“Insanity”: Media Appalled After Trump Campaign Hires Breitbart Executive And Political Commentator
Written by Jared Holt
Published
Media figures across the political spectrum expressed shock after reports that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hired Breitbart News executive Stephen Bannon and political commentator Kellyanne Conway to head his campaign. Media said the hire makes the relationship between Trump and Breitbart “official” and labeled the move “insanity.”
Trump Campaign Hires Breitbart Executive And GOP Commentator
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Campaign Hires Breitbart Executive Stephen Bannon And GOP Pollster Kellyanne Conway. The Wall Street Journal reported that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hired Breitbart executive Stephen Bannon and GOP pollster and political commentator Kellyanne Conway to help lead his campaign. The Journal reported that Bannon’s hire is “likely to stir its own controversy” because Bannon leads a “freewheeling populist news site” that caters to Trump supporters:
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is bringing two new managers to the top of his campaign in a bid to recover ground he has lost in recent weeks.
Stephen Bannon, executive chairman of Breitbart News LLC, an outspoken Trump supporter and a former Goldman Sachs banker, will assume the new position of campaign chief executive. At the same time, Mr. Trump also is promoting Kellyanne Conway, a veteran GOP pollster and strategist, to become campaign manager. Ms. Conway has been a campaign adviser for several weeks.
[...]
The appointment of Mr. Bannon is likely to stir its own controversy. Breitbart News, which he runs, is a freewheeling populist news site that has served as a kind of platform for Trump supporters. He has, among other things, helped produce a movie about the personal wealth of Bill and Hillary Clinton. [The Wall Street Journal, 8/17/16]
Media Across The Spectrum Appalled At Bannon And Conway Hires
Wash. Examiner’s Gabby Morrongiello: “In An Uber Listening To NPR & They Report That Breitbart's Steve Bannon Has Gone To Work For The Trump Campaign Hahaha I Can't Stop Laughing.”
In an uber listening to NPR & they report that Breitbart's Steve Bannon has gone to work for the Trump campaign hahaha I can't stop laughing
— Gabby Morrongiello (@gabriellahope_) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
Washington Free Beacon’s Sonny Bunch: “At Least The Marriage Between Trump And Breitbart Is Official Now.”
At least the marriage between Trump and Breitbart is official now.
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
Radio Host Michael Berry: “So Much Contained Here. None Of It Good. Breitbart & Fox Were Always For Trump. Now He’s About To Lose.”
So much contained here. None of it good. Breitbart & Fox were always for Trump. Now he's about to lose. https://t.co/zGIqHhGpAJ
— Michael Berry (@MichaelBerrySho) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
RedState’s Jay Caruso: “Manafort Apparently Didn’t Kiss Trump’s Ass Enough.”
Manafort apparently didn't kiss Trump's ass enough.
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
The Daily Beast’s Olivia Nuzzi: “Omfg.”
Omfg.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
CNN’s Rebecca Berg: “What Pivot? Campaign Shakeup Suggests Trump Won’t Change His Tone Or Approach.”
What pivot? Campaign shakeup suggests Trump won't change his tone or approach https://t.co/Vs0HfgRdlo
— Rebecca Berg (@rebeccagberg) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
Wash. Post’s Robert Costa: “Bannon Has Convinced Trump That Rest Of Campaign Needs To Be Bare-Knuckles Brawl, [With] Full-Bore Populism/Movement Politics.”
Bannon has convinced Trump that rest of campaign needs to be bare-knuckles brawl, w/ full-bore populism/movement politics
— Robert Costa (@costareports) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
Politico's Peter Sterne: “So Now It’s Official That Breitbart Is A Mouthpiece Of The Trump Campaign.”
@SopanDeb So now it's official that Breitbart is a mouthpiece of the Trump campaign.
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
Mediaite’s Alex Griswold: “I Really Underestimate The Trump Campaign’s Ability To Surprise Me With It’s Insanity.”
I really underestimate the Trump campaign's ability to constantly surprise me with it's insanity.
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) August 17, 2016
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
Mark Levin: “Now It's Formal.”
[Twitter.com, 8/17/16]
RedState’s Leon H. Wolf: Hiring Bannon Is “A Desperate Play.” RedState’s Leon H. Wolf wrote that Bannon’s Breitbart “flatters” Trump and has repeated “every fantasy as fact.” Wolf wrote that the hire shows that Trump judges people’s character “solely by how nice they are to him” and the hire is either “a desperate play” or a signal that Trump “knows he's already lost and wants to reward people who helped him get this far”:
As has been remarked before, Trump judges' people's character and competence solely by how nice they are to him. If a person flatters him, they are great at their job. If a person criticizes or challenges him, they are terrible at their job and probably are soon to get fired. This is especially true of people in the media.
That's why it's not really surprising at all that Trump completed the circle he began yesterday with the hiring of Roger Ailes. Trump apparently decided he wasn't surrounded by enough people who told him how great he was, so he added the co founder of the other news entity that has repeated his every fantasy as fact, Breitbart News.
[...]
If you've ever met Bannon before, you know what a desperate play this truly is. Either that or a signal that he knows he's already lost and wants to reward people who helped him get this far. [RedState.com, 8/17/16]