Only a fatcat like Steve Bannon would say, with a straight face, that Donald Trump is on the side of working Americans against the “elite.” And only a sycophantic news host like Fox's Maria Bartiromo would let him get away with it.
Bannon, probably the most repulsive character ever to pollute American politics with his presence (and that’s saying a lot) visited Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures show yesterday, looking like he had just woken up after a night of heavy drinking, to reassure Bartiromo that the Democratic National Convention (starting tonight) is “perfect for President Trump.”
BANNON: In fact, if I was the campaigner of the RNC, I would amplify the messages coming out of this convention. And here is why. President Trump won in '16 because he stood up for America. He stood up for working-class and middle- class people against an elite, a financial and political elite that was driving the managed decline of the United States.
And you're going to see it over the next four days. That's what they are going to be talking about, more globalization, right, more economic devastation, now coupled with this kind of undergirding of this cultural Marxism and anarchy of Antifa and certain elements of the Black Lives Matter.
So, I think it's perfect, because this is going to down, I think, to a pretty bold choice, between do you want the America of globalization, do you want the America of Joe Biden, and do you want the America of these political and financial elites, or do you want the America-first economic nationalism and populism of Donald Trump?
Yes, while Americans are dying in horrifying numbers from a pandemic Trump insists will just disappear on its own (but meanwhile, parents should just send their kids off to school), the economy is cratering and Trump has admitted (to Bartiromo!) to holding up a relief package in order to sabotage the Postal Service and mail-in voting - Bannon wants us to believe Trump is looking out for the little guy. Yet Bartiromo said nothing to challenge that.
BANNON: But go back and look at Obama-Biden. You had the greatest concentration of wealth in America 's history during their term of office, their two terms. President Trump turned that around to a striver's economy, where blacks, Hispanics, the working class, middle class are starting to get increases in pay and lower unemployment.
FACT CHECK: Income inequality has gotten worse under Trump.
Bannon also ranted about Democrats having “cut a terrible deal with Iran” and having “partnered with the Chinese Community Party.” While giving a pass to the current Commander in Chief who can’t be bothered to ask Russia about intelligence that it put bounties on U.S. soldiers.
Trump-worshiper Bartiromo would probably never dream of bringing that up.
So even though Trump is losing badly in the polls, Bannon predicted the Democratic convention will be a big plus for Dear Leader.
BANNON: So, I think this week is going to be great for the Trump campaign and the RNC and the White House to let the American people see exactly what the policies are, what America is. And here is what they want. They want death and destruction. They want the death of the American economy and the destruction of the American way of life.
And I think, if that's highlighted by the end of the week, it'll smoke Joe Biden out of his basement. He's going to have to stop doing the proof-of- life podcasts and get on and hustings and prove that he can take on Donald Trump, because I think the policies themselves will blow this election out.
[…]
BANNON: The victory right here for President Trump, I think, is very specific. It goes right through Beijing. You hold them accountable for the pandemic. You hold them accountable for the economic carnage, for all the deaths. You start to confront the Chinese Communist Party everywhere, in technology and economics, in what they're doing.
Later, when Bannon said, “Senator Harris is basically a cipher on this,” Bartiromo said, “Yes.”
“Steve, it's always great to get your insights,” Bartiromo said in closing.
Crooks and Liars (where I am a contributor) has a hilarious rundown of some of the Twitter reactions to Bannon’s not-made-for-TV visage.
But the unfortunate truth is, while fatcat Bannon is hardly looking out for the majority of Americans, he has already wreaked serious damage on our democracy and remains a serious threat.
You can count on lickspittle Bartiromo not telling you about the white-nationalist and bigoted elitist policies Bannon really stands for.
You can watch Bartiromo suck up to Bannon below, from the August 16, 2020 Sunday Morning Futures with Maria.
