Ousted chief White House strategist Steve Bannon is vowing to be President Donald Trump’s ‘wing man’ and warning his enemies there is ‘no free shot on goal.’
Bannon sat down with ’60 Minutes’ host Charlie Rose for the first time since leaving the White House, and had harsh words for those insiders who would side against the president, casting himself as the ultimate loyalist.
‘When you side with a man, you side with him,’ Bannon said.
He said he was ‘proud to come out and try to defend President Trump in the media’ following Trump’s comments on Charlottesville.
Former chief White House strategist Steve Bannon called himself a ‘street fighter’ who would back up President Donald Trump in his first interview since leaving his position
The president was widely criticized after calling out violence on ‘both sides’ after clashes between neo-Nazis and counter-protesters.
He called out economic advisor Gary Cohn and ‘other people’ at the White House, whose exasperation with Trump for his handling of the situation made it into the press.
‘You can tell him, “Hey, maybe you can do it a better way.” But if you’re gonna break, then resign. If you’re going to break with him, resign. The stuff that was leaked out that week by certain members of the White House I thought was unacceptable. If you find it unacceptable, you should resign,’ said Bannon.
Asked who he was talking about, Bannon replied: ‘I’m talking – obviously, about Gary Cohn and some other people. That if you don’t like what he’s doing and you don’t agree with it, you have an obligation to resign.’
Charlie Rose interviews Steve Bannon at the ‘Breitbart embassy’ in Washington, D.C.
‘If you’re going to break with him, resign,’ Bannon said of President Donald Trump
Steve Bannon’s “60 Minutes” conversation with Charlie Rose is the former White House chief strategist’s first extensive interview since he left the Trump administration.The founding board member of the conservative publication Breitbart News was a key player in President Trump’s White House
Bannon himself has come under fire as the alleged force behind internecine fights, including a series of blasts against National Security Advisor H.R. McMastor, though he has denied it.
Bannon, a founding board member of conservative site Breitbart News who joined Trump’s campaign to help shape the campaign’s nationalistic tragectory, described his own style as well as that of the president he guided.
‘The media image I think is pretty accurate. I’m a street fighter,’ said Bannon.
‘You’re more than that,’ countered Rose.
‘No, I think I’m – I think I’m – I’m a street fighter,’ Bannon responded. ‘By the way, I think that’s why Donald Trump and I get along so well. Donald Trump’s a fighter. Great counter puncher. Great counter puncher. He’s a fighter… I’m going to be his wing man outside for the entire time, to protect,’ he said, as he got cut off by a question.
Charlie Rose interviews Steve Bannon in Washington, D.C. Photo
Bannon said Gary Cohn, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, should have resigned
‘You will not be attacking Donald Trump?’ asked Rose.
‘No, our purpose is to support Donald Trump,’ said Bannon, who has returned to a role at Breitbart.
‘To make sure his enemies know that there’s no free shot on goal.’
Then he turned to Charlottesville, saying he went to new chief of staff John Kelly, who quickly cleaned house upon his arrival. Bannon, brief communications director Anthony Scaramucci, and several security staffers have departed in recent weeks.
‘By the way, after the Charlottesville situation, that’s what I told General Kelly, I was the only guy that came out and tried to defend him. I was the only guy that said, “He’s talking about something, taking it up to a higher level.”
‘WING MAN’: Bannon said he would go after President Trump’s enemies now that he has left the White House
‘Where does it all go? Where does this end? Does it end – does it end in taking down the Washington Monument?’
After the controversy, Trump tweeted about the removal of confederate monuments, asking if monuments to Washington and Jefferson would have to come down since they owned slaves.
The Charlottesville clash happened after a protest over the removal of a statue of confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Bannon called some of the groups protesting ‘absolutely awful.
‘But [Trump is] talking about the Neo-Nazis and Neo-Confederates and the Klan, who, by the way, are absolutely awful – there’s no room in American politics for that. There’s no room in American society for that,’ he said.
He said Cohn, who is Jewish and who later came out with a slashing op-ed criticizing the administration’s handling of the incident, should ‘absolutely’ have resigned.