Stephen K. Bannon : an American Prayer

Universidades Lusíada

Rodrigues, Luís Manuel Barbosa, 1962- Stephen K. Bannon : an American prayer http://hdl.handle.net/11067/5668 https://doi.org/10.34628/t2mt-b589

Metadados Data de Publicação 2020 Resumo The present study attempts to understand the main vectors of Stephen K. Bannon’s political thought, a thought that decisively influenced the last American Administration practice.... O presente estudo visa conhecer os principais vetores do pensamento político de Stephen K. Bannon, pensamento que influenciou decisivamente a prática da última Administração americana.... Palavras Chave Bannon, Stephen K., 1953- - Visão política e social, Estados Unidos - Política e governo - 2017-, Nacionalismo - Estados Unidos Tipo article Revisão de Pares Não Coleções [ILID-CEJEA] Polis, s. 2, n. 01 (Janeiro-Junho 2020)

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http://repositorio.ulusiada.pt STEPHEN K. BANNON: AN AMERICAN PRAYER - L. Barbosa Rodrigues

Stephen K. Bannon: an american prayer manipulator4, propagandist5, determined6, L. Barbosa Rodrigues intelligent and charismatic7, systemic8, Doutor e Mestre em Direito pela Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa Anglo-Saxon, but, above all, and viscerally, Professor Associado das Faculdades de Direito da Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa e da Universidade Lusíada Norte - Porto Investigador do Centro de Estudos, Jurídicos, Económicos e Ambientais da Universidade Lusíada (CEJEA) North American. E-mail: [email protected] ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0386-3704 II - His professional and political careers DOI: https://doi.org/10.34628/t2mt-b589 are rather heteroclite, or, at the least, unu- Abstract: Resumo: sual. Emerging from the typical American The present study attempts to unders- O presente estudo visa conhecer os prin- working class of the fifties (born 1953)9, he tand the main vectors of Stephen K. cipais vetores do pensamento político de discovered, initially, a position in the U.S. Bannon’s political thought, a thought Stephen K. Bannon, pensamento que that decisively influenced the last Ame- influenciou decisivamente a prática da rican Administration practice. última Administração americana. some matches”; Shane, loc. cit.: “rarely has there been so incendiary a figure at the side of a presi- Keywords: Palavras-chave: dent-elect”; Wolff, op. cit., p. 39: “a professional ag- Populism; Nationalism; China; Islam. Populismo; Nacionalismo; China; Islão. itator”; and, Caldwell, loc. cit.: “the historian Ron- ald Radosh contributed to this image with his (later contested) recollection that, years ago, Mr. Bannon “Modern political speech was designed not to 1 – PROFILE (…) described himself as a ‘Leninist’, who wanted to ‘bring everything crashing down, and destroy all talk about the issues. It was about a series of of today’s establishment’”. evasions that were meant to keep voters paci- I - Stephen K. Bannon, or, most commonly, 4 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 242: “he was, as the fied while the political class looked after its Steve Bannon, is an American contempo- infamous Time cover put it, ‘The Great Manipula- own interests.” rary political ideologue, and, as well, po- tor’”; Grynbaum, loc. cit.: “Bannon is (…) a savvy 1 2 3 manipulator of the press”; and, Shane, loc. cit.: (Bannon) litical operative . Incorrect , incendiary , “Shapiro, a former Breitbart News editor, who has been sharply critical of Mr. Bannon, called him ‘a NOTE manipulator’ who had ‘mainstreamed’ far-right ex- 1 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit., p. 3: “unlike most intellec- tremists for cynical political purposes”. tuals (…), Bannon´s ideas have actually translated 5 Similarly, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “Bannon is a Stephen K. Bannon is, often, demonized into real politics”; Caldwell, loc. cit.: “an intellectual master propagandist”; McBain, loc. cit.: “a propa- and accused to be a right-wing extremist, in politics excited by grand theories - a combination gandist film-maker”; Egan, loc. cit.: “from his films maybe a fascist, a xenophobic, a racist that has produced unpredictable results before”; and, on Sarah Palin to his time running Breitbart, he Green, loc. cit.: “this man is the most dangerous politi- learned how to be a very good propagandist. It’s a and white supremacist, an anti-Semitic, cal operative in America”. role that has served him well in the White House”; and a sexist, too. 2 Closely, McSweeney, a former chairman of Virginia’s and, Blake, loc. cit.: “Andrew Breitbart, who found- We do not share such an opinion. Indeed, Republican Party, cit. in Shane, loc. cit.: “the least ed the far-right website Breitbart News in 2007, once politically correct person I know”; Shane, loc. cit.: admiringly called Mr. Bannon ’the Leni Riefenstahl the scientific research produced, over the “his ideology is that of the outsider and the insur- of the Tea Party movement’”. past few months, allows us to conclude, gent”; Green, Devil’s…, p. 21: “a brilliant ideologue 6 Similarly, Wolff, op. cit., p. 45: “a determinate man, on all these issues, in the precisely oppo- from the outer fringe of American politics”; Cald- he was suddenly at an ever higher level of focus and site direction. well, loc. cit.: “it did show a relish for the role of determination; and, McSweeney, cit. in Shane, loc. ideological bad boy”; Paxton, Columbia University, cit.: “nobody says he is nice (…). His overriding con- For us, Stephen K. Bannon is just a hard cit. in McBain, loc. cit.: “he is an adventurer, a pri- cern is always getting the mission accomplished”. conservative, a traditionalist, in a mod- vate freebooter, and a pirate”; and, Koffler, op. cit., 7 Similarly, Wolff, op. cit., p. 48: “smart and even char- ern and now globalized world, praying, in p. 2: “a rebel by nature, but always a rebel with a ismatic”; and, Green, Devil’s…, p. X: “he was clearly the name of the past, present and future, cause. That cause today is America, American cul- intelligent, and had a manic charisma”. ture, and the survival and prosperity of the Ameri- 8 Similarly, Caldwell, loc. cit.: “he does have a real gift for America. can working and middle class“. for thinking systematically”; and, Wolff, op. cit., p. 3 Similarly, Boyle, a former Breitbart News writer, 139: “an hyper-rationalist approach”. cit. in Green, This man…: “if there’s an explosion 9 Closely, Green, Devil’s…, p. 47: “Bannon was born or a fire somewhere, Steve is probably nearby with into a blue-collar, Irish-Catholic, family”.

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Navy, which ended at the rank of Lieuten- So, when two - quite obscure - American ant, moved, after, to Goldman Sachs, left “In political terms, historians, William Strauss and Neil Howe, on the post of Vice-President, and, finally, published The Fourth Turning - An Ameri- goes to Hollywood, making politically en- Steve Bannon is, can Prophecy - What the Cycles of History gaged movies, as well, in Breitbart News - Tell Us About America’s Next Rendez-vous or, occasionally, Huntington Post and Fox originally, an ex- with Destiny, New York City, Broadway News - right wing activist and journalistic pected, although dis- Books, 1997, an extensive essay supporting work10. the existence of these circles and, more, tant, Democrat, later characterizing each one in detail, Bannon, III - In political terms, Steve Bannon is, not surprisingly, incorporated that theory originally, an expected, although distant, on, a far more enthu- in his own thinking18. Democrat11, later on, a far more enthu- siastic Republican, inspired by Reagan’s siastic Republican, III – Strauss and Howe suggests, indeed, policies12, and lastly, in the 21st century, a that the history always develops in periods decided conservative - maybe, a paleo-con- inspired by Reagan’s of time of eighty to hundred years, desig- servative13 - simultaneously, populist, na- nated, by them, as saeculum. tionalist14, capitalist, Judeo-Christian and policies, and lastly, That the saeculum is targeted in four turn- anti-establishment. st ings, lasting from twenty to twenty five in the 21 century, a years. 2 - FOURTH TURNING That each turning has different charac- decided conservative teristics, defined by the successive genera- I - Despite his education, at Georgetown tions19. University Scholl of Foreign Service, first, – maybe, a paleo- And that these turnings can be seen as a at Harvard Business School, later, Bannon “high”, a “awakening”, an “unraveling”, conservative – si- and, finally, a “crisis”. multaneously, pop- So, the first turning - after a latter crisis 10 Identically, Koffler, op. cit., p. 118: “in late middle - characterizes by prosperity, stability and age, he was transformed into a full-time conservative ulist, nationalist, traditionalism20. activist”; Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “Bannon’s life became The second turning saw the emergence, on a crusade against political, financial and cultural elites of all stripes”; and, Wolff, loc. cit.: “the other- capitalist, Judeo- a new generation, of a rebellion against world of the vast right-wing conspiracy and conser- this whole social model21. vative media”. 11 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 47: “Bannon was born Christian and anti- into a (…) family of Democrats”. 18 Similarly, Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “sometime in the ear- 12 Bannon, cit. in Green, Devil’s…, pp. 58, 59: “I was establishment”. ly 2000s, Bannon was captivated by a book called not that political. But then you see, with a guy like The Fourth Turning. by generational theorists Wil- Carter, how fucked the things can get. My political liam Strauss and Neil Howe; and, Koffler,op. cit., pp. views were formed by seeing how a weak leader like is, essentially, a self-taught15, not an aca- 58, 59: “had long been convinced that history moves that could get America into a Middle East debacle demic16. in cycles, after read the 1997 book The Fourth Turn- (…). It pushed me into a different party (…). I came ing (…) which had accurately predicted an economic back to the U.S. and saw how Reagan inspired this crisis, he incorporated their insights into his vision of country. I was just a huge Reagan admirer. Still am”. II – And, regarding history, he believes in what had happened”. 13 Closely, Caldwell, loc. cit.: “while he is certainly a a - so-called - generational, cyclical, his- 19 Similarly, Koffler,op. cit., p. 59: “according to Strauss hardline conservative of some kind, the evidence tory17. and Howe, history revolves in cycles lasting approx- that he is an extremist of a more troubling sort has imately eighty to a hundred years, what the authors generally been either massaged, misread or hyped term a saeculum. Each saeculum is divided into four up; and, Raimondo, loc. cit.: “Bannon’s political and turnings, lasting about twenty to twenty five years. economic views have been described by others as na- 15 In the same direction, Green, Devil’s…, p. 204: “he is Each turning has specific characteristics driven by tionalist, right-wing populist, and even, paleo-con- a voracious autodidact”. the personalities of four different type of genera- servative”. 16 Differently, Crowley, loc. cit.: “he is a history-ob- tions and the age of the generations during each 14 Bannon, cit. in Green, This man…:“what turned sessed global thinker”; and, Sifry, loc. cit.: “he has a turning“. me against the whole establishment was coming hellishly bleak vision of our past, present, and fu- 20 Similarly, Koffler,op. cit. p. 59: “first turning is a time back from running companies in Asia, in 2008, and ture, driven by a magical belief in historical deter- of relative prosperity and stability in which adults seeing that Bush had fucked up as badly as Carter. minism”. subscribe to traditional values, conformity is empha- The whole country was a disaster”; and, Von Drehle, 17 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit., p. 68: “Bannon, as a be- sized, and children are protected and indulged by loc. cit.: “Democrat by heritage and Republican by liever in the Catholic doctrine of free will, does not parents who have just survived of a great crisis that choice, Bannon has come to see both parties as deep- believe in historical inevitabilities, even if he does attends each saeculum“. ly corrupt”. believe in general historical cycles”. 21 Similarly, Koffler,op. cit. p. 60: “second turning is the

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The third turning is the period in which scribes28. And, eventually, with recourse to the pos- the traditional structure is replaced by the sible semi-direct instruments - legislative challenging one, and the social cohesion V – This Bannon´s attachment is not, prob- initiative, referendum, or, even, recall. gives way to major fragmentation and, ably, innocent, because the most important usually, individualism22. turning, the fourth, means indubitably cri- II - The phenomenon is not new in Ameri- And, the fourth turning is the moment of sis, revolution, even terror, and usually war29, ca, the main contribution being the popu- a global crisis that can only be overcome In fact, he also underlines, all the former list and progressive movements and par- with the radical - and, eventually, violent great threes crisis meant real war, warm ties, in the XXI century ending, and in the - replacement of this ruling class by a new war30. beginning of the 20th. one23 24. Suggesting, too, that America is heading, Initially, emerges the populists (1880), re- inevitably, toward a violent and bloody con- viving conceptions coming from the par- IV - The United States of America’ history flict. ticular United States of America political is brief, just two hundred and fifty years. Nevertheless, amazingly, he did not seem, independence, and praising, above all, in Nevertheless, history was marked, always, in no way, fazed by that warlike prospect31. Thomas Jefferson. by exceptionally significant political events. On the contrary, he appears to search for The first Populist Party National Conven- Thus, applying their concept to America, a major enemy, for an existence-level en- tion (1892) supports the return of political Strauss and Howe highlight three major emy32. power to the People, and, simultaneously, events. Actually, that enemy is double: on the one aims to fight against the representative Firstly, the American Revolution, secondly, hand, China, and, on the other hand, Is- corruption. the Civil War, thirdly, the World War II25. lam. Referring the American contemporary his- III - Ten years after (1890), the progressives tory, to Howe and Strauss the cycle went 3 - POPULISM surfaced, inspired by Jefferson, also, but, as from the “high”, the post-War economic well, by the New England Town Meetings, development and welfare, to the “awaken- I - In general, populism simply attempts and, further, by Rousseau, himself. ing”, the individualist, selfish, pleasure- to improve, and not destroy or replace, the Not conversely, the progressives insists on first, activism of the sixties26, followed by democratic representation model. the great economic interest control, spe- an “unraveling”, the contradictory or ab- Particularly, through a change on their cially, of railway companies, which hold sent values, and flowing to the “crisis”, the representative’ personal profile, despite the politicians, of both parties, captive. present fourth turning27. frequent focuses of, more or less intense, An example of a highlighted member was Historical constructions from Strauss and and, usually, wide-ranging, antiparliamen- President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), Howe that Bannon, as well, fully sub- tarism. at the time, a Republican, but, increasingly, in the last years, he became a progres- ‘prophet generation’, the rebels against that civiliza- 28 Bannon, The rise…., p. 20: “I do think we´re in the sive. tion“. great fourth turning of American history. We had The Roosevelt’s Progressive Party is, as 22 Similarly, Koffler,op. cit. p. 64: “third turning is when the Revolution, we had the Civil War, and we had matter of fact, a Republican Party’s frag- the new values (…) begin to supplant the old civic or- the Great Depression and World War II”. mented (1912). der: one result is a fragmented culture. Individualism 29 Bannon, Generation Zero, in Sifry, loc. cit.: “when you and eventually alienation displace community“ get into a crisis era, literally anything can happen. The And this new party was taking advanced 23 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit. p. 163: “fourth turning, restraints come down. These are the eras of revolu- positions on progressive and populist re- when the country enters a crisis period (…), and the tion. These are the eras of reigns of terror (…). The forms. establishment gets marginalized so that the fresh question of what the new order will be is up to us”. Their Platform’s main theme was reversing blood can come in and solve the problem“. 30 Similarly, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “Bannon point- 24 Conversely, Caldwell, loc. cit. “a theory of historical ed out that each of the three preceding crisis had in- the domination of politics by business in- cycles that can be considered elegantly simple or volved a Great War”. terests, which, allegedly, controlled the Re- dangerously simplistic”. 31 Identically, Sifry, loc. cit., quoting historian David publican and the Democratic parties, alike. 25 “Past Fourth Turnings featured the Revolutionary Kaiser: “he expected a new and even bigger war as War, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and World part of the current crisis, and he did not seem at all So, to dissolve the unholy alliance between War II, each of which were about eighty to a hun- fazed by the prospect”. the corrupt business and the corrupt poli- dred years apart”; like this, Koffler, op. cit., p. 64. 32 Identically, Sifry, loc. cit.: “Bannon doesn’t just be- tics, to destroy this invisible Government, 26 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit., p. 60: “the baby boom- lieve that we are in an existential conflict with Is- was the first task of the statesmanship of ers are the most spoiled, the most self-centered, and lam or with China. It seems he wants to exacerbate the most narcissistic generation the country’s ever those conflicts into a new World war. As a believer the day. produced” (…). The pleasure principle has been el- in Strauss and Howe’s theory of history, Bannon Their deepest political reforms were wom- evated over the puritan ethic of work“. fantasizes that he can use that cataclysm to forge a en’s suffrage, senator’s direct election on 27 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 64: “history is completely new order”; and, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. seasonal, and winter is coming, Strauss and Howe cit.: “does the ‘Party of Davos’ alone qualify? Who primary elections, easier amending of the warned in 1997”. else could this war be fought against?” United States Constitution, lobbyist reg-

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istration, and limitation on political cam- It is between deconstructing the administra- millennials42. paign contributions. tive State, and to have more State interven- As matter of fact, a kind of a new - this time Regarding direct democracy, that Platform tion35. right-wing and Republican - New Deal43. included, also, the political recall (citizens He not even tries to diminish left-wing may remove an elected official before the populism, quite on the contrary, because it VIII - Politically, Bannon sustains that the end of his term), the referendum (citizens means populism is, indeed, a rising force, populist concept is not, in any visible per- may decide on a law by popular vote), the and the future for both Democrats and Re- spective, anti-democratic. legislative initiative (citizens may propose publicans36. On the one side, because the populism is a law by petition and enact it by popular not against any elections, any free elec- vote), and even the judicial recall (when a VII - On Bannon´s view, despite all his gen- tions, but, precisely, the opposite44, be- court declares a law unconstitutional, the eral statements about the anti-elite and anti- cause it is not, either, authoritarian, and, citizens may override that ruling by popu- permanent political class37, this right-wing even less, surely, totalitarian45, or, absurd- lar vote). populism is, essentially, about economics38. ly, - just considering the idea of a circum- Nevertheless, after the Roosevelt´s defeat On one hand, arguing that American top scribed State - fascist46. in the 1912 presidential election, the Pro- companies are too big, that the power is con- And, one the other side, because it does not gressive Party went to decline, disappear- centrated just in a few39 and, further, that mean, neither, anarchism - order absence ing by 1920. this power is completely away from the Peo- - libertarianism47 - minimal State or ultra- ple’s real interests40. minimal State - nor violence, nor terrorism48. IV - The People’s Party (1971) and the On the other hand, supporting that is vital Populist Party (1984), were not related to to create, originally, or made return from the 4 – NACIONALISM the formers. outside, mostly from Asia, all the possible V - Since its origins (1890), historians have, jobs, and high-valued jobs, for the American I - Bannon’s populist conception is about vigorously, debated the nature of pop- people, in general41, and, in particular, to the ulism. The most influential was John D. Hicks 42 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “If you look at people’s lives, and particularly millennials, look at (1890-1972) who emphasized their econom- right-wing populism”. people under 30 - people under 30, there’s 50% real- ic pragmatism over ideals, and presenting 35 Bannon, The rise…, pp. 81, 10: it´s all about decon- ly underemployment of people in the United States, it as an interest group politics, demanding structing the administrative State and opening up which is probably the most advanced economy in the their fair share of America’s wealth, which the power of capitalism, or about more State inter- West; and, Bannon, The rise…, pp. 14, 58: “millen- vention in your entire life”; “deconstruction of the nials are like eighteen-century Russian serfs. They was being leeched off by non-productive administrative State to take apart the Leviathan are better fed, they are better clothed, they’re in bet- speculators this all-encompassing State that we´ve got in United ter shape, they’re better educated, they have more Thus, populism presented the control of States”; and, Rucker; Costa, loc. cit.: “Bannon vows information about the world, but they don´t own a daily fight for ‘deconstruction of the administra- anything. And they are not going to own anything”. government by the People as the only solu- tive State’”. They “can´t afford a house, there´s no pension plans, tion. 36 Bannon, The rise…, p. 14: “nowadays, you have a there´s no careers”. However, lately, that term populist began very strong ‘left-wing populism’”; and, Koffler, op. 43 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, loc. cit.: “I’m the guy pushing to apply to any anti-establishment move- cit., p. 90: “we watch a shockingly strong challenge a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. With negative by Bernie Saunders against Hillary Clinton in 2016“. interest rates throughout the world, it’s the greatest ment. 37 Bannon, The rise…, p. 13: “those are the three basic opportunity to rebuild everything. Shipyards, iron- planks of populism in the United States - anti-elite, works, get them all jacked up”. VI - In the XXI century, as Bannon points anti-permanent political class, anti-consolidation of 44 Bannon, The rise…, p. 53: “we are not trying to stop out, the problem is quite different because media and technology companies”. elections. We are going to win elections!” 38 Bannon, The rise…, p. 12: “today, populism is based 45 Bannon, The rise…, p. 17: “populists are not author- the electoral choice is, in fact, between two around economics”. itarian, and certainly not totalitarian”. types of populisms, the populist national- 39 Bannon, The rise…, pp. 18, 20: “the companies are 46 Bannon, The rise…, p. 18: “we are actually anism, and the populist socialism33. too big and too powerful: the tech companies, the ti-fascist, because fascism worships the State and pharmaceutical companies, the media companies. want State capitalism to merge with the overween- The option is between the left-wing populism This consolidation has made them too powerful with ing State”; and, Paxton, a fascist historian, cit. in 34 and the conservative right-wing populism . a compliant government”; “a system where wealth McBain, loc. cit.: “while classical fascists wanted to and power is concentrate in so few hands”. create militaristic, regimented, highly unified Nation 40 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, loc. cit.: “companies with a $9 States, Bannon seems to be a disrupter. I don’t think 33 Bannon, The rise…, p. 40: “it’s not a question wheth- billion market cap, but employing nine people. It’s he has any interest in unifying the United States or er populism is on the rise and going to be the political not the reality. They lost sight of what the world is any other country”. future. The only question before us is: it is going to be about.” 47 Bannon, The rise…, p. 10: “we´re definitely not anar- populist nationalism or populist socialism?”. 41 Bannon, The rise…, pp. 20, 42: populism “is about chists or libertarians”. 34 Bannon, The rise…, p. 80: “the future obviously be- getting manufacturing jobs and high-valued jobs 48 Bannon, The rise…, p. 21: “we are going to fight it longs to populism. It´s only going to be defined by back to people in the United States (…). Sixty per- out politically, and not in the streets with all those asking if it´s left-wing populism or conservative and cent of our jobs are subsistence jobs”. groups who advocate violence and terrorism”.

| 84 POLIS nº 1 (II série) Janeiro / Junho 2020 STEPHEN K. BANNON: AN AMERICAN PRAYER - L. Barbosa Rodrigues economics, but, no less, is about national- the cause is a progressive democratization62. ism49. III - Yet, modern nationalism doesn’t get In effect, Bannon is a critic of military A nationalism which, as the populism - or confused with the latter American isola- intervention abroad, opposing, namely, the progressivism - is, also, a part of Amer- tionism. proposals for the expansion of the United ica. Just implies, Bannon says, a true priority States involvement in Afghanistan, Syria, Indeed, we can see it, naturally, on the first to United States economic national inter- or Venezuela. moments of the Nation’s foundation50. ests56. Furthermore, he describes the whole Amer- And we can see it, again, a century after, Specially, when the America democracy is ican allies, first of all, in Europe, but, also, with the Roosevelt successive policies51. competing with a totalitarian State, Chi- on Persian Gulf, in South China Sea, and, as na57. well, South Korea and Japan, as true Unit- II - Bannon nationalism assumes, in every Thus, his clear disinterest - or, frequently, ed States’ protectorates. possible angle, the form of anti-globalism52. his true contempt - referring any kind of Suggesting, namely, that these protector- This anti-globalism translates, in a far political or economic multilateral organi- ates should make efforts to defend them- more evident way, in national American’ zations, in favor of empowering Nation- selves63. control. States58. Finally, Bannon, argues that nationalism One, referring, simultaneously, currency Thus, his joy - not to mention his decisive sets up a true respect for all other cultures, and military, two, regarding the American contribution or inspiration - on the Trans- a respect, he adds, that the globalism, own borders, and, three - last but, definite- Pacific Partnership withdrawal59, or on the Democrat or Republican, definitely, don´t ly, not the least - concerning its national American further position regarding the Cli- know64. identity53. mate Paris Agreement - and a solution that, Even if, going far beyond that, Bannon´s strictly speaking, only benefits China60. V - However, nationalism, on Bannon´s anti-globalism includes, too, a clear criti- political view, does not only mean Ameri- cism about the European Union54, and by IV - It means, too, a significant reduction of can international des-intervention, but, as reference to the Catholic Church, and the military interventions all over the world61, well, an effective American control over its Pope itself, in whom Bannon sees a danger- even when - or, perhaps, especially when - borders. ous progressive and, also, a pro-immigra- A control of immigration, of all immigration globalist55. tion, because, he continues to argue, being revolutionary for the little guy”; Green, Devil’s… massive, and being continuous, it destroys p. 206: “he saw it in the Roman Catholic Church, the very essence of the American culture65. 49 Bannon, The rise…, p. 10: “our populism is tied to whose elevation of Pope Francis, a ‘liberal-theology economic nationalism”. Jesuit’ and a ‘pro-immigration globalist’, to replace 50 “Alexander Hamilton, and our other founding fa- Pope Benedict XVI”; and, Egan, loc. cit.: “Bannon VI - As matter of fact, nationalism is, pri- thers, understood that any Nation that to desires is close to conservative Catholics who do not like the marily, about the Nation itself, about the remain politically independent must protect its progressive bent of Pope Francis. They favor a clash economic independence and strive toward as much of civilizations with Islam, rather than the Pope’s People. self-sufficiency as possible”; thus, quoting William J. openhearted approach”. A country, Bannon thinks, is not only an Gill, Koffler, op. cit., p. 94. 56 Bannon, The rise…, p. 10: “’America first’ which is 51 In a first moment, during his presidency (1901-1909), not isolationism, but America first”. with the Square Deal, and, after, with the New Na- 57 Bannon, The rise…, p. 19: “particularly when you 62 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 179: “democracy tionalism visible on the Progressive Party Platform have a totalitarian mercantilism society like China takes a while for people to be ready for. You can’t (1912). that you are competing with”. force it”; and, Bannon, The rise…, p. 12: “if democ- 52 Similarly, Caldwell, loc. cit.: “he speaks of econom- 58 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 178: “not let the racy is going to spread, people in those countries ic nationalism, in opposition to globalization”; and, power of the United States be dissipated out at these have to want it, and have to work for it themselves”. Green, Devil’s…, p. 206: “everywhere Bannon looked international organizations”; and, Crowley, loc. cit.: 63 Bannon, California Republican Party Convention in the modern world, he saw signs of collapse, and “Bannon’s vision, as laid out in public remarks and speech, cit. in Los Angeles Times, October 21, 2017 an encroaching globalist order stamping out the last private conversations, opposes international organi- 64 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit. pp. 179, 180: “a deep- vestiges of the traditional“. zations in favor of empowering Nation-States”. er respect for other cultures than was shown by the 53 Bannon, cit. in Green, Devil’s…., p. 207: “you have 59 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 177: “I was very Obama Administration and Liberals and Neocons, to control three things, borders, currency and mili- proud of blowing up all that stuff ”. all of whom claim to be enlightened and educat- tary, and national identity”. 60 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit., p. 177: “we were there ed but really think, wrongly, that the entire world 54 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 206: “he saw it in to suppress our economy growth and to allow pollut- wants be progressive and liberal like they are (...). governmental organizations such as the European ers like China to have a free reign“. Now, it´s not professorial Obama that you´re going Union, and political leaders such as German Chan- 61 Bannon, The rise…, p. 12: “we don´t want interven- to get”. cellor Angela Merkel, who insisted that countries tions everywhere in the world (…).We are going to 65 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 101: “this massive forfeit their sovereignty, and, thus, their ability to play an active part when it´s in the vital interest of migrations of people destroyed the basic culture”; maintain their national character, to distant secular American national security”; and, Bannon, cit. in Bannon, cit. in Carman, loc. cit.: “having too many bureaucrats bent on erasing national borders”. Koffler,op. cit., p. 110: “rather than trying to democ- Asian tech CEOs undermines ‘civic society’”. “Two- 55 Bannon, cit. in Horowitz, loc. cit.: “the Pope likes to ratize the world, we should pursue our national inter- thirds or three-quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley see himself as a radical and an anti-establishment ests”. are from South Asia or from Asia”.

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economy but, quite differently, a culture Regardless of his political speech on the IX - Bannon’s nationalist thought, how- that has an economy66. 2018 French National Front Convention, ever, does not circumscribe to the United A national culture, he emphasizes, a cul- on this specific matter, in which he said, States76, believing that the solution for the ture despite the differences on political defiantly, “let them call you racist, let them world’ political problems is, indistinctly, opinion67. call you xenophobes, let them call you na- nationalism. And, a national culture regardless the race or tivists (…) and wear it like a badge of hon- Indeed, he happens to think that strong Na- the color, a truly inclusive national culture68. or”, was, at least, controversial71. tions make great neighbors, not the reverse77. So, he has been encouraging nationalism VII - So, including whites, including blacks, VIII - Bannon ensures, likewise, that his and populism works in all European States and including Hispanic, and including all contemporary American nationalism is not where its development appears to be possi- of them as parts of a single middle class anti-Semitic72. ble - mainly, after his White House depar- and working class, American nationalism, Even more, on his theoretical construc- ture78. Bannon assures, is not racism, is not white tion he places on precisely the same plan Actually, this support was revealed to be supremacy - nor, whatever it could be, alt Catholicism and Judaism, permanently of a great importance in the Brexit’s deci- right69. resorting the expression Judeo-Christian, sion79. Alt right, which he, by the way, describes, namely, in which refers the contribution, 5 – CAPITALISM both in general or referring some of its of both, to the success of the own capital- more notorious members, in a quite unflat- ist system73. I - Bannon, is, obviously, a capitalism’ entering style70. In addition, this seems to be, clearly, the thusiast - and as well a true capitalist, him- opinion of the Jews who personally known self80. him74. 66 Bannon, Conservative Political Action Conference And, cumulatively, Breitbart News was, it- (CPAC) speech, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 101: “I think and in Gaza to Egypt (…); he has described Pales- the center core of what we believe, that we are a Na- self, the most pro-Israel sites in all Ameri- tinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a terrorist”; tion with an economy, not an economy just in some ca75. and, Green, Devil’s…, p. 213: “both Andrew Breit- global market place with open borders, but we are a bart and Larry Solow (the two founders of Breitbart Nation with a culture and a reason for being. I think News) were Jewish”. it is what unites us. And that’s what’s going to unite gations that he is a white nationalist, calling white 76 Similarly, Crowley, loc. cit.: “Bannon’s public re- this movement going forward”; and, Bannon, cit. in nationalists ‘losers’, a ‘fringe element’, and a ‘collec- marks and accounts from people who have spoken Koffler, op. cit., p. 95: “he American system is about tion of clowns’ (…); and describing notorious white with him, make clear that he believes Brexit and the nurturing of an economy that has manufactur- supremacist Richard Spencer as a ‘self-promoting Trump’s election are part of something bigger, a ing, agriculture, that can sustain the American fami- freak’ and a ‘goober’”. global political revolt that could restore what he calls ly, and, therefore, American society”. 71 Bannon, cit. in Mcauley, loc. cit.: “let them call you the lost ‘sovereignty’ on the Continent”. 67 Bannon, Conservative Political Action Conference racist, let them call you xenophobes, let them call you 77 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “I think (CPAC) speech, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., pp. 101, 115: nativists. And wear it like a badge of honor. Because strong countries and strong nationalist movements “whether you are a populist, whether you are a limit- every day we get stronger and they get weaker. Be- in countries make strong neighbors, and that is real- ed-government conservative, whether you are a liber- cause history is on our side and will bring us victory”. ly the building blocks that built Western Europe and tarian, whether you are an economic nationalist (…), 72 Bannon, cit. in Nelson, loc. cit.: “I´m a proud Chris- the United States, and I think it’s what can see us “as long as you’re a citizen of our country, as long as tian Zionist”. forward”. you’re an American citizen, you’re part of this pop- 73 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “if you 78 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…., p. 207: “Bannon´s re- ulist economic nationalist movement”. look at the leaders of capitalism at that time, when sponse to the rise of modernity was to set populist 68 Bannon, cit. in Bradner, loc. cit.: “the black working capitalism was I believe at its highest flower and right-wing nationalism against it”. Wherever he and middle class and the Hispanic working and middle spreading its benefits to most of mankind, almost could, he aligned himself with politicians and causes class, just like whites, have been severely hurt by the all of those capitalists were strong believers in the committed to tearing down its globalist edifice”. policies of globalism”; Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., Judeo-Christian West. They were, either, active par- 79 Farage, cit. in Green, Devil’s…, p. 207: “without the p. 98: “until we have the black working class and the ticipants in the Jewish’ faith, or they were active supportive voice of Breitbart London, I´m not sure Hispanic working class getting high-value-added jobs, participants in the Christians’ faith, and they took we would have the Brexit”; and, Crowley, loc. cit.: “in we’ve failed as society”; and, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: their beliefs, and the underpinnings of their beliefs early 2014, Bannon launched a London outpost of “in Bannon´s view, nationalism is fully inclusive, in the was manifested in the work they did”. Breitbart, opening what he called a ‘new front in our sense that it invites people of different backgrounds to 74 Thus, David Horowitz, a Jewish writer, Jewish Press, current cultural and political war’”. And, “next day unite under a common ‘American’ sense of self ”. November 15, 2016: “I have known Steve Bannon for after Brexit, Bannon hosted Farage for a triumphal 69 Bannon, The rise…, p. 15: “populist movement has many years. He does not have an anti-Semitic bone edition of his daily radio show. ‘The European Union nothing to do with white supremacy”; Bannon, cit. in his body”. “In the Trump White House, Bannon project has failed (…). ‘It is doomed, I’m pleased to in Wolff, loc. cit.: “I’m not a white nationalist, I’m is the strongest assurance that people who love this say’, Farage declared. Bannon replied: ‘It’s a great a nationalist. I’m an economic nationalist”; “and, country can have in America’s future, the strongest accomplishment. Congratulations’”. Donald Trump’s New York Times Interview, Novem- assurance that America is in the hands of people 80 Bannon, Vatican, July 2004, conference: “I’m a very ber 23, 2016: “I’ve known Steve Bannon a long time. who will give this country a chance to restore itself practical, pragmatic capitalist (…), as hard-nosed If I thought he was a racist, or alt-right, or any of and defend itself against its enemies at home and a capitalist as you get”; and, Koffler, op. cit., p. 92: the things that we can, you know, the terms we can abroad”. “Bannon’s natural sympathies are with the worker, use, I wouldn’t even think about hiring him”. 75 Similarly, Landler; Haberman, loc. cit.: “he has ad- not the capitalist - though he´s been a pretty good 70 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 146: “he rejects alle- vocated giving the land in the West Bank to Jordan capitalist himself ”.

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He argues, indeed, that was capitalism class85. IV - Not to mention, far beyond this crony that made America, since the it´s very be- A speculative capitalism, a casino capital- capitalism, another - in own words - very ginning, a rich and developed country. ism, either, in place of the investing capi- disturbing form, the State-sponsored capi- Yet, this enthusiasm refers to a specific talism. talism, the China and the Russia capital- type of capitalism, to an enlightened capi- Finally, an immoral capitalism, because ism91. talism81. when the crisis resulting from individual- A capitalism on which the created wealth ism and corruption arrives, and it arrives, 6 - JUDEO-CHRISTIANISM was shared82, not concentrated in a few in this particular situation, in a far larger hands. scale, it´s the American working, middle I - In Bannon´ political thought, America A capitalism on which the main profits class, alone, who takes on the responsibil- supposes the Judeo-Cristian values exist- were re-invested, and not only selfishly ity for the damages86. ence92. used83. Losing their jobs, losing their heritage - Judeo-Christianism is part, an indispen- A model of capitalism with values, or, in and losing, in a number of cases, their dig- sable part, of the American and Western direct words, a Judeo-Christian capital- nity87. culture. ism84. A common culture which, he emphasizes, III - Indeed, like Bannon suggests, this last “we have an obligation to those that came II - In Bannon´s perspective, this enlight- decade’ model of capitalism in the United before us, as much as we have an obliga- ened capitalism, opposes the contemporary States, has been half-capitalist and half- tion to the people in the future to pass that corrupted capitalism, the crony capitalism, socialist. down” 93. and quite especially, the baby boomers one. Socialist to the very poor, socialist to the II - It happens that, Bannon states, these On what the businesses class made its prof- very rich too, and capitalist to the middle structural values are suffering a deeper cri- its no more as a result of open market, class88. sis94. competition, risk, effort, innovation, but, Socialist for the very poor because, despite And, furthermore, a deeper crisis coming, instead, based on trade with the political the typical liberalism, there is a welfare simultaneously, from the within and with- State in America -“with a system of a tril- out95. lion of dollars each year, on State benefits, Internally, because the West is knowing a 89 81 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “this ‘en- and no taxes” . progressive, and progressively more pro- lightened capitalism’ was the underlying principle And socialist for the very wealth because, found secularization, either by action or by that allowed the United States to escape the barba- they are not held responsible for any dam- rism of the 20th century”, and “brought the restoration of Europe and the Pax Americana”. age - particularly, due to the successive, ir- 82 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “if you responsible, and absolutely immoral, gov- outs were absolutely outrageous, and here’s why: It look at the leaders of capitalism at that time, when ernment bailouts90. bailed out a group of shareholders and executives capitalism was I believe at its highest flower and who were specifically accountable. The shareholders spreading its benefits to most of mankind, almost were accountable for one simple reason: They allowed all of those capitalists were strong believers in the 85 Bannon, cit. in Sifry, loc. cit.: “a toxic combination this to go wrong without changing management (…). Judeo-Christian West”; “this should be at the heart of big government in bed with Wall Street”; and, “Not one criminal charge has ever been brought to of every Christian that is a capitalist -“What is the Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “Wall any bank executive associated with 2008 crisis. And purpose of whatever I’m doing with this wealth? Street, enabled by global elites in government, spun in fact, it gets worse. No bonuses and none of their What is the purpose of what I’m doing with the abil- profits out of speculation, instead of investing their equity was taken. So part of the prime drivers of the ity that God has given us, that divine providence has wealth in domestic jobs and businesses”. wealth that they took in the 15 years leading up to given us to actually be a creator of jobs and a creator 86 Similarly, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “when the re- the crisis was not hit at all, and I think that’s one of of wealth?” sulting bubble finally burst, the immoral government the fuels of this populist revolt that we’re seeing”. 83 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “that capi- stuck hardworking American taxpayers with the 91 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “State-spon- talism really generated tremendous wealth. And that bailout bill”. sored capitalism. That’s the capitalism you see in wealth was really distributed among a middle class, 87 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit. p. 96: “we have a crisis China and in Russia”. a rising middle class, people who come from really in the Midwest and with the working-class around 92 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 100: “the Ju- working-class environments and created what we re- the country where people have lost their jobs, and deo-Christian culture that we have. The belief in the ally call a Pax Americana”; and, Guilford; Sonnad, now they have to get Government assistance. They self-determination of the individual”. loc. cit.: “this shared morality ensures that businesses lose their dignity”. 93 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 100; and: “Ameri- invest not just for their own benefit, but also for the 88 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 67: “we have two can has an underlying culture that has been passed good of native workers and future generations”. systems in this country. We have socialism for the down from Jerusalem to Athens, to Rome, to Lon- 84 Bannon, cit. in Caldwell, loc. cit.: “capitalism ought very poor. We have socialism for the wealthy. And we don”. to rest on a Judeo-Christian foundation; and, Ban- have capitalism for the middle class”. 94 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “the world, non, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad: “the entrepreneurial 89 Bannon, Florida, October 2011, The Liberty Resto- and particularly the Judeo-Christian West, is in a American spirit, and respect for one’s fellow Chris- ration Foundation Inaugural Event conference; and, profound crisis”. tian man”; “capitalism alone is not enough. Un- “we’ve built a State that is completely and totally 95 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit. p. 2: “Western civi- moored from a Judeo-Christian moral framework, unsupportable”. lization today is under siege, from within and with- capitalism can be a force of harm and of injustice”. 90 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “the bailout”.

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default96, which, necessarily, is weakening lishment’ refusal occupies a definitive posi- talism, the Judeo-Christian capitalism, and it97. tion102 - despite his own career, in different replaced it by a new model, both economic Outwardly, he continues, because the moments, as insider on that establishment. and social. Judeo-Christianism is under attack, under Socially, they abandoned the former gen- an implacable, and never known before, II - In his view, the main axis of this es- eration values, such as, nationalism, patri- double attack. tablishment is what he calls the “Party of otism, modesty, religion, for the benefit of One the one hand from the Communist Davos”, “the scientific, managerial, engi- others, like pluralism, secularism, egalitari- Atheist China, one the other hand from Is- neering, financial, cultural, elite, who run anism108. lam98. the world”103. Economically, they focused on socialist pol- A “Party of Davos” that includes, he says, icies and minority rights, which encouraged III - Yet, Judeo-Christian values does not all the elites of both great American par- the dependency on government, increase require, in Bannon´s conception of society, ties104. the tax burden, and weakening the capital- all the citizens, in this case, all the Ameri- And that he believes responsible for the ism109. can citizens, do believe in Judeo-Christian- American - and World - 2008 economic cri- ity. sis105. IV - Conversely, in Bannon’s vision, this In effect, he does not question the freedom Responsible through both political parties, establishment, this “Party of Davos”, this of religion, just emphasizes that the Ameri- Democrat and Republican, quite indis- permanent political class, are, contrary to, can values have those Judeo-Christian ori- tinctly, reason why he call them, both, the and harmful to, the general interests of gins99, and that those values must always permanent party, or the permanent politi- the working middle class in America110 - prevail. cal class106. and, perhaps, he believes, from all over the In order not allow any minorities to claim world111. for a differentiated or preferential treat- III - The origin of the American today’s ment100. permanent political class, he says, are the 8 – CHINA And, furthermore, to ensure that the baby boomers. Muslims in America don’t pose a terrorist Indeed, after the “prophet’s phase”, they I - Bannon states that the relationship with threat101. became the political elite of the two main China must be the central axis of Ameri- parties. can contemporary foreign policy112. 7 – ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT Then, Bannon claims, they destroyed the Even establishing a historical parallelism former capitalism107, the enlightened capi- between present China and the 20s and 30s I - In Bannon’s political thought, the estab- previous century Germany113. 102 Bannon, cit. in Botsford, loc. cit.: “we think of our- selves as virulently anti-establishment, particularly 96 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., pp. 2, 106: “many in ‘anti-’ the permanent political class”. material needs taken care of by hardworking parents the West forgotten their culture or actively chosen 103 Bannon, The rise…, p. 43; and, p. 75: “the ‘Party of (…), only to cast off the American values that had to despise it”; and, “Western Europe is not going to Davos’ (…) it´s no conspiracy; it´s in your face!”. created that wealth in the first place”. Church. All these great cathedrals and churches are 104 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 90: “’the ‘Party of 108 Bannon, Florida, October 2011, The Liberty Resto- being abandoned as the West loses its actual practic- Davos’ which includes the elite of both parties. ration Foundation Inaugural Event conference. ing part of Christianity”. 105 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 90: “the ‘Party of 109 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “empha- 97 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit., p. 106: “that immense Davos’ (…) bankrupted itself, both morally and lit- sis on pluralism and minority rights and its financial secularization of all the West is weakening it”. erally, with the 2008 financial crisis”; and, Guilford; and political support of these groups”; “rise to so- 98 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 2: “the West faces Sonnad, loc. cit.: “the ‘Party of Davos’ has warped cialist policies that encouraged dependency on the implacable enemies overseas, both Islamists and the capitalism’s institutions”. government, and weakening capitalism”. Communist Chinese“; and, Bannon, Vatican, July 106 Bannon, The rise…, p. 13: “a kind of ‘uni-party’ per- 110 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “the ‘Party 2014, conference: “you have an expansionist Islam manent political class in Washington”; Bannon, cit. of Davos’ deprived middle classes everywhere of the and an expansionist China. They are motivated. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 126: “a commercial, financial wealth they deserve”; and, Bannon, cit. in Koffler, They’re arrogant. They’re on the march. And they and political class that have kind of melded together op. cit., p. 97: “the politicians serve the interests of think the Judeo-Christian West is on the retreat”. in what we call the permanent political class (…); “a the elite, not the American middle class and working 99 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “the Found- new aristocracy that perpetuates itself, that thinks class”. ing Fathers built the Nation based on a set of values about its own influence, its own power”; Bannon,cit. 111 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 91: “the working that come from the Judeo-Christian tradition”. in Wolff, loc. cit.: “the two political parties that are man and women of the world are just tired of being 100 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “this so owned by the donors that they don’t speak to their dictated to by what we call the ‘Party of Davos’“. shared set of Judeo-Christian values prevents mi- audience”; and, Bannon, The rise…, p. 17: “I think 112 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 14: “China’s ev- norities from claiming special rights”. you could not get more corrupt, more avaricious, erything. Nothing else matters. We don’t get China 101 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “the only than the permanent political class in Washington, right, we don’t get anything right. This whole thing way to ensure that Muslims in America don’t pose a D.C.”. is very simple”. terrorist threat is to make sure that they honor the 107 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “the ‘cap- 113 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 14: “China is where United States Constitution, as the rule of law, and italist system’ was slowly undermined and destroyed Germany is in 1929, to 1930. The Chinese, like the accept Judeo-Christian values”. by a generation of wealthy young kids who had their Germans, are the most rational people in the world

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Not surprisingly, he sees those relations as displacement120, in the absence of innova- its number of cases and number of deaths, war114 and, increasingly, not just as trade tion121, and in the forced technology trans- and, third, trying to protect itself but tru- war115. fer122. ly despising the rest of the world127. And, perhaps, the most difficult of all Bannon goes so far as to declare that the On the other side, he demands, since the wars, not only considering it involves a to- United States of America, today, due to beginning, a full Chinese accountability, talitarian State116 - or even much worse117 decades of wrong and globalist Democrat whether political, or - in typical Ameri- - because, in fact, the former Soviet Russia and Republican policies, is a mere colony can fashion - economic, for all the damage was also a totalitarian State - but regard- of China123. done128. ing, now, it absolutely odd scale, and its To conclude, Bannon launches a new at- global ambition118. II - With the emergence of the coronavirus tack on globalization, referring that the Beyond everything, he clearly fears that crisis, Bannon resurfaces, on international pandemic crisis, and the inherent economic the United States of America is losing that political and economic fronts, as the first124, crisis, are even worse because the United war119. and the most tenacious, critics of China125. States, these days, have no industry, have The main reasons, in his own view, lies on Thus, not only does he designate it as the no manufacturing, because everything is, the deindustrialization, on the factories Communist Party virus126, but he holds now, in China129. China, simultaneously, reprehensible and responsible, in every possible way, for that III – Regardless of, Bannon’s political in- until they’re not”. crisis. ternational criticism is not exhausted by 114 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “the un- pleasant fact is that there is a major war brewing, a On one side, he explains, China revealed an China. war that’s already global. It’s going global in scale, absolute lack of transparency, first, not re- Indeed, he believes that Iran, Turkey and and today’s technology, today’s media, today’s access porting the problem, second, miscounting China, are forming a new and dangerous to weapons of mass destruction, it’s going to lead to axis to challenge the West, sustaining that a global conflict that I believe has to be confronted today. Every day that we refuse to look at this as 120 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 92: “we have dein- Turkey is even more dangerous that the what it is, and the scale of it, and really the vicious- dustrialized this country and sent all the good jobs to same Iran130. ness of it, will be a day where you will rue that we China, India and Brazil”. didn’t act”. 121 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 95 “it´s one of the 115 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 210: “to Bannon reasons we don´t innovate as much, all the factories 9 – ISLAM (…) the history of the next generation (…) it was has gone”. about a war with China. Commercial war, trade war, 122 Bannon, South China Morning Post, September 12, I - “To be brutally frank, I mean the Christi- cultural war, diplomatic war – it would be an all-en- 2017: “our trade relationship is basically that we ship anity is dying in Europe, and the Islam is on compassing war that few in the United States now raw material to China and they send back high-value understood needed to be fought, and almost nobody manufacturing goods to our market. That happens is prepared to fight”. because they appropriate our technology”. 127 Bannon, cit. in CNBC’s Squawk, April 30, 2020: “a 116 Bannon, cit. in Goldman, loc. cit.: “it is outrageous 123 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 96: “we are a colo- more transparent response from the Chinese govern- in the 21st century, in starting the third decade of ny of China“. ment could have saved lives and prevented economic the 21st century, that the Chinese people, of all peo- 124 Similarly, Teitelbaum, loc. cit.: “Bannon’s early at- damage”; “intelligence officials reportedly believe ple on Earth, do not have free unfettered access to tention to the virus (a welcome alternative to initial China is deliberately miscounting the number of the Internet, do not have land reform, do not have dismissal of the pandemic on Fox News and other deaths and cases in the country”; “they tried to pro- personal property rights, do not have freedom of conservative media) derived from his focus on Chi- tect it going around the rest of China, but they didn’t speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion”. na”; and, Teitelbaum, loc. cit.: “he has been hosting a care about it going around the rest of the world” 117 Bannon, cit. in Goldman, loc. cit.: “I think that the daily radio program devoted to the topic since Janu- 128 Bannon, CNBC’s Squawk, April 30, 2020: “China government of China is a group of gangsters. I think ary 25”. must be held accountable for coronavirus spread”; “the the Chinese Communist Party is completely illegiti- 125 Not ignoring that, today, Bannon “is being paid Chinese Communist Party is going to have to pay”; mate. I think what they’ve done to the Chinese peo- richly by fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui “they owe trillions, if not tens of trillions, of dollars”; ple is horrific. I think what they’ve done as far as to undermine the Communist Party of China on “I think the world’s going to hold them in judgement, taking away the Chinese people’s freedom and what all fronts”; Teitelbaum, loc. cit.; or, “the 2019 res- and that judgement is not going to be pretty” they’ve done with the Uighurs, the Tibetan Bud- urrection of the Committee on the Present Danger 129 Bannon, cit. in Teitelbaum, loc. cit.: “one, you have a dhists, the underground House Church Christians, - China (CPD-C), where Bannon is among the leaders massive pandemic. Two, you have an economic crisis the underground Catholic Church, the Falun Gong of the ultra-hawkish advocacy group. It indicates a (…), but then deeper you have a systemic issue, one and the democracy movement is outrageous”. renewed desire to contain and pressurize China, to is the supply chain, we don’t make any of the medi- 118 Bannon, Yahoo News, May 14, 2019: “Xi Jinping’s foment regime change via the delegitimization of the cines here, we don’t make any of the gloves. We don’t Communist regime in Beijing presents the greatest Communist Party (…). CPD-C’s target is the Chinese make anything. And deeper than that is the global- existential danger ever to the United States because Communist Party’s rule, which, it claims, is oppress- ization project, that we have essentially shipped ev- we have never faced an opponent with the scale and ing the Chinese people, threatening the liberal norms erything to China, the manufacturing. So we have ambitions of the leadership of the Chinese Commu- of the international order, and the security of the this system that can collapse quite quickly. And now nist Party”. West”; Parmar, loc. cit. we’ve triggered something that might be far bigger 119 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit. p. 185: “of the most 126 Similarly, Teitelbaum, loc. cit.: “he has not been shy than the first two: we’re in a financial crisis”. powerful countries in the world, one country in the to place blame for the outbreak on the Chinese Com- 130 Bannon, cit. in Kais, loc. cit.: “Turkey is, definitely, next 25 or 30 or 40 years will become a global hege- munist Party, calling it not the ‘Chinese virus’, as not as dangerous as its neighbor Iran, it is far more mon (…). And we are losing badly”. Trump has done, but the ‘Communist Party virus’”. dangerous”.

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the rise”, Bannon notes131. The problem is, Bannon says, elliptically everything, the radical Islam is at the stake. And, to him, this contemporary rise begins, posing the problem, these persons are not not today, not even yesterday, but in 1979132. Jeffersonian democrats, and they do not IV - He goes much further, sustaining that, 1979 was, indeed, the year of the Ayatol- share America - or Western - common val- between West and what he calls the jihad- lah Khomeini Islam radical Revolution, the ues139. ist Islamic fascism, is there already a war145, year, too, of the Afghanistan invasion by the So, his main conclusion is, that they should a political, religious, social, and cultural Soviet Russia, and, finally, the same year of not be welcome in America or Western soil140. war146. the Mecca Grand Mosque occupation133. Even if a war on the beginning stages of Yet, no less important, 1979 was the hostage III - Bannon make it quite clear, in a global which will be, probably, a brutal, a bloody crisis year, a brutal violation of Internation- perspective, that Islam is not a religion of war147. al Law, namely, of the Vienna Conventions peace, Islam is a religion of submission, be- on Diplomatic and on Consular Relations134. cause Islam means, as matter of fact, sub- 10 – IMMIGRATION Regardless, the Western´s answer to all mit. these political challenges, differently from And, he continues his reflections, “is very I - Yet, Muslin refugees are not, regarding a long past, has been, and still is - or rather, evident, when you look at Islam, it has not foreigner citizens, the only Bannon’ target. progressively is - truly weak and quite inef- had its meeting with the Enlightenment, The other is the immigration, illegal im- ficient135. that Islam has not had the transition to migration, and, particularly, the Mexican Modernity”141. one148. II - More recently, Bannon saw as an evi- Which suggests, either, that more than radi- dence of this Western collapse, compared cal Islam, the enemy can be Islam in general. II - Concerning the illegal immigration, all to Islam, the entry, the free and disorderly Reasons why he is irreducible when states the elite´s permanent party is interested on entry, of Muslins, both immigrants and refu- that it is, not only impossible142, but abso- it. gees136. lutely irresponsible, or even more, childish143, In fact, he suggests, the Democrats sees it Above all, coming from Syria to Europe137, any kind of tolerance, of understanding, or, as cheap votes, as easy Democratic future but, as well, crossing to United States it- eventually, of rapprochement144, since, about votes, and the Republicans, the entrepre- self138. neurs, sees them, immediately, as cheaper 149 man tragedy of biblical proportions, but the solution labors . is not going to be migrants coming up with cartel 131 Bannon, cit. in Waldman, loc. cit.. the drug cartels, or now in human trafficking, and 132 Similarly, Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 105: bringing the people to American border”. 145 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “we are in “Bannon pinpointed 1979 as a key year in the latest 139 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “’they are an outright war against jihadist Islamic fascism. And round of conflict between the West and the Muslim not Jeffersonian democrats’ referring to immigrants this war is, I think, metastasizing far quicker than world”. heading from Muslim majority countries to Europe”. governments can handle it”. 133 Similarly, Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 105. 140 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “people 146 Closely, Caldwell, loc. cit.: “he holds that, since this 134 “The hostage crisis, Bannon came to believe, was who do not sign off on this set of shared values movement, political, is generated within the sphere just the first hint of a hostility that could grow into should not be welcome in the United States; and, of Islam, the growth of Islam, the religion, is itself something that would one day threaten the West, Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 107: “a tougher a problem with which American authorities should something that, he would finally conclude, thir- medicine is needed, including slashing the number of occupy themselves”. ty-five years later, urgently necessitated ’a global war Muslim refugees permitted to enter the West”. 147 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “we are against Islamic fascism’”; Green, Devil’s…, p. 58. 141 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 54; and, Bannon, at the very beginning stages of a very brutal and 135 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “if you cit. in Green, Devil’s…, p. 59, even if, about Iran: bloody conflict, of which if the people in this room, look back at the long history of the Judeo-Christian “the only way I can describe Iran is that it looked the people in the church, do not bind together and West struggle against Islam, I believe that our fore- like the moon, You´re literally months away from really form what I feel is an aspect of the church fathers kept their stance, and I think they did the home, steaming across the ocean, these vast expens- militant, to really be able to not just stand with our right thing. I think they kept it out of the world, es, you get to this place and it like you’d landed on beliefs, but to fight for our beliefs against this new whether it was at Vienna, or Tours, or other places. the moon. It was like the 5th century - completely barbarity that’s starting, that will completely eradi- It bequeathed to us the great institution that is the primeval”. cate everything that we’ve been bequeathed over the Church of the West”. 142 Bannon, cit. in Bruck, loc. cit.: “the Sharia law and last 2,000, 2,500 years”; and, Bannon, cit. in Haas, 136 Bannon, cit. in Green, Devil’s…., p. 207: “the ‘civili- the freedoms of the United States are mutually ex- loc. cit.: “we’re going to war in the South China Sea zational jihad’ personified by this migrant crisis”. clusive terms”. in five to 10 years. There’s no doubt about that”. 137 “Bannon expressed his frustration to a German offi- 143 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 107: “the calls for “We’re in a war. We’re clearly going into, I think, a cial, during a trip to Europe. ‘What’s most disturb- tolerance that come after every Islamist outrage are major shooting war in the Middle East again”. ing is that you’ve let in anywhere from a million to the infantile responses of a shallow secularized peo- 148 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 52: “every state in a million-five Syrians. These refugees don’t have re- ple, who do not understand the full dimensions of the United States is now dominated by Mexican im- liable documents. It´s impossible for the Europeans the threat”. migration. This was the daily reality of the Ameri- to tell who they are (…). Europe is unmistakably im- 144 Bannon, cit. in Bruck, loc. cit.: “the Left is starting can workingman”. porting some criminals and terrorists’”; Koffler, op. to drumbeat an idea that we should have the rap- 149 “The right sees this as cheap labor, the left as cheap cit., pp. 173, 174. prochement with radical Islam. Well, that’s unac- votes”, one interviewee declares in Border War, The 138 Bannon, The rise…, p. 16: “the migrant crisis is a hu- ceptable”. Battle over Illegal Immigration, a Bannon’s documen-

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The problem is, that, in contrast, the entire ders absence, for sure, allowing the free And intends, on the other hand, to guide economic and social burden of this illegal circulation of all types of Muslins, and, and assist them in which concern media ac- immigration falls on the American middle among these, terrorists153. tion162. class, is paid by the taxpayers, specially, But, mostly, a visible effect of its current, However, he emphasized, not just for con- through the Social State150. and stimulated, lack of national identity154. test and win elections in the European Adding that the unemployment generated Nonetheless, Bannon believes that, in Eu- countries. by this messy and extensive illegal immi- rope, a relevant part of People155, and a sig- But, either, aiming to prepare, which he as- gration affects, about everything, the most nificant part of the political class156, want a sumes, will be, in the next future, the Four fragile American workers, particularly, the different solution, that they want a return Turning’s war between today´s weakened black and the Hispanic151. to nationalism157. Western, and its main cultural enemy, Is- A nationalism’s return implying, necessar- lam163. 11 – EUROPE ily, the destruction of that European Un- A war that, he adds, the European estab- ion158. lishment cannot, and, also, do not want, I - Regarding Europe, Bannon establish- afford164. es an almost perfect parallel with its own III - Thus, Bannon tries, on one hand, to America. boost the creation of a true political popu- 12 – RUSSIA Ticking the same kind of political agents, list movement in Europe159, integrating, identifying the similar policies, and, obvi- despite their differences160, the main na- I - Bannon’s conception about Russia is not ously, noting the close results152. tionalist groups161. particularly flattering or, even, diplomatic. To him, the European Union is just one Indeed, he qualifies it, not only as a klep- part more of the globalization, the secular- tocracy, but, still, as imperialist and expan- ization, the establishment and the admin- 153 Bannon, cit. in Crowley, loc. cit.: the European sionist165. Union “is a body (…) whose border policies allow Is- istrative State - even if it is just an interna- lam to invade the West, one refugee at a time”. II - However, he seems to believe in Rus- tional organization. 154 Bannon, cit. in Crowley, loc. cit.: the European sia’s traditionalism and nationalism as an Union “dilutes the national identity”. ally166. 155 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “I think II - However, it´s main criticism is about that People, particularly in certain countries, want Not so much related to China, but, fur- European policies on immigrants and refu- to see sovereignty for their country, they want to see thermore, in face of the growing Islamic gees. nationalism for their country, rather than a ‘pan-Eu- threat167. A direct consequence of its internal bor- ropean Union’”; and, Bannon, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 52: “People want their countries back. A simple thing”. 162 Similarly, Horowitz, loc. cit.: “he wants to train an tary”; Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.. 156 Bannon, The rise…, p. 57: “they want their citizens army of populist foot soldiers, in the language and 150 Bannon, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “they leave to be empowered, and not to report to transnational tools of social media. He said that the common mes- it to middle-class natives to educate, feed, and care, entities that have no accountability, the European sage he had received from populists throughout Eu- for these foreigners”. Central Bank, and the European Union”. rope was a desire to establish a media outlet for their 151 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 98: “the people 157 Similarly, McBain, loc. cit.: “Bannon considers Eu- views”. most affected by illegal alien labor is the black work- rope at the forefront of the global ‘populist-nation- 163 Bannon, cit. in Crowley, loc. cit.: “the reason it was ing class and the Hispanic working class“; Wolff, op. alist revolt’”. so important to get in place populist nationalist Gov- cit., p. 51: “laxly enforced immigration laws reached 158 Similarly, Shapiro, a former Breitbart writer, cit. ernments was to prepare for a coming great-powers to the center of the new liberal philosophy, and for in Crowley, loc. cit.: “Bannon hates the European clash with an axis of ancient Turkish, Persian and Bannon exposed his hypocrisy. In the liberal worl- Union. He figures it is mainly an instrument for glo- Chinese civilizations”. “Losing the Christian faith, dview, diversity was an absolute good, whereas balism, as opposed to an instrument for the bettering has weakened Europe, it’s neither willing nor able to Bannon believed any reasonable person (…) could of Western civilization”. confront Islam’s rising power”. see that waves of immigrants came with a load of 159 “Bannon created a foundation around 2018 for na- 164 Bannon, cit. in Horowitz, loc. cit.: “elites can’t fight problems (…). And these were problems borne not by tionalist parties called The Movement. An ‘Illiberal that fight. People have to buy into it”. cosseted liberals, but by the most exposed citizens”; International’, an embryonic alliance of populist, 165 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “I’m not and, Koffler, op. cit., p. 160: “a Kellyanne Conway’ anti-immigration parties”. “A network that aimed to justifying Vladimir Putin and the kleptocracy that report, by 2016, shows that ‘75 percent want more create a far-right ‘super-group’, by providing cam- he represents, because he eventually is the State enforcement of current immigration laws, including paign support and acting for populist parties across capitalist of kleptocracy”; “I think that Putin and 63 percent of Hispanics, and over 50 percent of the Europe”; McBain, loc. cit.. his cronies are really a kleptocracy, that are really an Democrats’”. 160 “The attempt to form and constitute a transnation- imperialist power that want to expand”. 152 Bannon, 2016 South Carolina Tea Party Conven- al far right has failed many times before. Beyond 166 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “I believe tion speech, cit. in Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “the a shared anti-globalization and anti-immigration that at least Putin is standing up for traditional in- guys from the European Union, are the same guys stance, the European right has very diverse con- stitutions, and he’s trying to do it in a form of na- who have allowed the complete collapse of the Ju- cerns”; Ruth Wodak, Lancaster University, cit. in tionalism”; and, Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. deo-Christian West in Europe”; and, furthermore: McBain, loc. cit.. 114: “the Judeo-Christian West might learn some- “Europe, mired in a near-zero growth, and a finan- 161 Bannon, cit. in Horowitz, loc. cit.: “all I’m trying to thing from the Russian leader’s respect for tradition- cial chaos, epitomizes the catastrophic fate of the be is the infrastructure, globally, for the global popu- alism and his nationalism”. globalist system”. list movement”. 167 Similarly, unsigned article. The Economist, February

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Additionally, is well known the Bannon’s Saying, yet, that the media should be em- ties178. connection with Russian philosopher Alex- barrassed and humiliated by its last cover- Which, by the way, increase economic de- ander Dugin168. age173. pendence, and, as well, the administrative In fact, regardless all the differences, they Saying, in conclusion, “media has zero State. both are traditionalists - or, anti-modern- integrity, zero intelligence, and no hard ists - inspiring and influencing the political work”174. III - Yet, Bannon´s sympathy for the Re- power, in the respective States, on the same II - And, most important, inducing, there- publican Party is lower that it could be ex- historical moment169. by, a new type of communication, a direct pected. communication, without traditional lib- Indeed he envision it just as a part of the 13 – MEDIA eral media, through the modern social net- permanent political class, of the establish- works175. ment179. I - In the United States of America, the Not, really, as a conservative one180, and, media is, in general terms, liberal, admit- 14 – POLITICAL PARTIES less, as a worker’s party, as it had been be- tedly liberal. fore181. Nevertheless, in this political life last pe- I - As a conservative, Bannon’s essential And, later, said the Republican establish- riod, it took this tendency to its ultimate criticism is, not surprisingly, about the ment was trying to nullify the 2016 elec- limits. Democratic Party. tion182. That is the reason of Bannon acid criti- The liberal vision, he says, succeeded in cism, saying the media were the opposition infiltrating the institutional power highest IV - That way, Bannon affirms, regarding party170. levels. the Republican Party, his priority is to Saying, also, that the media did not, at all, So, he adds, to change that situation, change it into a real blue collar worker´s understood America171, and, certainly less, “every day - every day - it is going to be a party183. did it noticed the reasons for the reborn, fight”176. Occupying, then, the Democratic Party right there, of the populism and of the na- former political space, and winning elec- tionalism172. II - However, more than that, Bannon tions184. elaborates, the Democrats abandoned, over 23, 2017: “he is reputed to believe that Putin’s Rus- time, the American middle and working 178 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 159: “the Demo- sia and Trump’s America are Christian allies against class itself, abandoned their own historical crats played identity politics by pandering, in an ever the Islamic State and ‘radical Islamic terrorism’”; roots177. more divisive way to Americans, on the basis of race and, Steinmetz-Jenkins; Noble, loc. cit.: “the rhetoric and sex and sexual orientation, and even irreligion; of a looming civilizational war has proved persistent. And, more, did it for benefit of new public and, Bannon, cit. in Mindock, loc. cit.: the minorities, Recent years have seen religious leaders from both policies aimed to a wide range of minori- “they’re a victim of race. They’re a victim of their the American Christian community and the Russian sexual preference. They’re a victim of gender. All Orthodox community coming together to bemoan about victimhood and the United States is the great the decline of traditional values”. Donald Trump’s populist message and against his oppressor, not the great liberator” 168 Similarly, Teitelbaum, loc. cit.: “Dugin and Bannon nationalist messages”; Bannon, cit. in Grynbaum, 179 Bannon, Vatican, July 2014, conference: “the Re- have been attempting to collaborate, and met in se- loc. cit.: “what the media misses is the amount of an- publican establishment, which is really a collection crecy in Rome in November 2018”. ger that’s out there. Trump didn’t create that”; and, of crony capitalists that feel that they have a dif- 169 Similarly, Teitelbaum, loc. cit.: ”Dugin and Bannon Bannon, cit. in Bradner, loc. cit.: “they were ready ferent set of rules of how they’re going to comport may represent opposing interests at the level of to coronate Hillary Clinton. That didn’t happen, and themselves”; and, Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. national politics, but they also recognized a deeper I´m one of the reasons”. 137: “we´re never going to beat the Democrats until bond as two traditionalists who emerged into pow- 173 Bannon, cit. in Grynbaum, loc. cit.: “to media, the we beat the real enemy, which is the establishment er, independently of each other, at roughly the same 2016 election was a humiliating defeat that they will Republicans”. historical moment”. never wash away, that will always be there”. “The 180 Bannon, cit. in Friedersdorf, loc. cit.: “we don’t be- 170 Bannon, cit. in Grynbaum, loc. cit.: “I want you to media should be embarrassed and humiliated and lieve there is a functional conservative party in this quote this: the media here is the opposition party; keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while”. country, and we certainly don’t think the Republican and, Lewis, loc. cit.: “the Democrats don’t matter. 174 Bannon, cit. in Grynbaum, loc. cit.. Party is that”. The real opposition is the media”. 175 Similarly, Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “Trump leveraged this 181 Bannon, cit. in Wolff, loc. cit.: “the Republican Party 171 Bannon, cit. in Grynbaum, loc. cit.: “the media don’t growing power to bypass the traditional gatekeepers would come to betray its workingman constituency understand this country”; “the elite media got it of power, the media”. forged under Reagan”. dead wrong, 100 percent dead wrong”; and Wolff, 176 Bannon, cit. in Rucker; Costa, loc. cit.. 182 Bannon, cit. in Nelson, loc. cit.: “it’s as obvious as loc. cit.: “the media bubble is the ultimate symbol of 177 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 159: “they had night follow day”. what’s wrong with this country (…). It’s just a circle abandoned the sort of white, blue-collar workers 183 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 151: “the reorgani- of people talking to themselves, who have no fucking who had once been the party´s backbone (…). That zation of the Republican Party into a worker´s party idea what’s going on”. proved to be a fatal mistake”; and, Bannon, cit. in that´s what I focus on every day”; and, Bannon, cit. 172 Bannon, cit. in Grynbaum, loc. cit.: “the media still Wolff, loc. cit.: “the Democratic Party betrayed its in Green, Devil’s…, p. 191: “five, ten years from now, do not understand why Donald Trump is the Pres- workingman roots, just as Hillary Clinton betrayed a different party. You’re going to have a worker’s ident of the United States; Bannon, cit. in Koffler, the longtime Clinton connection - Bill Clinton’s con- party”. op. cit. p. 146: “they stand diametrically opposed on nection - to the workingman”. 184 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit., p. 92: “Bannon believes

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V - Quite differently, Tea Party is a popu- So, Bannon decided to make a movie about And, he says, this populism results, above list movement, born in 2009, within the it, a movie starry, exclusively, by women189, all, from the fact that, despite his consider- Republican Party itself. a true feminist movie190 - curious choice, in- able personal wealth, he remains, himself, in Despite not a being, in the classic sense, deed, from a man often accused of sexism. several relevant aspects, a man of the Peo- a party, it is not difficult to observe that ple194. the Tea Party Caucus’ members vote in the VIII - In fact, Bannon sees the Tea Party Someone who knows their specific prob- Congress, frequently, as an independent as an almost perfect model of the Ameri- lems195, and someone who speaks, directly, third party. can values, particularly, the due respect clearly, viscerally, those People’ - most The movement’s name alludes to the origi- for the American history, tradition, and frequently politically incorrect - own lan- nal Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773, an patriotism”191. guage196. event in the launch of the American Revo- And, too, the perfect political weapon lution, accomplished against the taxation, against both the Democrats and the Repub- Green, Devil’s…, pp. 236, 208: “Trump is the lead- by the former British colonial government, licans192. er of a populist uprising. What Trump represents without any American political representa- is a restoration - a restoration of the true American capitalism and a revolution against State-sponsored tion. 15 – TRUMP socialism”. “He’s taken this nationalist movement Even though, Bannon elaborates, the Tea and moved it up twenty years. If France, Germany, Party was the dominant culture until the I - In Bannon´s quite particular view, Trump England, or any of these places had the equivalent 50s185. is the ideal populist, “Trump is the tribune of a Donald Trump, they would be in power. They 193 don’t”; and, Trump, Inauguration Day speech: “to- Concerning the last political decades, Ron- of the People” . day we are not merely transferring power from one ald Reagan is, definitely, their best inspira- Administration to another (…). We are transferring tion. power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to th Indeed, this is, similarly, about populism186, courage and conservative convictions to fight the you, the American People (…). January 20 2017 187 Washington establishment”. “Palin was someone will be remembered as the day the People became about nationalism, and antiestablishment . who could galvanize people to action against estab- the rulers of this Nation again“. VI - The Tea Party sponsored multiple pro- lished interests by both inspiring them and explain- 194 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 149: “despite his tests within the framework of the economic ing in terms they could understand complex policies vast wealth, Donald Trump was a man of the Peo- they had to embrace to wage the fight (…). Palin ple”; and, Trump, himself, cit. in Green, Devil’s…, p. crisis, particularly, after the 2009 presiden- was genuine, without artifice, and would appeal to 190: “my views are what everybody else’s views are”. tial election, and supported several candi- the middle class voters”. 195 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., pp. 149, 6: “he spoke dates. 189 Fire from the Heartland: The Awakening of the Con- to their concerns (…); he spoke about issues that he Focuses on tax cuts, the reduction of the na- servative Woman (2010); Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. felt really mattered to working people (….); he spoke cit., p. 122: “the Left (…), their heads are imploding for all those millions of people who were not pros- tional debt of the United States and federal because it´s exactly against the narrative that they pering, who saw their jobs being exported overseas, budget deficit, through decreased govern- lay out about the feminist movement (…), a strong- who saw their neighborhoods being surrounded to ment spending, namely, on the Administra- willed independent women at the vanguard of a crime and illegal immigration, and, most important populist, conservative, rebellion against the political of all, who saw their America, it´s culture, history tion. class and against the financial class”. and traditions, held in contempt by the political and 190 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 120: “actually a media elite”; Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “in the vast red VII - Ironically, the Tea Party, despite its feminist movie, spoken entirely by women, focused sea of Middle America where the President won the hard conservatism, is, above everything, a on female empowerment, and highlighting the lead- election, many people welcomed the squeals of the ing role of women in the Tea Party movement”. outraged elites. As one delighted Kansas City busi- women’s party, Sarah Palin emerging, in 191 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit., pp. 118, 119: “Bannon nessman put it, ‘he’s upsetting all the right people’”; those early years, as its best and most iconic saw Tea Party as a resurgence of such old-fashioned and, Trump, himself, New York Times interview, example188. values of self-reliance, personal responsibility, fiscal November 23, 2016: “Rust Belt, they call it the Rust prudence, freedom under the law, respect for Ameri- Belt for a reason. If you go through it, you look back can history and tradition, and patriotism”. “It´s the 20 years, they didn’t used to call it the Rust Belt. that (…) Republicans can win minority voters by voice of the working man and woman in this coun- You pass factory after factory after factory that’s regaining blue-collar jobs that have been exported try”. “Is the salvation of this country“. empty and rusting. Rust is the good part, because overseas”. 192 Similarly, Friedersdorf, loc. cit.: an insurgent, cen- they’re worse than rusting, they’re falling down. No, 185 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 118: “the Tea Par- ter-right populist movement, that is virulently an- I wouldn’t sacrifice that. To me more important is ty, in fact, was the dominant American culture of ti-establishment (…), both for the progressive left taking care of the people that really have proven to 1776 throughout the 1950s“. and the institutional Republican Party”; Koffler, be, to love Donald Trump, as opposed to the political 186 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit., p. 162: “a similar populist op. cit., p. 117: “the Tea Party was a populist vehi- people (…). These people are really angry. They’re wave had launched the Reagan Revolution”. cle for electing real conservatives who would oppose smart, they’re workers, and they’re angry. I call 187 Similarly, Koffler, op. cit., pp. 129, 156: “the Prima- the otherwise relentless growth of government under them the forgotten men and women. And I use that ry Republican Party election in 1976 was President Democrats and mainstream Republicans alike“; and in speeches, I say they’re the forgotten People, they Reagan versus the establishment”; “Reagan’s success Wolff, op. cit., p. 120: “the entire Bannon’ dream had were totally forgotten. And we’re going to bring jobs shocked the press, the liberals, and even the Republi- been realized. The Tea Party movement, with Trump back”. can establishment”. as its remarkable face and voice had come to power – 196 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit., p. 149: “he talked off 188 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 126, 127: “this is something like total power”. the cuff with a disarming directness“; and, Wolff, a very smart, tough, focused woman. She had the 193 Bannon, The rise…, p. 82; and, Bannon, cit. in loc. cit.; “he communicates with these People in a

POLIS nº 1 (II série) Janeiro / Junho 2020 93 | STEPHEN K. BANNON: AN AMERICAN PRAYER - L. Barbosa Rodrigues

II - Like that, for him, Trump is quite distant II - As matter of fact, if, without Bannon, And, by the way, the Bannon’s choice as while compared to the traditional political Trump would hardly have been elected203, campaign manager was, as it turned out, class, especially, from Washington D.C.197, as without Trump, Bannon would likely re- anything but a no-brain’s man decision well to all the establishment media198. main confined to the right-wing site Bre- - although, really, it was not his original He sees him as a real outsider, as someone itbart News, or, even, to the Government idea209. making his own political rules199. Accountability Institute, and Cambridge Analytica. III - As a candidate, the campaign’ key III - Regarding the international domain, The truth is that they intersected in a his- idea, America First, presents itself as a Bannon says, Trump’s nationalism implies torical moment which is, maybe, unrepeat- Trump slogan, yet, based on Bannon’s United States only expose, namely militar- able204. economic nationalism ideological former ily, and putting American lives at risk, when And that their alliance has given them a elaboration210. absolutely necessary200. strength they would never obtain by act- The same way, Bannon endowed Trump And, Bannon defend, Trump’s nationalism ing apart205. with a systematic set of concepts referring means, equally, respect for other cultures201. Nonetheless, ideologically, a large part of to American foreign policy, which replaced Respect - necessary to add - with the obvious the Trump’s rhetoric, both as a candidate the Trump’s incipient ideas on those mat- and stark exceptions of China and Islam202. and as a President, mainly in the initial ters211. 16 - BANNON AND TRUMP moments, is, undoubtedly, authored by And, when Bannon was appointed as man- Bannon206 207. ager of Trump’s campaign, it gained, dur- I - The present article has its focus in Ste- Even though it is not entirely accurate to ing those last remaining months, an as- ve Bannon, not, intentionally, in Donald say that Bannon is the true presidential sumed and coherent populist-nationalist Trump. brain208. direction212. However, it would be, probably, absurd, to conclude the work, not to mention the latter. IV - Bannon’s intervention on Trump main 203 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 22: “Trump wouldn’t political acts as a President of the United be President if it weren’t for Bannon”. States is, undoubtedly, even more notori- very visceral way (…); he speaks in a non-political 204 Identically, Green, Devil’s…, pp. 21, 2: “Bannon vernacular”; and, Trump, himself, cit. in Green, Dev- happened to intersect with Trump precisely the right il’s…., p. 169: “the big problem this country has is moment in history”; “Trump had turned to Bannon being politically correct (…). I’ve been challenged to rescue his floundering presidential campaign, at a 209 “Rebekah Mercer (one of the main Trump campaign by so many people, and I don´t frankly have time time when nearly everyone agreed that he was head- donors), told him: ’bring in Steve Bannon and Kelly- for total political correctness, and, to be honest, this ed for a landslide loss”; and, Bruck, loc. cit.: “when anne Conway. I’ve talked them; they’ll do it’. Trump country doesn´t have time either”. Trump announced his candidacy, Bannon saw some- agreed”; Wolff, op. cit., p. 18: when the Mercers pre- 197 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit., pp. 149, 150, 155: “he thing that others missed. Bannon sensed that he had sented their plan take over the campaign and install had authenticity (…); he does not speak like a politi- finally found the figure who could express that anger, his lieutenants, Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Con- cian” (…); he talked about issues that establishment leading the populist rebellion of millions of Ameri- way, Trump did not resist”; and, Green, Devil’s…, politician didn´t (…); he had the passion, the uncon- cans who felt they had been left behind”. p. 200; and, p. 4: “the surprise elevation of Bannon ventionality, and the work ethic that were required”. 205 Similarly, Baker; Haberman, loc. cit.: “a partnership to head Trump’s campaign on August 17 hit political 198 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 149: “Trump was of convenience that transformed American politics Washington like a thunderclap - and, to most insid- unafraid of the media or of saying politically incor- about the future of the nationalist-populist move- ers, like a bad punch line. Bannon had never worked rect things he believe to be true”. ment they cultivated together”; Green, Devil’s…, on a campaign; he was despised by democrats and 199 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 149: “Trump (…) p. 22: “together, their power and reach gave them republicans alike, for his eagerness to attack them ignoring all the poll-driven, focus-group-driven ad- strength and influence far beyond what either could both; and he had a profile that guaranteed still more vice, fearful of offending someone”. have achieved on his own”; and, Wolff, op. cit., p. 129: terrible headlines for Trump”. 200 Bannon, cit. in Koffler, op. cit., p. 178: “Trump al- “however, much he might stand on his unique, even 210 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 204: “while Trump’s ways wants the most reflective option that really magical-seeming, contributions to the Trump victo- embrace of ‘America First’ nationalism was chiefly limits the exposure of the United States militarily ry, Bannon’s opportunity was wholly provided by due to its resonance as a campaign slogan, Bannon’s unless it´s absolutely necessary”; and Trump, him- Trump’s peculiar talent”. attraction to it had a far deeper and more complicat- self, New York Times interview, November 23, 2016: 206 Similarly, Wolff, loc. cit.: “if Trumpism is to represent ed lineage”. “I don’t think we should be a Nation builder”. something intellectually and historically coherent, 211 Similarly, Green, Devil’s…, p. 46: “Bannon supplied 201 Bannon, cit. in Koffler,op. cit., p. 179: “while the Left it’s Bannon’s job to make it so; and, Caldwell, loc. Trump with a fully formed, internally coherent worl- chants that Trump is a fascist and a hater, he is, in cit.: “there may never be a Trumpism and unless one dview that accommodated Trump’s own feelings fact, pursuing a foreign policy that holds other cul- emerges, the closest we may come to understanding about trade and foreign threats”. tures in far higher respect”. this Administration is as an expression of Bannon- 212 Similarly, Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “he is the one who has 202 Trump, himself, Poland, Warsaw, speech, July 6, 2017: ism”. been most successful in focusing Trump on a winning “I declare, today, for the world to hear, that the West 207 Conversely, Trump, himself, cit. in Green, Devil’s…, message. While other advisers have tried to change will never, ever, be broken. Our values will prevail. Our p. 242: “I like Steve, but you have to remember, he Trump, Bannon has urged him to step on the gas”; people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph“. was not involved in my campaign until very late. I’m and, Green, Devil’s…, p. 208: “Bannon did indeed “Never, since Ronald Reagan, had any President stat- my own strategist”. run a nationalist, divisive campaign, in which issues ed the American cause, and the cause of Western civi- 208 Conversely, Crowley, loc. cit.: “Bannon is, by all ac- of race, immigration, culture, and identity were put lization, better”; Koffler, op. cit. p. 182. counts, the brains of Trump’s operation”. front and center”.

| 94 POLIS nº 1 (II série) Janeiro / Junho 2020 STEPHEN K. BANNON: AN AMERICAN PRAYER - L. Barbosa Rodrigues ous213. tive with foreign companies, and, no less Right away, concerning the Inaugural Day, “By the next few important, preventing future government Trump’s speech is, clearly, a Bannon one214. bailouts. Although, must be stressed, because it’s unu- weeks, the Bannon’s Sixth: Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing sual, consistent with the campaign’s speech. the Executive Branch, March 13, 2017, an Mainly, when refers to its own voters, to ideas influence over Order that aims reorganize governmental the American middle and working classes the President Trump functions and eliminate unnecessary agen- impoverished by globalization215, whom he cies, to cut down the federal spending and calls the forgotten men and women216 - in the is especially visible improve its efficiency, effectiveness and ac- Hillary Clinton’s unhappy (and rather ex- countability. pensive) campaign expression, the deplorable. on all the eight ini- Seventh: Expediting Environmental Re- views and Approvals for High-Priority In- V - By the next few weeks, the Bannon’s tial – and swift – frastructure Projects”, January 24, 2017, ideas influence over the President Trump is pretending to offer high priority on the ap- especially visible on all the eight initial - Executive Orders”. proval of investment in infrastructure pro- and swift - Executive Orders217. jects, such as, repairs to bridges, airports, First, and probably, the most emblematic for 90 days, and stopping all refugees from and highways. one218: Protecting the Nation From Foreign entering the country for 120 days. Syrian Eighth: “Minimizing the Economic Bur- Terrorist Entry Into the United States, Janu- refugees are banned indefinitely219. den of the Patient Protection and Afford- ary 27, 2017, the so-called Muslin Ban, sus- Second: Protecting the Nation from Foreign able Care Act”, January 20, 2017, aiming pending the entry of immigrants from sev- Terrorist Entry into the U.S., March 6, 2017, the progressive and partial reversion of the en Muslim-majority countries - Syria, Iran, which revises the former, banning citizens former president’s health model, the so- Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia - from six Muslim-majority countries from called Obamacare220 221. entering the U.S. for 90 days. The countries include Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, References 213 Similarly, Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “Bannon is the one who keeps the doctrine pure, the true believer, who is Syria and Libya. Iraq was removed from in it not for money or position, but to change history; the list after the Iraqi government said it BANNON, Stephen K. - Conference at the and, Koffler, op. cit., p. 8: “the Trump Revolution has would increase information sharing with Institute for Human Dignity, Vatican, July begun, and Bannon was Trump´s rebel-in-chief“. the United States. 2014, via Skype, from Los Angeles (Full 214 Similarly, Von Drehle, loc. cit.: “Donald Trump’s first steps had the feel of a documentary film made by his Third: Border Security and Immigration transcript by J. Lester Feder, Buzzfeed chief strategist and alter ego Stephen K. Bannon”; Enforcement Improvements, January 25, News, November 15, 2016) and, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “Trump’s inaugu- 2017, aiming to increase border security, by ral address was basically a telepromptered Bannon rant”. directing federal funding to the construc- BANNON, Stephen K. - Conference on the 215 Similarly, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “he described a tion of a wall along the Mexico-United Liberty Restoration Foundation Inaugural vision in which the ‘wealth of our middle class has States border. Event, Florida, October 2011 been ripped from their homes and then redistribut- Fourth: Enhancing Public Safety in the ed all across the world’. ‘We’ve made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of Interior of the United States, January 25, BANNON, Stephen K.; FRUM, David - our country has dissipated over the horizon’”. 2017, concerning immigration policies, re- The rise of populism (The Munk Debates), 216 Similarly, Guilford; Sonnad, loc. cit.: “’the forgot- ferring the so-called sanctuary cities. Toronto, House of Anansi Press, 2019 ten men and women of our country’, a meme that Trump claimed, but that appears previously in Gen- Fifth: Core Principles for Regulating the eration Zero” (a 2010 Bannon’ politically engaged United States Financial System, Febru- BAKER, Peter; HABERMAN, Mag- movie). ary 3, 2017, pretending an efficient, effec- gie - The New York Times, January 3, 217 Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov tive and appropriated regulation, ensuring 2018,”Trump breaks with Bannon, saying he 218 Similarly, Wolff, op. cit., pp. 53, 54: “bypassing law- yers, regulators, and the agencies and personal re- that the United States’ firms are competi- has ‘lost his mind’” sponsible for enforcing it. President Trump - with Bannon’s low, intense voice behind him, offering a rush of complex information - signed what was put 219 “The Administration was barely a week old when, 220 Similarly, Becker; Buse; Höges; Müller; Repins- behind him (…). The result was an emotional out- on the evening of January 27, when (…) Trump shut ki, Von Rohr; Schulz, loc. cit.: “since taking office, pouring of horror and indignation from liberal me- down America’s refugee program for 120 days (indef- Trump has struck global politics like a tornado, dia, terror in immigrant communities, tumultuous initely in the case of Syrian refugees), while barring much like Bannon must have imagined”; and, Von protests on the major airports (…). But Steve Ban- travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries. Al- Drehle, loc. cit.: “Bannon´s fingerprints were sudden- non was satisfied (…). That was the way to crush the most immediately, U.S. customs and border agents ly everywhere”. liberals. Making them crazy and drag them to the began collaring airline passengers covered by the or- 221 Bannon, himself, cit. in Wolff, op. cit., p. 213: “I am left”. der”; Von Drehle, loc. cit.. the leader of the national-populist movement”.

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BECKER, Markus; BUSE, Uwe; HÖGES, GREEN, Joshua - The Devil’s Bargain: week, February 9, 2018, “Has anyone seen Clemens; MÜLLER, Peter; REPINSKI, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the na- the President?” Gordon; VON ROHR, Mathieu; SCHULZ; tionalist uprising, New York, Penguin Thomas - Der Spiegel International, Febru- Books, 2017 MCAULEY, James - The Washington Post, ary 6, 2017, “Trump and Bannon pursue a March 10, 2018, “‘Let them call you racists’ vision of autocracy” GREEN, Joshua - Bloomberg Businessweek, - Steve Bannon delivers fighting speech to October 8, 2015, “This man is the most dan- France’s National Front” BLAKE, Aaron - The Washington Post, gerous political operative in America” August, 17, 2016, “Is official; the chief of MCBAIN, Sophie - New Statesman Ameri- Breitbart News is headed to the West Wing” GRYNBAUM, Michael - The New York ca, September 12, 2018, “What Steve Ban- Times, January 26, 2017, “Trump strategist non really believes in” BOTSFORD, Jabin - The Washington Post, Stephen Bannon says media should ‘keep its November 19, 2016, “It’s going to be a rough mouth shut’” MINDOCK, Clark - Independent, Decem- transition” ber 12, 2017, “People are going deep under- GUILFORD, Gwynn, NIKHIL, Sonnad - ground’: Immigrants and their year of anxi- BRADNER, Eric - CNN (Washington), Quartz, February 3, 2017, “What Bannon ety under Trump” November 21, 2016, “Bannon rejects white really wants” nationalism: ‘I’m an economic nationalist’” NELSON, Louis - Politico, August, 9, 2017, HAAS, Benjamin - The Guardian, Febru- “It’s as obvious as night follow day” BROOKS, David - The New York Times, ary 2, 2017, “Steve Bannon: ‘we’re going to March 2, 2018, “How progressives win the war in the South China Sea ... no doubt’” NELSON, Louis - Politico, November 18, culture war” 2016, “Steve Bannon hails Trump’s ‘eco- HORNADAY, Ann - The Washington Post, nomic nationalist’ agenda” BRUCK, Connie - The New Yorker, April February 2, 2017, “You can learn a lot about 24, 2017, “A Hollywood story” Steve Bannon by watching the films he made” O’TOOLE, James - The enlightened capitalists: cautionary tales of business pioneers BRUNI, Frank - The New York Times, 15 HOROWITZ, Jason - The New York who tried to do well by doing good, New York, April, 2017, “Steve Bannon was doomed”. Times, March 9, 2018, “Steve Bannon is Harper Business, 2019 done wrecking the American establishment. CALDWELL, Christopher - The New York Now he wants to destroy Europe’s” PARKER, Ashley; Rucker, Philip - The Times, February 25, 2017, “What does Ste- Washington Post, October 21, 2017, “’The ve Bannon want?” HOROWITZ, Jason - The New York Times, President’s wingman’: absent in the west March 2, 2018, “Why Italy’s insular election wing, Bannon stays close to Trump” CARMAN; Ashley - The Verge, November is more important than it looks” 16, 2016, “Trump’s chief strategist Steve PARMAR, Inderjeet - The Wire, May 21, Bannon suggests having too many Asian tech KAIS, Roi - World News, October 28, 2017, 2020. “Will Stephen Bannon’s return accel- CEOs undermines ‘civic society’” “Bannon tells Arab paper: ‘Turkey is more erate Trump’s deconstruction?” dangerous than Iran’” CROWLEY, Michael - Politico, March/ PETERS, Jeremy - The New York Times, April 2017, “All of Trump’s Russia ties, in KOFFLER, Keith - Bannon, Always the Re- October 23, 2019, “Steve Bannon has some 7 charts” bel, Washington, Regnery Publishing, 2017 impeachment advice for Trump”

EGAN, Timothy - The New York Times, LANDLER, Mark; Haberman, Maggie - RAIMONDO, Justin - Chronicles. Maga- March 10, 2017, “The bombs of Steve Ban- The New York Times, May 5, 2017, “Mixed zine, March 2, 2017, “Considering Bannon” non” signals from Trump worry pro-Israel hardline” REILLY, STEVE; HEATH, BRAD - USA FRIEDERSDORF, Connor - The Atlantic, Today, January 31, 2017, “Steve Bannon’s August 25, 2016, “The radical anti-conserv- LEVITZ, Eric - New York Intelligencer, own words show sharp break on security is- atism of Stephen Bannon” September 11, 2017, “Steve Bannon’s na- sues” tionalism isn’t about the economy, stupid” GOLDMAN, David P. - Asia Times, June RUCKER, Phillip; COSTA, Robert - The 12, 2020, “U.S. election is all about China” LEWIS, Michael - Bloomberg Business- Washington Post, February 23, 2017, “Ban-

| 96 POLIS nº 1 (II série) Janeiro / Junho 2020 STEPHEN K. BANNON: AN AMERICAN PRAYER - L. Barbosa Rodrigues non vows a daily fight for the ‘deconstruction of the administrative state’”

SHANE, Scott - The New York Times, No- vember 27, 2016, “Combative, populist Steve Bannon found his man in Donald Trump”.

SIFRY, Micah - The Nation, February 8, 2017, “Steve Bannon Wants To Start World War III”

STEINMETZ-JENKINS, Daniel; NO- BLE, Brittany - The Atlantic, March 23, 2017, “Steve Bannon’s would-be coalition of Christian traditionalists”

STRAUSS, Daniel - The Guardian, June 28 2020, “Bannon aims to make a comeback in circle of Trump influencers ahead of election”

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