Bannon reportedly likens Trump to 'an 11-year-old child'

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 21 December 2017

President Trump and his former White House chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, have a confusing relationship. Trump reportedly dislikes when anyone credits Bannon as being the "mastermind" behind his campaign, at one point telling the New York Post that "you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late." On the other hand, the pair have spoken on the phone more than half a dozen times — "most initiated by the president" — since Bannon was ousted in August, Vanity Fair writes.

And while Bannon claims he is assisting Trump from his resumed post atop Breitbart, he doesn't appear to think especially highly of the president's intelligence. "He's like an 11-year-old child," Bannon reportedly joked to a friend last month.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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