Breitbart Owners Debate Ousting Bannon Amid Trump Feud
Breitbart Owners Debate Ousting Bannon Amid Trump Feud
Former White House strategist’s longtime benefactors, billionaires Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, are distancing themselves from him
Rebecca Ballhaus
Jan. 4, 2018 4:08 p.m. ET
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, seen speaking in Midland City, Ala., on Dec. 11, 2017, is facing a possible challenge to his position as chairman of the conservative Breitbart News website as a feud with President Donald Trump grows. Photo: Miguel Juarez Lugo/Zuma Press
President Donald Trump’s growing feud with Steve Bannon is threatening the former White House strategist’s leadership of the conservative Breitbart News website and upending Mr. Bannon’s plans to wage “war” on party incumbents he deemed insufficiently loyal to the White House agenda.
Mr. Trump said Mr. Bannon has “lost his mind” and that he has “nothing to do with me or my presidency,” a response to Mr. Bannon’s numerous incendiary comments—including insults about the president’s family—in a new book about the first year of the Trump administration.
Mr. Bannon’s longtime benefactors, billionaires Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer, are actively distancing from him even before the expected release of Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” according to two people close to the Mercers.
They and other Breitbart News Network LLC board members on Thursday were debating whether to oust Mr. Bannon as chairman, with many supportive of the move, according to a person familiar with the exchanges. Among the considerations are Breitbart’s contractual relationships with other entities, including Sirius XM radio, that involve Mr. Bannon.
Asked Thursday whether Breitbart should oust Mr. Bannon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said: “I certainly think that it’s something they should look at and consider.”
Mr. Bannon and his representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment. On two recent radio shows, Mr. Bannon expressed support for Mr. Trump. He said Thursday morning, “nothing will ever come between us and President Trump and his agenda.”
On Thursday, Mr. Trump acknowledged Mr. Bannon’s more complimentary tone. “He called me a great man last night, so he obviously changed his tune pretty quick,” Mr. Trump told reporters.
The quarrel between the onetime political partners also is raising doubts about whether Mr. Bannon will have a financial benefactor for his run at establishment Republicans, a project that he has said is ultimately aimed at toppling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.)
After leaving the White House in August, Mr. Bannon returned to the helm of Breitbart News and toured the world speaking to groups about populism. Mr. Bannon also formed a nonprofit group to raise money for use in political races and policy fights and had been set to launch the project in the coming weeks.
The group, called Citizens of the American Republic, was registered in Virginia on Nov. 21, but beyond testing out a website since taken down, Mr. Bannon appears to have done little with the group.
Ed Rollins, a strategist for Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, said the Trump-Bannon feud will marginalize Mr. Bannon. His own group, he said, is unlikely to continue its plans to work with him on campaigns.
“Bannon could have been a force and very helpful on campaigns,” Mr. Rollins said. “Money people are only going to go with people they think are tied to Trump, and he’s lost that.”
—Michael C. Bender contributed to this article.
Write to Julie Bykowicz at
julie.bykowicz@wsj.com, Janet Hook at
janet.hook@wsj.com and Rebecca Ballhaus at
Rebecca.Ballhaus@wsj.com
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