Axios Report: Bannon Apologizes to President Trump
“I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr has diverted attention from the president’s historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency.”
The Bannon v. Trump v. Bannon drama just got a bit more interesting. Axios is reporting that Bannon has clarified the Woolff book controversy and has released a statement to Axios regarding his regrets about not responding to the “inaccurate reporting” of his quoted remarks.
Battered by the backlash from Michael Wolff’s book, Steve Bannon is trying to make amends with the Trump family, providing a statement to Axios that expresses “regret” to President Trump and praises his son, Donald Trump Jr.
- “Donald Trump, Jr. is both a patriot and a good man. He has been relentless in his advocacy for his father and the agenda that has helped turn our country around.”
- “My support is also unwavering for the president and his agenda — as I have shown daily in my national radio broadcasts, on the pages of Breitbart News and in speeches and appearances from Tokyo and Hong Kong to Arizona and Alabama.”
- “President Trump was the only candidate that could have taken on and defeated the Clinton apparatus. I am the only person to date to conduct a global effort to preach the message of Trump and Trumpism; and remain ready to stand in the breech for this president’s efforts to make America great again.”
- “My comments about the meeting with Russian nationals came from my life experiences as a Naval officer stationed aboard a destroyer whose main mission was to hunt Soviet submarines to my time at the Pentagon during the Reagan years when our focus was the defeat of ‘the evil empire’ and to making films about Reagan’s war against the Soviets and Hillary Clinton’s involvement in selling uranium to them.”
- “My comments were aimed at Paul Manafort, a seasoned campaign professional with experience and knowledge of how the Russians operate. He should have known they are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends. To reiterate, those comments were not aimed at Don Jr.”
- “Everything I have to say about the ridiculous nature of the Russian ‘collusion’ investigation I said on my 60 Minutes interview. There was no collusion and the investigation is a witch hunt.”
- “I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr has diverted attention from the president’s historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency.”
As of this writing, the Axios website appears to be down, likely crashed from heavy traffic following this exclusive. I’m including the rest of their article here.
In Wolff’s book, Bannon is quoted as saying of Mueller’s prosecutors: “They’re going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.'”
Be smart: While Bannon’s statement may seem like a baby step, he’s as stubborn as Trump when it comes to apologizing and admitting he has made a mistake. He views any concession as a sign of humiliating weakness.
What’s next: Look for Don Jr. to accept the statement graciously. But Bannon has further to go with President Trump: Axios has learned that POTUS has said that he wants surrogates who appear for him on TV to “bury Steve.”
- Axios’ Jonathan Swan reported last night: Trump has been working the phones over the past several days, telling allies they need to choose between him and Bannon.
P.S. “Fake book” … Trump tweets as he leaves Camp David: “I’ve had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author.”
- “Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!”
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Trump is the Master Troll.
I would not be surprised if this was all another “trigger the left” operation. The pattern is obvious:
1- Let the left or MSM go all the way in with unsupported fake news, hook, line and sinker.
2- Wait for the outrage. Let them all scream at the sky.
3- Let the evidence come out and watch the embarrassment.
It works every time, because MSM and the left are so deranged that every time they fall for it.
So any moment now, Trump will invite Bannon back into his good graces? Is that why the Axios article said that Trump was still looking for surrogates to “bury Steve?”
I mean if this was all n-dimensional chess in order to fool the press, you would expect the mask to drop at some point.
Or have we decided that Bannon was always a leftist, and we were always at war with EastAsia?
my opinion, for what it’s worth, is that Bannon is a day late and a dollar short here. He should have known what the book was going to say, because he should have remembered the remarks he said on tape (even if he was drunk and angry at the time) and he should have done something to neutralize them in advance.
Now it’s too late – he’s already alienated Trump and the base by being too slow to react, and now by reacting late he’s alienating all his new friends too. He’s got no place left to go except obscurity. He was never really all that good at anything besides self promotion, anyways – but apparently he never realized how fragile his public persona was. Now it’s all blown up, and he’s finished, at least as far as being any public figure again.
The amazing thing to me is how many people think they know something, because they were told it by a serial liar.
“Bannon should’ve remembered the remarks he said on tape…”
Which remarks are those? The ones Wolff told you Bannon said? Because there are a half dozen white house people who said Wolff’s quotes of them are lies. Or are they all traitors now too?
If there’s some DAMNING quote on those tapes, I’ve yet to hear it…just promises that they’re on tape. Maybe they exist, but I demand to hear them first.
Your attitude reminds me too much of Alabama, where everyone pretended in hindsight to know that Moore was guilty despite his accusers being unreliable (and the Allred family having a history of paying accusers off).
Everyone who’s hating on Bannon now for this extremely flimsy story had some axe to grind with him previously, or some agenda they’re pushing.
“Everyone who’s hating on Bannon now for this extremely flimsy story had some axe to grind with him previously, or some agenda they’re pushing.”
Getting past the obvious haters, McConnel and the GOPe, your wrong on the average person.
I don’t hate Bannon, but I have always recognized that he was for Bannon first. He could have, if the comments were not true, shot it down immediately. Given that he has basically acknowledged making them, he still could have fired off a shot saying it was taken out of context and a mistake on his part to frame it the way it came out.
But he didn’t. There’s a reason for that. He thought the shit would hit Trump, not himself. He did not understand that we voted for Trump, not Bannon. Bannon is only useful when he is on our side. As soon as he strays from that, he’s toast.
He effed up, plain and simple.
“I don’t hate Bannon, but I have always recognized that he was for Bannon first.”
I think the same thing about Trump. The difference is, I’m not so sure his supporters realize or are willing to admit it. I don’t have a problem with Trump being for Trump (or Bannon being for Bannon), as long as he doesn’t sell us out in the process. I don’t think the same “nuance” is extended to Bannon, and the double standard irks me:
Trump endorses McCain (super-squish), and it’s ignored. Trump endorses Luther Strange (McConnell’s corrupt puppet), and it’s ignored. If/when Trump endorses Mitt Romney (father of all squishes, the Ubersquish), it will be ignored by some portion of his base too.
Meanwhile, Bannon’s mistakes are apparently unforgivable.
To quote Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, I think Bannon is “no worse than your average rich man, used to getting his way.”
“Trump endorses…”
Matt, that’s called politics. It should be evident that Trump and McCain despise each other.
When Bannon is working for the president, he must be for the president, not stabbing him in the back for his own purposes. Once you take the job, promote the presidents policy, without backstabbing, or quit. It’s that simple. Bannon thought he was the man. He was wrong.
“Matt, that’s called politics.”
The problem with that explanation is that it has no limiting principle. If Trump endorses Chuck Schumer, I guess that will be “politics” too. If he formed an alliance with liberal Democrats to pass amnesty that would also be “politics.”
You either believe Mitt Romney is a squish traitor or you don’t. Either you believe he’s everything wrong with the GOP establishment (like Trump and his supporters claimed) or you don’t.
Claiming black is white is the kind of whiplash that Democrats are guilty of. If you’re going to adopt it too, then what you’re saying is that you have no standards and don’t believe in truth. Just like a Democrat.
“When Bannon is working for the president…”
Bannon hasn’t worked for Trump since August or September. That doesn’t seem to stop Trump from trying to destroy him, even in the private sector. Again, this is something I’ve only ever seen SJWs do.
The only thing I want you to think about is what lie you’ll tell yourself when Trump endorses Romney. You’d better make it a good one.
“The problem with that explanation is that it has no limiting principle.”
Politics, generally speaking, has no principles. That should be evident.
“If Trump endorses Chuck Schumer, I guess that will be “politics” too.”
Well, yea, an example of bad politics, but politics it would be.
“If he formed an alliance with liberal Democrats to pass amnesty that would also be “politics.” ”
Same answer of course.
“You either believe Mitt Romney is a squish traitor or you don’t.”
I despise Romney. That doesn’t change politics. While I would vote against Romney in a primary, in the general I’d have to decide what the best outcome is going to be for my side.
”
“When Bannon is working for the president…”
Bannon hasn’t worked for Trump since August or September. That doesn’t seem to stop Trump from trying to destroy him, even in the private sector. Again, this is something I’ve only ever seen SJWs do.”
Oh baloney. Bannon was leaking and trying to belittle Trump while he was there. He’s gone for a reason.
“The only thing I want you to think about is what lie you’ll tell yourself when Trump endorses Romney. You’d better make it a good one.”
I don’t really care what you think I should think about. Politics are played. Trump has shown he can play with the professionals. I don’t have to tell myself anything. I watch I judge. I vote. I do it based on the package, not some redline that bothers you.
Nothing regarding Bannon has anything to do with Romney. Deflecting doesn’t change the reality.
That was my first thought. One would think people would be on to the technique by now, but apparently not.
I’m always fascinated by conspiracies that require tens if not hundreds of people to be involved in it and act with total unanimity and synchrony. I seriously doubt this is a well-planned and executed ploy. I’m sure that once it all started to unfold Trump figured out how to tack advantage of it, and for the most part he has. The only slip in my opinion was having the lawyers issue the cease and desist threat.
To me that fact that this has to date damage Bannon to the degree it has suggests this was not his intention, even if some or all of it was planned. Until we know exactly how this known fabricator Wolffe got such unique access, it is difficult to conclude much with certainty.
In this case, only 2 people are needed to plan and execute.
You must not be following the media trail (also known as gossip). There were tons of people who the tabloid author supposedly “quoted”. He then follows with his written “disclaimer” that some of it may be true and some of it may not be true and he really can’t say which is which….
But in essence, tens if not hundreds of people are involved.
Toldja.
I would also like to point out one other curious fact: for all those who found it damning that Bannon wouldn’t publish a statement on Breitbart to this effect, why is this statement coming from Axios now?
…it’s almost like Bannon has very little influence over Breitbart. Maybe none at all.
And it doesn’t matter that he’s been fired from the site; news is news, and it wasn’t broken by the outlet Bannon was supposed to have connections to.
P.S. “What’s next: Look for Don Jr. to accept the statement graciously. But Bannon has further to go with President Trump: Axios has learned that POTUS has said that he wants surrogates who appear for him on TV to ‘bury Steve.”
Re: Don Jr. being gracious: maybe, maybe not. We’ll have to wait and see.
But why would Trump need to destroy Bannon now? There are other former employees who have let Trump down, but he didn’t feel the need to destroy them. Bannon apologized, and his account implies that Wolff lied (shocker!).
It’s highly unlikely Bannon will ever have power again, and even if he did he would never have more influence over Trump’s base than Trump himself. So he’s no threat to Trump at all.
I think the answer is that Trump doesn’t need Bannon destroyed, Mitch McConnell needs him destroyed.
IMO it is a mistake for Trump to pile on Bannon too nuch. Right now Bannon is doing the mea culpa bit but if at some point he thinks he enough is enough, he still probably has WH dirt that some Left wing media would enjoy throwing at Trump. They wouldn’t even need to identify it as other that “former WH insiders” – there are a bunch of them
IMO, Trump has a few reasons to attack Bannon, and none of them are good.
1) Trump’s ego doesn’t like sharing credit. When Bannon was useful, he was a great guy. When he isn’t useful, he’s a villain (or irrelevant).
2) Trump wants to explain away his embarrassment in Alabama, which he thinks Bannon caused (not true: the voters of Alabama caused it). Trump wants to make sure there are no repeats in the future.
3) Trump has decided that his new bestest buddy is Mitch McConnell. His attacks against Bannon end up carrying McConnell’s water for him in his quest to elect more squishes and put down this voter uprising. You’ll know this is true when Trump starts endorsing the super-squish: Romney.
That last point is really key.
After Romney became the embodiment of everything wrong with the GOP establishment, Trump’s endorsement of him (or near-endorsement) will be a monumental betrayal.
It will be rationalized because Trump “likes winners.”
“When he isn’t useful, he’s a villain (or irrelevant).”
That is misleading reasoning you’re trying to sell. His comments did not make him useless, they put him on the other side, insinuating that there is Russian collusion, traitorous collusion, from Don jr. and the president himself (zero chance he didn’t walk the jumos to Trumps office).
Trying to sell trump as having sold out to the deep state is just plain BS on your part. Just the old nevertrumper leaking through.
Bannon effed up, not Trump.
Bannon very clearly explained that his comments were aimed at Manafort, who as an experienced Russia expert should’ve known better. Bannon is correct: Manafort put the entire administration at risk by agreeing to meet with those people (who turned out to be Fusion GPS operatives!)
But as I also predicted, Bannon haters aren’t interested in his explanations or apologies. There is literally nothing he could say or do to change their minds, because their minds are already made up.
P.S. I voted for Trump, so that’s a strange kind of NeverTrump.
P.P.S. Explain how Trump endorsing McCain is good for America, if you can.
“Bannon very clearly explained that his comments were aimed at Manafort…”
He can explain all he wants. But that’s not what he told the fiction writer, something he did not deny.
“But as I also predicted, Bannon haters…”
“…because their minds are already made up.”
Everyone that recognizes Bannon for what he is and did isn’t a hater. And I’d say you have certainly made your mind up. It’s plain and simple, Bannon accussed Don jr of treason.
“P.S. I voted for Trump, so that’s a strange kind of NeverTrump.”
Do you really want me to dig up your comments and paste them here? Yea, agreed nevertrump doesn’t really mean never for most people, the sane ones anyway. And your sane.
“P.P.S. Explain how Trump endorsing McCain is good for America, if you can.”
Good lord, you ever hear of politics? Try and explain how you do not understand the pair loathe each other.
“He can explain all he wants. But that’s not what he told the fiction writer, something he did not deny.”
Oh, but he did. He said that he was taken out of context by a man whom we know is a compulsive liar.
“…Bannon accussed Don jr of treason.”
Except that he just released a statement declaring that he didn’t. But who are you going to believe, Bannon or the compulsive liar Democrat-operative author?
“Do you really want me to dig up your comments and paste them here?”
Yes, all of them. That should keep you busy for a while.
“Good lord, you ever hear of politics? Try and explain how you do not understand the pair loathe each other.”
In other words, you’re going to ignore it because it makes your head hurt to think about Trump endorsing one of the squishiest MFers that ever lived.
But you probably like Obamacare, so you aren’t bothered by McCain’s betrayal.
“But you probably like Obamacare, so you aren’t bothered by McCain’s betrayal.”
Stuff it.
Bannon’s a damn fool and a day late. He could have issued his statement first thing. He didn’t. Now, after he’s had his ass handed to him, it was about Manafort. Sure. He continues to fool the foolish.
“Yes, all of them. That should keep you busy for a while.”
Since you insist, but no, it only takes a minute.
Bannon’s screw-ups are just that. You like him. That’s fine. In any event, we’re on the same side..
A quick sample –
“On the one hand, they were wrong to nominate a clown like Trump.”
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/10/of_prudence_and_principle_ted_cruz_endorses_donald_trump_comments.html#comment-2939408279
“Didn’t Trump call him a loser? What does that make Trump?”
“…the people chose poorly and need to take their punishment”
http://therightscoop.com/heres-your-election-thread-that-doesnt-really-matter-anymore/#comment-2670000012
“Another problem is that the people most likely NOT to show deference to his career are Trumpists…”
https://www.dailywire.com/news/21635/watch-ben-shapiro-speaks-live-university-utah-daily-wire#comment-3541053595
My favorite:
“You Trumpkins are unhinged. I don’t want to be part of any party you’re in. Winning or losing is less important to me than keeping my soul intact.”
http://theothermccain.com/2016/04/13/jeff-serves-up-a-trump-rant-of-justice/comment-page-1/#comment-2625515736
But I do like this one:
“His accomplishment is getting the base to reject the mindset of establishment losers.”
” he still probably has WH dirt”
The entire prog commie media and the entire GOPe has been trying to find the “dirt” for 2+ years now. Maybe there just isn’t any other than the made up shit passed as truth by the progs.
The Teflon Don strikes again.
The left has to be going out of their minds. Tha Wascally Wabbit.
Sorry ‘Sloppy Steve’. You’ve realized too late that you had zero influence, no friends, and no political ability.
Just stop talking and go away. It really is your best course of action.
Progress? Positive progress.
Reconcile your differences, and fight the good fight.