Bannon hits Mitt Romney's religion, family tree at Roy Moore rally, putting RNC chairwoman in a tough spot

Stephen Bannon hits at Mitt Romney
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Stephen Bannon, President Trump's former chief strategist and campaign chairman, headlined a rally Tuesday night for Roy Moore, the Republican nominee for Senate in Alabama, and he saved some of his harshest lines for Senate Republicans and other GOP critics of Moore. He took special aim at Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who had just posted a photo of his $100 donation to Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones — "Come on, brother, if you're going to write a check, write a check." Then he swiped at another Mormon, Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee.

Romney said earlier this week that if Moore won the Dec. 12 election, it would be "a stain on the GOP and the nation," tackling Trump's stated rationale for endorsing Moore: "No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity." Bannon was personal in his counterattack, calling Romney a Vietnam draft dodger. "You hid behind your religion. You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies," Bannon said. "Do not talk to me about honor and integrity," he added. "Judge Roy Moore has more honor and integrity in that pinky finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.