His belated mea culpa, relating to alleged comments about Trump and his family in Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury book, hasn’t been enough to assuage an angry president and his minions. Trump’s advisor Stephen Miller called him an “angry, vindictive person,” his “grotesque comments…out of touch with reality.”
Billionaire Rebekah Mercer reportedly no longer backs Bannon projects, perhaps intending to withdraw financial support for Breitbart News.
Responding to his quoted remarks, Trump said “he not only lost his job. He lost his mind.” Calling him “sloppy Steve,” he accused Bannon of “leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was.”
In his belated mea culpa, Bannon stopped short of explicitly saying Wolff misquoted him.
Instead, he called his sharp criticism of Donald Trump, Jr.’s meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya a mischaracterization. Wolff quoted him saying it was “treasonous (and) unpatriotic.”
His comments were meant for former Trump campaign manager Paul Manfort, Bannon claimed.
He and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, attended the meeting Veselnitskaya. Bannon was quoted saying they should have known “how the Russians operate,” a disgraceful comment if true.
Veselnitskaya is a private citizen, unconnected to the Kremlin. The fuss over the meeting was a tempest in a teapot, transformed into an explosive issue, used by undemocratic Dems and media scoundrels to vilify Trump for the wrong reasons – along with endlessly bashing Russia for its sovereign independence and opposition to Washington’s aggressive imperial agenda.
In his mea culpa, Bannon called Trump Jr. “a patriot and a good man…relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around.”
“My support is also unwavering for the president and his agenda,” he said, expressing “regret (in) delay(ing) (a) respon(se) (to what he called) inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr…”
Bannon is Breitbart News executive chair. His days at its helm may be numbered. BN’s financial support may depend on dumping him, forcing him to find other means of employment.
Axios published his mea culpa ahead of other media, saying he’s “trying to make amends with the Trump family,” adding:
“…(H)e’s as stubborn as Trump when it comes to apologizing and admitting he has made a mistake. He views any concession as a sign of humiliating weakness.”
Trump sent his “surrogates (to) appear for him on TV to ‘bury Steve.’ (He’s) been working the phones over the past several days, telling allies they need to choose between him and Bannon.”
Forgiveness isn’t a Trump attribute. If Axios’ information is right, Bannon is damaged goods from a self-inflicted wound.
Wolff is a self-serving opportunist. It’s unclear what’s fact or fiction in his book. He admitted being willing to say anything “necessary” to gain White House access, anything “to get the story.”
His former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter was surprised the secret service let him in the White House door. Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman accused him of breaking basic journalistic ethics to get scoops.
Trump and Wolff are both dubious characters, neither one trustworthy.
STEPHEN LENDMAN was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. In 1956, he received a BA from Harvard University. Two years of US Army service followed, then an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. After working seven years as a marketing research analyst, he joined the Lendman Group family business in 1967. He remained there until retiring at year end 1999. Writing on major world and national issues began in summer 2005. In early 2007, radio hosting followed. Lendman now hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award recipient. His new site is at http://stephenlendman.org
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