Washington’s rumor mill is working overtime on the fate of presidential aide Steve Bannon, who is said to be at the center of the rampant White House infighting. When I asked the president Tuesday afternoon if he still has confidence in Bannon, who took over the campaign in mid-August, I did not get a definitive yes.
“I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late,” Trump said. “I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn’t know Steve. I’m my own strategist and it wasn’t like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.”
Oh, he’s gone. “I like Steve, but… .” If Bannon goes, he takes with him any chance that the Trump Administration will do anything meaningful that runs contrary to Washington’s culture. Love him or hate him, Bannon was the voice of outsiders in Trump’s inner circle. If Jared Kushner has pushed him out — and from the sound of Trump’s words, it’s pretty close to happening — then it’s over for the Alt-Right and this administration. With Trump having suddenly flip-flopped on military intervention overseas, and now distancing himself from Bannon, I’d say he is Growing In Office™. I figured this would happen eventually, but so soon? No.
