Steve Bannon’s Next Move After Leaving the White House

Could start alternative channel to Fox News, report says

White House chief strategist Steve Bannon walks into the Rose Garden before President Donald Trump announces his decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement at the White House on June 1, 2017. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Steve Bannon is vowing to go to war for Donald Trump after leaving his position as the President’s chief strategist.

“If there’s any confusion out there, let me clear it up: I’m leaving the White House and going to war for Trump against his opponents,” Bannon told Bloomberg reporter Joshua Green.

Bannon specifically said he will go after Trump’s opponents “on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America.”

The same day he left the White House—on Friday, the day Bannon and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly mutually agreed would be his last day—he returned as executive chairman of conservative news outlet Breitbart. That same evening he hosted the website’s editorial meeting.

There is little doubt that Bannon will use the media organization, which he helped build up and which grew significantly before and after Trump’s election, as the prime tool in his fight.

“I’ve got my hands back on my weapons,” Bannon told The Weekly Standard.

He said was planning to expand the “machine” he had built at Breitbart in order to crush the opposition.

That opposition will likely be geared in large part toward the Republican leadership in Congress. Despite controlling both the House and the Senate, the Republican leadership has been unable to deliver a major legislative victory on Trump’s agenda. In July, a vote to reform healthcare failed in the Senate when three Republican senators voted against it.

Breitbart has frequently criticized Republican leaders such as House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) for not staying true to conservative principles and not doing enough to enact Trump’s agenda.

The news website’s large following could help bolster more conservative candidates over picks made by Republican leaders in the upcoming 2018 mid-term elections.

Television

Axios reported that Bannon is also considering to start a television channel, either as a stand-alone TV network or an online streaming service.

According to Axios, Bannon told friends that he sees an opportunity to the right of Fox News.

Before his White House departure, Bannon reportedly had a 5-hour meeting with Hedge Fund billionaire and Trump donor Robert Mercer who is likely to help fund Bannon’s next moves.

Trump Responds

The day after Bannon’s departure, President Trump thanked him for his service in a tweet.

“I want to thank Steve Bannon for his service. He came to the campaign during my run against Crooked Hillary Clinton—it was great!” Trump tweeted.

In a separate tweet the president said that: “Steve Bannon will be a tough and smart new voice at @BreitbartNews...maybe even better than ever before. Fake News needs the competition!”