Donald Trump has used his Twitter and Facebook accounts to promote Breitbart News articles at least 186 times -- often sharing stories that fawned over him and his presidential campaign. Trump recently hired Stephen Bannon, the chairman of Breitbart News, to be the CEO of his campaign.
Prior to Bannon’s hiring by the campaign, Breitbart News and Trump had long engaged in a mutually beneficial relationship. Under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart became embarrassingly pro-Trump during the Republican presidential primary, leading to objections by several now-former staffers. (Former Breitbart editor at large Ben Shapiro accused Bannon of turning the site into “Trump’s personal Pravda.”)
Breitbart’s obsequious Trump coverage was so over-the-top that several staffers reportedly alleged the candidate had paid the site in exchange for friendly treatment, which Bannon denied.
Regardless of any pay-for-play allegations, the relationship was definitely a two-way street. Trump helped boost the site, granting numerous “exclusive” interviews with Breitbart reporters and making several appearances on Bannon’s Breitbart News Daily radio program.
Trump also promoted Breitbart articles at least 186 times on social media in recent years, where he enjoys a massive following. He has 11 million followers on Twitter and over 10 million “likes” on Facebook, so a single Trump link would most likely lead to thousands (at least) of people visiting the site.
Trump began to promote Breitbart News in January of 2012, linking to several articles attacking the Obama administration with the site’s signature mix of bigotry and conspiracy theories. As of this month, he continues to link to the site’s coverage of his campaign.
He used Breitbart News to bolster his birther conspiracy theory:
Via @BreitbartFeed--why doesn't @BarackObama release his original book proposal which says he was born in Kenya?http://t.co/pDDHJcjH
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2012
Setting himself up as a political mind, Trump highlighted a series of Breitbart News articles highlighting attacks he made in 2013 against Republican operative Karl Rove.
Trump’s appearance at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference was one of his first major endeavors as a political figure. Trump used Breitbart News to amplify his appearance. First he linked to a Breitbart News article with the news that he was on the speaking schedule, followed that up with articles documenting his speech (as well as Breitbart News video of the speech), and then promoted articles documenting his response to criticism of his speech.
Trump used Breitbart News articles to push his stance on immigration, and highlighted Breitbart News immigration stories and their write-ups of his speeches and comments on the topic. Trump also wrote an editorial at Breitbart News in which he complained that “a country that cannot protect its borders will not last.” He of course promoted his writing on Twitter.
As Trump launched his presidential campaign, Breitbart News documented his every utterance, and he was sure to promote those stories. That included video clips of interviews, “exclusive” interviews with Breitbart News, or friendly write-ups of his campaign speeches.
Via @BreitbartNews by @AWRHawkins: “TRUMP PREACHES PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH IN PHOENIX” http://t.co/HCu2T8TFP2
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2015
Trump’s favorite Breitbart News stories to promote are stories about polling. During the Republican primaries, Trump linked to Breitbart News stories month after month after month highlighting his dominance over the rest of the Republican presidential field. Similarly, Trump shared a Breitbart News write-up of the ratings when he guest hosted Saturday Night Live on NBC.
He also used Breitbart News as a way to push back against media critiques. Trump posted a link to a Breitbart News attack on a New York Times news report about him with the note thanking Breitbart News for the coverage:
So nice when media properly polices media. Thank you @BreitbartNews. https://t.co/IGUh57zOJz
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2015
Trump said CNN “should apologize” as he pushed a Breitbart News piece defending him after a negative fact check on the network, and most recently used a Breitbart News critique of CNN’s convention coverage to add fuel to his existing campaign against them.
The Trump account on Facebook was also used to push Breitbart News critiques of CNN, branding them the “Clinton News Network” on multiple occasions.
Trump also cited a Breitbart News story that bolstered his claim (rated “pants on fire” by PolitiFact) that Muslims were celebrating on roofs in New Jersey on September 11, 2001.