Former Breitbart executive Stephen Bannon has not forgotten the tools of the trade — he still has a penchant for spinning things.
President Trump's former chief strategist in an interview with BBC said that the White House's crackdown on immigration at the southern border is actually anything but racist, no matter what critics say.
"It's actually anti-racist," Bannon said. "What President Trump is trying to do is protect African American and Hispanic workers, and people in these cities."
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.
He blamed the mainstream media for blowing Trump's rhetoric out of proportion, including the president's racist tweets directed at four Democratic congresswomen earlier this month. Bannon did say that he thinks the best course of action is to defeat progressives like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) at the polls, but added that Trump has "his own house style" and it's not racist.
Bannon doesn't work for Trump anymore, but the interview shows he doesn't "need to be in the campaign" to help try to get the president re-elected in 2020. Watch the full clip below. Tim O'Donnell
-
What you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice
-
Saudi Arabia could become an AI focal pointUnder the Radar A state-backed AI project hopes to rival China and the United States
-
Crossword: October 29, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
