suddenly going to say, 'We're going to fight Trump.' Instead they'll say, 'What's the point of supporting him?'" Cernovich told Reuters.

The conservative Jewish-American and pro-Israel group Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), which also has close ties to Bannon, has been one of McMaster’s sharpest critics, urging Trump to reassign him away from policy areas dealing with Israel and Iran.

Trump has himself backed McMaster, saying he was a "good man and very pro-Israel".

A source close to the ZOA bristled at the suggestion that Bannon was influencing its approach and said it would not tone down the campaign against McMaster, despite entreaties by Bannon to do so.

“We find it remarkably offensive that anyone would suggest that Steve Bannon or anyone else tells us what to say or what not to say,” the source said. “It makes me feel awful that he’s getting blamed for this, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Bolded for relevance. Man, it's gotta be tough for a Jewish pro-Israel group when Trump won't condemn American Nazis and the KKK, huh?

[Breccia]

I mean, it's great that the US has really high quality people running their army because increasingly it feels like Trump is a puppet president with a few army generals actually running the show and trying to placate their puppet.

I wonder if Trump knows he's a puppet yet. How strict are they, when directing policy? Mattis, at the least, doesn't strike me as the subtle type. Did they make him sit in the corner?

[CostinR]

I wonder if Trump knows he's a puppet yet. How strict are they, when directing policy? Mattis, at the least, doesn't strike me as the subtle type. Did they make him sit in the corner?

Every president is a puppet when it comes to running things. The last one that wasn't was George Bush Sr. and he was a former CIA director.

Did Obama run foreign policy? That's a joke: SUSAN RICE ran US foreign policy. Did Bush Jr. run the US? No it was Dick Cheney.

As for Trump. Maybe instead of using the situation to insult Trump just to make yourselves feel better you should be damned happy that people like Mattis, Kelly, Tillerson, McMaster, Pompeo and Dan Coats are the ones actually running things. I certainly am after people like Susan Rice, Samantha Powers, Rumselfd, Cheney, Wolfowitz and others.

This brings me to the thread topic: If Trump were to say fire McMaster he'd be signing his own death warrant. He NEEDS a military genius like McMaster to actually deal with North Korea, Iran, Russia, China. Some laughable joke of an article claimed Trump could appoint McMaster to be in charge of Afghanistan: He'd do a splendid job there sure, but that's like sending a SWAT team for a case of assault.

[Deleted]

As for Trump. Maybe instead of using the situation to insult Trump just to make yourselves feel better you should be damned happy that people like Mattis, Kelly, Tillerson, McMaster, Pompeo and Dan Coats are the ones actually running things.

They are trying to, but they can't control Trump's mouth and Twitter obsession and that is what is running America (to the ground).

[Breccia]

As for Trump. Maybe instead of using the situation to insult Trump just to make yourselves feel better you should be damned happy that people like Mattis, Kelly, Tillerson, McMaster, Pompeo and Dan Coats are the ones actually running things.

I can multitask. Trump, by contrast, insisted he knew better than the generals, making the situation inherently more fun. And now we have this discussion about them taking over.

[Deleted]

Right now, they are attacking Rupert fucking Murdoch because of Bannon.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...-trump-voters/

It's funny when hyenas start to attack each other.

I think we should talk about this.

Murdoch urged Trump to throw Bannon out, Breitbart attacks Murdoch, but Murdoch > Bannon by far, since old Rupert is the chairman and CEO of Fox News.

The hosts of Fox News' newest major show have been slamming Trump all week
http://www.businessinsider.de/fox-ne...17-8?r=US&IR=T

On Monday, host Eboni Williams blasted Trump for hesitating to denounce white supremacists explicitly, saying he was "all too happy" to benefit from and "tacitly encourage" individuals who hold white supremacists views.

"Mr. President, your initial response was cowardly and dangerous, and they warranted a second statement," Williams said.

She added: "I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I can no longer do that, Mr. President. No more benefit, all doubt. In a moment where you could've been crystal clear where you stand on the issue of inclusion, standing up against white supremacy and terrorism, you very clearly chose to be ambiguous and to equivocate. All sides, Mr. President? Please."

Williams monologue quickly went viral, getting space on the homepage of right-wing aggregator The Drudge Report.

Host Kat Timpf, a libertarian and stand-up comic, has regularly pushed back against some pro-Trump guests over the president's factual inaccuracies, as well as some of his jingoistic calls for foreign intervention.

But following Trump's press conference, Timpf offered one of her bluntest condemnations, noting that it was ironic for Trump to urge restraint in this instance, but rush to judgment himself when there were instances that appeared to be acts of Islamic terrorism.

"It's crazy for me to have to comment because I'm still in the phase where I'm wondering if it was actually real life what I just watched," Timpf said. "It was one of the biggest messes I've ever seen. I can't believe it happened."

She added: "It shouldn't be some kind of bold statement to say, 'Yes, a gathering full of white supremacist Nazis doesn't have good people in it. Those are all bad people, period.' And fact that that's controversial, I don't know if i should just laugh. I have too much eye makeup on to start crying right now. It's disgusting."

Coincidence or conspiracy ?