WASHINGTON, D.C. – Much was made of the level of Steven Bannon’s influence on the Trump campaign and the Trump White House, being a fervently anti-establishment voice intent on uprooting the Establishment status quo and making the Trump presidency as ground shaking as his election.
After Bannon’s departure from Trump’s inner circle, and back to the other side of the media fence, some pundits postulated that Trump would shift to the center and ingratiate himself to the very Establishment he campaigned so vigorously against.
Those suggestions seemed to have some merit as the president snuggled up to Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, or waited eagerly to sign watered down Obamacare “repeals” ushered through Congress by Sen. Mitch McConnel and Speaker Paul Ryan that amounted to little more than Obamacare-lite to infinity.
Mere weeks ago, Trump also endorsed the GOP Establishment blessed candidate and incumbent Senator Luther Strange in the Alabama primary. Strange’s resounding defeat at the hands of outspoken Judge Roy Moore came as a surprise to many…except Bannon.
The Moore primary win may have been Bannon’s opening volley in his war plans against GOP Establishment in the U.S. Senate races of 2018. And now Trump, amid his hard shift to the right in recent days with Obamacare action and hard line foreign policy moves, is returning to form and voicing support for Bannon’s efforts.
From Breitbart:
President Donald Trump indicated that he is sympathetic with his former chief strategist Steve Bannon’s frustration with Senate Republicans.
“Steve is very committed. He’s a friend of mine, and he is very committed getting things passed,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday when asked about Bannon’s decision to challenge establishment Senate Republicans opposed to the president’s agenda.
Trump blamed Senate Republicans for failing to pass important items on his agenda, especially on Obamacare.
“I’m not going to blame myself to be honest; they aren’t getting the job done,” he said.
Whatever Trump’s conservative bona fides or lack thereof, he hasn’t even had an opportunity to sign legislation that begins to unwind the Big Government push of the last 10 years because Congressional Republicans have been so feckless, if not outright hostile, when given the chance to fulfill long worn promises.
Trump said he shared the frustration with Congress despite having great relationships with Republican senators. He specifically cited Sen. John McCain’s decision to vote against an Obamacare replacement.
“I can understand where Steve Bannon is coming from, and I can understand where a lot of people are coming from because I’m not happy about it, and a lot of people are unhappy about it,” Trump said.
Bannon predicted a “season of war” against Republican establishment candidates during a speech in Washington, DC, on Saturday.
“This is not my war. This is our war. And y’all didn’t start it. The establishment started it,” he said:
Bannon, Trump, and, most importantly, continually frustrated Republican voters just may end it come 2018. For more of the story click here.
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