After public blow-up, Trump touts that Bannon 'changed his tune,' called him 'a great man'
President Trump spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since his eventful Wednesday, which saw him issue one of the more notable White House statements in recent memory.
Excerpts from a forthcoming tell-all book published Wednesday revealed some incendiary comments made by Trump's former chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, including his characterization of the infamous June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between top campaign aides and a Russian official as "treasonous." The White House subsequently issued a formal statement from Trump ripping Bannon, with the president claiming that "when [Bannon] was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."
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.
By Thursday, then, Trump's rage had apparently softened. Asked by a reporter whether Bannon "betrayed" him, Trump said: "I don't know. He called me a great man last night, so, you know, he obviously changed his tune pretty quick." He additionally insisted that it is a "misnomer" that he is in contact with Bannon, denying they communicate at all. Watch his remarks below. Kimberly Alters
-
The small Caribbean island courting crypto billionsUnder the Radar Crypto mogul Olivier Janssens plans to create a libertarian utopia on Nevis
-
Political cartoons for December 21Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include Christmas movies, AI sermons, and more
-
A luxury walking tour in Western AustraliaThe Week Recommends Walk through an ‘ancient forest’ and listen to the ‘gentle hushing’ of the upper canopy
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
