Steve Bannon: “I keep on coming”

Before visiting Switzerland to deliver his first public speech in Europe, ever, Steve Bannon gave an exclusive, major interview to Weltwoche’s chief foreign policy editor, Urs Gehriger. The conversation took place last week in New York City and was published in today’s print edition of Die Weltwoche.

1. “Fires of populism” catching on in Europe. “I think it is the effects of globalism. It’s a convergence of the effects of globalism plus the ability to leave traditional media behind so people can communicate with each other through Facebook and Twitter and Snapchat. And sites like Breitbart. And newspapers like yourself. You are seeing a renaissance of conservative media, media that is helping the populist movement getting their ideas out there. So, I think you see a conversion of economic factors by the globalists. The elites just don’t care. They haven’t cared. So, I think it’s a natural reaction of people to kind of revolt like this.“
2. On the Republican primaries: “The five or six people I had are very competitive.“
3. Bannon defends Moore. “The Republican establishment would give up a Senate seat. They would give up a Senate seat in order to keep their own control. They never wanted Roy Moore in the Senate. They’re the ones with the Republican operatives that put out the negative information on him about pedophilia.” And: “The Republican establishment threw the elections to the Democrats. They rather have a Democrat in there.“
4. DACA: “This whole thing on DACA was a real risk.“
5. Stephen Miller is the “keeper of the flame of economic nationalism.“
6. Midterm elections: The Democratic base is “emboldened and energized.” So, “this kind of ‘time’s up’ movement has really gotten people very excited about the left. They’re gonna be tough to beat. This is gonna be one of the most competitive and exciting midterm elections.“
7. Immigration will be key midterm issue. “I think that’s going to be on the ballot in 2018. I think that’s really going to motivate the deplorables to come out and vote.“
8. Mitch McConnell “hasn’t won the war.” He “may have won a battle or two, but he hasn’t won the war. I think what he did in Alabama is a loss for Mitch McConnell, it’s a pyrrhic victory. Mitch McConnell gave up a seat and showed everybody, he’s prepared to give up a Senate seat to keep his own power in the Senate. We have not finished with Mitch McConnell.” Also: “He gave up a Senate seat to keep his own control. Like I said, there is a long way to go in the war against Mitch McConnell.”
9. Less chaos in the White House under Priebus than under Kelly. “I think it was actually there was less chaos under Reince than there is today. But I think the opposition party mainstream media continues to dump on Reince. I think did a terrific job and he was a great chief of staff.” General Kelly handling of Porter: “That was a big mistake. But you can’t condemn the guy just for one mistake.“
10. Time’s Up movement. Golden Globes “a very important moment in American politics”. “I thought it was a very important moment in American politics. I think you are seeing the beginning of a real movement that has real meaning to it. I don’t necessarily agree with all of that but I can understand where it comes from. I was just making an observation that that’s important. I think people miss it. I think they focused on Oprah’s talk that night. It was much bigger than Oprah. And I think it is going to be the beginning of a major political effort of political lineal work in the United States and I think people on the populist right ought to at least pay enough respect to study it.” “I think their effort is to end the patriarchy“