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Steve Bannon continues expressing frustration with former President Donald Trump and some Republicans, more than one month after Trump announced he is again running for president in 2024.
Bannon, a longtime Trump ally who served as White House strategist in 2017, has been critical of his former boss since the midterm elections. During an episode of his podcast "War Room," Bannon called on Trump to get more involved with policy issues like the massive $1.5 trillion omnibus bill, which cleared the House on Friday.
"You've got to get off the Truth [Social], got to get engaged in these battles up here right now, because that sets the stage for your second term," Bannon said.
Bannon also spoke out against the Republicans who supported the bill's passage, saying it would "kill the economy" and called anyone who voted for it "your enemy politically."
Monday, Trump took aim at what he called the "horrendous" bill and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was among its Republican supporters.
"The Marxist Democrats must have something really big on Mitch McConnell in order to get him and some of his friendly "Republican" Senators to pass the horrendous "All Democrat, All the Way" OMINOUS Bill," Trump posted on Truth Social.
"If the Old Crow waited just 10 days, the Republican Majority in the House could have made the "Ominous" Bill MUCH, MUCH, MUCH BETTER. Just another win for the Democrats, Mitch, that wouldn't have happened if "Trump" were President!"
Bannon also took a swipe at Trump's "major announcement" on December 15 that turned out to be a digital trading card collection. The $99 non-fungible tokens (NFT) collection features the former president's face photoshopped onto other people's bodies, including Superman and an astronaut.
"I can't do this anymore," Bannon said during that day's podcast. "He's one of the greatest presidents in history. But I've gotta tell you whoever, a business partner and anyone in his comm[unication]s team and anybody at Mar-a-Lago, and I love the folks down there, but we're at war. They ought to be fired today."
This month, Bannon praised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for moving "to the right" of Trump, referencing DeSantis' position on the coronavirus vaccine. DeSantis has not announced a formal 2024 White House bid, but several recent polls show him beating Trump in a hypothetical matchup.
Bannon's recent criticism of Trump is a shift in tone and comes as some Republicans distance themselves from the former president.
About the writer
Alex is a Newsweek editor based in New York City. She previously worked as a TV news anchor, reporter and ... Read more