One of Donald Trump's main backers during the 2016 presidential election was Steve Bannon. Following a brief and unsuccessful stint as chief strategist in the White House, Bannon has been telling those close to him that he is done with Trump.
Bannon on Trump
The candidacy of Donald Trump was unlike any other in recent American history. After initially being viewed as a joke, the former host of "The Apprentice" was able to tap into populist anger on the far right and ride a wave of momentum to the Republican nomination in the summer of 2016. During that time, Trump hired Steve Bannon, then head of the right-wing Breitbart News, to be his campaign CEO.
Following his election win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November, Bannon was promoted to the administration and brought on board to serve in the role of chief strategist. Despite rumors of his power behind the scenes, Bannon often clashed with other members of the administration, including Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. The tension reportedly became too much for the president as Bannon was let go in August. Fast forward to earlier this month and the Bannon-backed Republican in Alabama, Roy Moore, lost in an upset during the Alabama Senate election to Doug Jones. As reported by Vanity Fair on December 21, Bannon is ready to split from the commander in chief.
EXCLUSIVE: Steve Bannon is fed up with Trump—and has privately said he would consider running for president, himself, in 2020 https://t.co/inLHzQIZk2
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) December 21, 2017
In an lengthy article by Vanity Fair on Thursday afternoon, Gabriel Sherman detailed the last few months of Steve Bannon's life post-White House, and explains the divide between himself and the president.
While Bannon has long-supported Trump, he no longer beliefs his motives are in line with what he pushed during the campaign. "The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over," Bannon said.
Vanity Fair notes that Steve Bannon has started to sour on Donald Trump, and thinks he could have a shot at running for president in 2020.
According to Bannon's private conversions, he believes "Trump only has a 30 percent chance of serving out his term," citing either impeachment or being removed by his Cabinet via the the 25th amendment. With the Russian investigation moving forward, the pressure has heated up on the White House as Bannon keys an eye on his own political future.
Steve Bannon called George H. W. Bush a pervert https://t.co/INmfbBzTZp
— Axios (@axios) December 21, 2017
Bannon on Bush
In addition, Steve Bannon also opened up about his hatred for the Bush family, going as far as referring to George H.W. Bush a "pervert." "I really detest them," Bannon said, saying of the elder Bush, saying, "He's a pervert." "Grabbing these girls and grabbing their asses," he added. On George W. Bush, Bannon said his time in office was the "most destructive presidency in history."
Next up
Whether or not Steve Bannon runs for president remains to be seen based on the next few years of Donald Trump's first term in office. With the strong opposition against him from the left and center, as well as from establishment Republicans, it's unlikely that Bannon would be able to secure mainstream support in a national election.