Bannon's Lengthy Statement Didn't Placate a Raging Trump: Report
The release of Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House may have claimed its first political casualty in Steve Bannon. A pseudo-apology by the former chief strategist for the White House is reportedly failing to mend any fences.
He remained a player in Trump world from outside the White House following his exit. But extensive conversations with Wolff were used by the acerbic author to paint perhaps the most damning picture of the Trump White House to date.
Bannon is said to have called the behavior of Don Jr. "treasonous" for his decision to meet with a Russian lawyer during the campaign. But Bannon claims he was actually referencing Paul Manafort, not the president's son.
His efforts at explanation weren't enough.
Politico reports,
"[I]nside the White House, Bannon's 297-word statement of contrition about comments he made in Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House was seen as too little, too late for an operative unaware of the self-inflicted damage his hubris could cause."
Numerous unnamed administration officials told Politico that Bannon's statement did "nothing to quell Trump’s rage at his former chief strategist or the anger of Bannon’s former West Wing colleagues."
Bannon has been dropped by Rebekah Mercer, a primary financial backer. His future at the far-right news outlet Breitbart remains unclear.
