"We were starved for somebody real, somebody genuine, somebody who actually said he was who he was," #Prince Reibus said of Donald Trump at the #Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland to loud applause.
He might not have the same thing to say about #Stephen Bannon, who also appeared at the conference in what many think is an effort to dispel rumors of the two men's simmering rivalry.
President Trump's chief strategist and the newly placed chief of staff sat together in a rare show of solidarity to discuss amongst other things the #Republican Party's drift back toward the conservative right, national security, sovereignty, economic nationalism, trade reform and the incoming deconstruction of what Bannon referred to as 'the administrative state'.
The media is blamed yet again for wrongdoing
But it was the two men's attack on the media that united them and had the conservative crowd cheering during certain intervals of the heated appearance. Interviewed by, Matt Schlapp, the #American Conservative Union president, the two politicos were careful to agree on other points as well, but it was their view of the media as the 'the opposition party' that underscored their message.
They used the rumors about them being adversaries to elaborate on what they saw as the media's habit of misreporting – and this was hailed by some as a canny strategy that deflected attention from the rumor itself.
Singer Bill Madden wrote on Twitter 'While CPAC kicks out one alt-right, white nationalist neo-Nazi, Richard Spencer — they welcome another, Steve Bannon w/open arms.'
Priebus, meanwhile, said "everything" was misreported.
Claiming that "the biggest misconception is everything that you're reading."
Bannon added that the way the opposition party portrayed Trump during his candidacy as president-elect, and as president was " all wrong." He also believed that the media was in tears when Trump lost to Clinton on November 8. At one point he claimed that the media had stolen the country.
He called the press "corporatist", "globalist" and opposed to Trump's fiscal agenda.
"If you think [the media is] going to give you your country back without a fight, you're sadly mistaken," Bannon said.
The two White House power brokers seemed to be friendly and at one point Priebus even gently touched Bannon's arm, teasing that he "love[s] how many collars poking at the chief strategist's somewhat unique style sense.
Bannon, meanwhile, countered that Priebus was a hard worker whilst also admitting that he himself can run a little hot in the workplace.
Bannon also cautioned the crowd to "hold us accountable for delivering what we promised."
Bannon, his mark all over Trump's speeches, doesn't make many public appearances and yet is a shadowy presence in team Trump's strategy and agenda. He vowed that the administration would fight to deliver America back from 'corporatist, globalist elites. He also delivered a call to arms to those who support Trump.
“If you think they’re going to give you your country back without a fight you’re sadly mistaken,” Mr Bannon said with alacrity. The struggle between the media and Trump was only going to get worse, he claimed.
Economic nationalism
Nationalism will be at the heart of every decision Mr Trump makes in office, he assured the crowd. “We’re a nation with an economy not an economy just in some global marketplace with open borders, but we are a nation with a culture and a reason for being, I think that’s what unites us,” he said.
