
Steve Bannon, in his own words: 8 things the philosopher of Trumpism believes
WASHINGTON — The ubiquitousness of Steve Bannon was crowned with a stone-faced portrait on the cover of this week’s Time magazine over the headline: “The Manipulator.” It’s another rare distinction for a political staffer now being cast in popular culture as some alt-right Rasputin.
Bannon has already declared that he sees Donald Trump as a blunt instrument for advancing his own beliefs — he’s shaped, articulated, refined a political philosophy, and the president of the United States is the delivery mechanism.
The gruff-looking ex-Navy man, Harvard grad, Goldman Sachs banker, film producer, and flame-throwing right-wing media exec swept into the epicentre of political power with new roles: first as Trump’s campaign chair, now as chief White House strategist.
Last week, he became the story. White House insiders grumbled to media that he’d pushed ahead Trump’s controversial travel restrictions, avoided departmental advice, and insisted on making it more aggressive.