Watch Rachel Maddow highlight the extremism of Steve Bannon and explain what it means for 2024
Published
Citation From the February 26, 2024, edition of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show
RACHEL MADDOW (HOST): "We have to intimidate these elected officials" says the head of CPAC. The big, not at all hypocritical, anti-gay right-wing confab that just happened under his leadership this weekend. That was clipped by the group Media Matters.
Here's the same man, here's Matt Schlapp, with Trump adviser Steve Bannon talking about what he thinks is the sort of takeaway message from CPAC this year.
[CLIP BEGINS]
MATT SCHLAPP: Everyone says, "Oh, this is the most important election of our lifetime." I don't even know if you call this an election. This is like the 2.0 of the American Revolution. We're going to have all new heroes come the end of this year. We're going to remember their names forever. But stop talking and start doing. That was the theme coming out of this conference. No more complaining. No more talking.
[CLIP ENDS]
"It's not an election this year, it's a revolution. It's the second American revolution, so no more talking." For his part, here was Steve Bannon's big charm offensive at CPAC this weekend trying to persuade his fellow Americans to win people over to his, you know, his way of thinking.
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STEVE BANNON: They stole the 2020 election. Media, I want you to suck on this. I want the White House to suck on this. You lost in 2020. Donald Trump is the legitimate president of the United States. Trump won. Trump won! Trump won! Trump won! Trump won! Trump won!
His fate and destiny is to have the greatest political comeback in American history. And on November 5th, to drive the vermin out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Biden, you and your crime family are nothing but trash, okay? And on the 20th of January of 2025, we're going to take out the trash.
[CLIP ENDS]
Behold, democracy and the greatest nation on Earth. I don't know how the election is going to go this year. That's what one side is offering. And maybe that is what the good and great people of the United States of America truly want. But it's not just CPAC and their illustrious leadership. That's kind of just the tenor of what's on offer here.