President Donald Trump’s growing feud with Steve Bannon is threatening the former White House strategist’s leadership of the conservative Breitbart News website and upending Mr. Bannon’s plans to wage “war” on party incumbents he deemed insufficiently loyal to the White House agenda.

Mr. Trump said Mr. Bannon has “lost his mind” and that he has “nothing to do with me or my presidency,” a response to Mr. Bannon’s numerous incendiary comments—including insults about the president’s family—in a new book about the first year of the Trump administration.

Mr. Bannon’s longtime benefactors, billionaires Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer, are actively distancing from him even before the expected release of Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” according to two people close to the Mercers.

They and other Breitbart News Network LLC board members on Thursday were debating whether to oust Mr. Bannon as chairman, with many supportive of the move, according to a person familiar with the exchanges. Among the considerations are Breitbart’s contractual relationships with other entities, including Sirius XM radio, that involve Mr. Bannon.

Staffers at Breitbart, which Mr. Bannon has called his “killing machine,” described a “chaotic” day at the company, with writers—many personally recruited by Mr. Bannon—wondering whether he would last the day.

Asked Thursday whether Breitbart should oust Mr. Bannon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said: “I certainly think that it’s something they should look at and consider.”

Mr. Bannon and his representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment. On two recent radio shows, Mr. Bannon expressed support for Mr. Trump. He said Thursday morning, “nothing will ever come between us and President Trump and his agenda.”

On Thursday, Mr. Trump acknowledged Mr. Bannon’s more complimentary tone. “He called me a great man last night, so he obviously changed his tune pretty quick,” Mr. Trump told reporters.

The quarrel between the onetime political partners also is raising doubts about whether Mr. Bannon will have a financial benefactor for his run at establishment Republicans, a project that he has said is ultimately aimed at toppling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.)

After leaving the White House in August, Mr. Bannon returned to the helm of Breitbart News and toured the world speaking to groups about populism. Mr. Bannon also formed a nonprofit group to raise money for use in political races and policy fights and had been set to launch the project in the coming weeks.

The group, called Citizens of the American Republic, was registered in Virginia on Nov. 21, but beyond testing out a website since taken down, Mr. Bannon appears to have done little with the group.

Ed Rollins, a strategist for Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, said the Trump-Bannon feud will marginalize Mr. Bannon. His own group, he said, is unlikely to continue its plans to work with him on campaigns.

“Bannon could have been a force and very helpful on campaigns,” Mr. Rollins said. “Money people are only going to go with people they think are tied to Trump, and he’s lost that.”


Mr. Bannon’s move into political strategy hit an early roadblock when he backed Roy Moore in the race for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr. Moore lost last month in an upset to a Democrat after being accused of sexual encounters with teenagers decades ago.

Tensions between Mr. Bannon and the Mercers—who have backed numerous Bannon ventures—have been simmering for months. Mr. Mercer resigned in November as chief executive of his hedge fund and sold his stake in Breitbart to Rebekah Mercer. In his resignation letter, he wrote that his views didn’t always “align” with Mr. Bannon’s but that he had “great respect” for him.

After reading about Mr. Bannon’s extensive quotes in Mr. Wolff’s book, the Mercers were “shocked and horrified,” according to one person familiar with their views.

Doug Deason, a Texas-based GOP donor who has said he admires Mr. Bannon as a “brilliant guy” who played a critical role in getting Mr. Trump elected, said the former chief strategist’s ego has gotten the better of him. He said that would likely doom him with donors.

“He doesn’t have any credibility out there with anyone in the big donor class,” Mr. Deason said. “If you support the president, you can’t support Steve Bannon. Anyone who was even considering giving him money—I can’t imagine they would do that now.”

Indeed, Dan Eberhart, a GOP donor and chief executive of a Colorado-based drilling services company, said he is rethinking plans to back Mr. Bannon’s political projects.

“If he’s not President Trump’s wingman on the outside, I really don’t know what Steve Bannon’s constituency is,” Mr. Eberhart said.

Candidates who very recently touted Mr. Bannon’s support have begun distancing themselves, including Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kelli Ward, who appeared with Mr. Bannon at a campaign rally in October.

“Steve Bannon is only one of the many high-profile endorsements Dr. Ward has received,” said Ward spokesman Zachery Henry, who declined to comment on whether she would welcome another campaign visit by Mr. Bannon.

Bannon-backed candidates are being pushed by their opponents to disavow him.

Rep. Evan Jenkins, who is running for the Senate GOP nomination in West Virginia, called on his rival Attorney General Pat Morrisey to “immediately disavow Bannon’s support.”

Morrisey spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik put out a statement emphasizing the candidate’s support for the president over his alliance with Mr. Bannon, saying he “does not support these attacks on President Trump and his family.”

However, some GOP challengers were wary of openly repudiating Mr. Bannon. Danny Tarkanian, who is running against one of the GOP’s most vulnerable senators, Dean Heller of Nevada, said he still welcomed Mr. Bannon’s support while casting himself as a Trump loyalist.

“If Mr. Bannon chooses to support me in our effort to repeal and replace Dean Heller with someone who will truly have the President’s back, I welcome his support,” Mr. Tarkanian said.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R. Texas) said the falling out with Mr. Bannon would be good for the party’s chances in 2018.

“Mr. Bannon was out recruiting candidates who were un-electable in the general election,” Mr. Cornyn told reporters Thursday. “We can get back to work nominating good electable candidates.”

The Trump-Bannon feud has one person claiming victory: Mr. McConnell. Shortly after Mr. Trump’s Wednesday statement denouncing Mr. Bannon, Mr. McConnell’s campaign team tweeted an image of the Senate majority leader, sitting behind a desk, grinning broadly.

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quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Doug Deason, a Texas-based GOP donor who has said he admires Mr. Bannon as a “brilliant guy” who played a critical role in getting Mr. Trump elected, said the former chief strategist’s ego has gotten the better of him.

I used to have a great deal of respect for Bannon back when he was an obscure figure, but IMO, the guy has changed once he got into the spotlight. Fame does that sometimes. Eventually he made it all about him. And that won't do in a Trump Presidency.

Guy seems to be all over the map.

He seems like a loose Bannon...

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
He seems like a loose Bannon...

Excellent! Apt and accurate.

Bannon is the Michael Moore of the right. Rich guy who dresses like a slob and tries to present themselves as a loud mouth populist.

quote:

“If he’s not President Trump’s wingman on the outside, I really don’t know what Steve Bannon’s constituency is,” Mr. Eberhart said.

I guess Steve Bannon's constituency is Steve Bannon. Never have I understood this guy. The only thing I can figure is that he's in it entirely for his own exaltation.

And I don't happen to think he's all that brilliant. He certainly didn't see this coming, did he? I'd say that he deserves whatever he gets.

There are a lot of guys, and gals, out there who can talk, and write, a real good sounding game, but when you sit them in a chair behind a desk and ask them to execute, they turn out to be, as some say around here, all hat and no cows.

The nominee rewards loyalty during the campaign with titles, jobs, influence. Most of these are proven party regulars who mostly do well enough to survive, but a few are in over their heads. Some of the glamor goes right to their heads, all the attention, the fawning, butt kissing from the media. Like Philipino working women, give ‘em what they want, they love you long time!

Bannon attracted a lot of attention, which seems to be what he is best at, someone thought up the title of “Chief Strategist”, whatever that is, and he turned out to be best at getting attention. If he was the leaker, he should have been out of there long before he was. Loyalty, and all that.

One of Trump’s rare misjudgments of people.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JALLEN,

quote:

One of Trump’s rare misjudgments of people.

Some have noted Brannon may well have morphed from what he was into what he now seems to be during the recent campaign process.

I'd like to see a vigorous exploration of what the book author attributing these quotes, can actually document.

I haven't paid much attention to Bannon; the few times I have, he's reminded me of a Glenn Beck with long hair.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
Some have noted Brannon may well have morphed from what he was into what he now seems to be during the recent campaign process.

It is said that Bannon changed the course of the Trump campaign significantly after taking over from Manafort and I agree. For this, I thank Bannon. But I guess the guy has Delusions of Grandeur. Too bad, he could have been a great asset to this country if he worked behind the scenes.

quote:

And I don't happen to think he's all that brilliant. He certainly didn't see this coming, did he?

Doesn't seem like he thought through the ramifications of his actions. It does bring into question what cause he's actually loyal to. And it's not like he would be the first or last to be a political proponent for the sake of putting food on his table.