On Wednesday, a publicist named Maria Sliwa sent out two emails to reporters offering interviews with positive character witnesses for Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart News chairman and incoming senior adviser to Donald Trump. Bannon's appointment has been met with disappointment and disgust, given his ties to white nationalism and accusations of anti-Semitism, and so an attempt at a public makeover makes sense. But "it is unusual for publicists to refuse to say who they work for," says Tim Molloy at The Wrap, and Sliwa refused to answer when asked, saying only, "I'm not working for Bannon" but "I have a client who is."
The two sources that Sliwa proffered were a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who could speak to Bannon's time in the U.S. Navy and a Breitbart News employee. Sliwa has promoted Breitbart News, a graphic novel version of the anti-Clinton book Clinton Cash, and the work of the Government Accountability Institute, an organization founded by that book's author, Peter Schweitzer, and Bannon. When Malloy pointed out that she had done some work for Breitbart, he says, Sliwa replied "Oh God, please no," and hung up.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
-
The potential impact of Trump tariffs for the UKUK goods exports to the US could be hit with tariffs of up to 20% seriously affecting the British economy
-
Shoot to Kill: Terror on the Tube – a 'raw' and 'riveting' docuseriesThe Week Recommends Channel 4's 'gripping' two-part show explores the Metropolitan police killing of an innocent man in the aftermath of 7/7
-
'Salute to those who served'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Haiti council fires prime minister, boosting chaosSpeed Read Prime Minister Garry Conille was replaced with Alix Didier Fils-Aimé
-
Trump tells next Senate GOP leader to skip confirmationsSpeed Read The president-elect said the next Senate majority leader must allow him to make recess appointments
-
Fed cuts rates, chair says he won't quit if Trump asksSpeed Read Jerome Powell was noncommittal on future rate cuts that were expected before Trump won the election
-
Judge revives plea deal for 9/11 suspectsSpeed Read A military judge has ruled to restore the plea deals struck by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-conspirators
-
Harris concedes as world prepares for Trump's returnSpeed Read Vice President Kamala Harris told supporters it was important to 'accept the results of this election'
-
Abortion rights measures go 7 for 10Speed Read Constitutional amendments to protect abortion passed in seven states but failed in three others: Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota
-
Netanyahu fires defense minister, sparking protestsSpeed Read Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu have clashed for years. The Israeli prime minister first tried to fire the defense minister in 2023, but backed off following a public outcry.
-
Trump wins, GOP flips Senate, House a tossupSpeed Read The Republican candidate flipped back the swing states he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020
