Left Revels In Media Narrative on Bannon and NSC: ‘Huge Victory for the Resistance’

Saul Loeb/AP
Saul Loeb/AP

As soon as the media learned Steve Bannon, one of President Donald Trump’s senior advisers, would no longer have a “permanent seat” on the National Security Council, the headlines shouted he’d been “removed,” “booted,” and “demoted.”

In fact, Bannon remains a close adviser to Trump, with top security clearance and an open invitation to attend NSC meetings.

Bannon also has said in a statement that his work on the council was complete.

“Susan Rice operationalized the NSC during the last administration,” Bannon said in a statement. “I was put on to ensure that it was de-operationalized.”

“General [H.R.] McMaster has returned the NSC to its proper function,” Bannon said, referring to Trump’s National Security Adviser.

But the headlines were greeted by the left as a success in their efforts to undermine the Trump administration.

“A huge victory for the resistance: Bannon’s sick ideology will no longer infect the National Security Council,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted on Wednesday.

“The removal of white supremacist and conspiracy theorist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council will make America safer,” a statement from MoveOn.org said.

“MoveOn members and other Americans taking action via allied organizations generated 1.1 million signatures calling for Bannon’s removal from the NSC, and our voices were heard. Now it is time to fully remove him from his role in the White House,” the moveon.org statement said.

“We hope that Stephen Bannon’s removal from the National Security Council will soon be followed by his ouster from the White House entirely,” a statement from the Southern Poverty Law Center said. “By his own admission, Bannon provided a platform, through Breitbart News, for a new breed of white supremacists.

“He’s also been responsible for the bizarre appointment of former Breitbart writer Sebastian Gorka, someone with ties to anti-Semitic, far-right groups in Hungary, to a position in the White House,” the statement said. “The sooner that Bannon and people like Gorka leave Washington, the better.”

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) tweeted she was happy she joined Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) in promoting legislation that would have forced Bannon to leave the NSC.

#SteveBannon removed from NSC! Proud to have joined @RepStephMurphy‘s effort to kick him off,” Kelly tweeted.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-FL) said Bannon wants to overthrow the U.S. government.

#SteveBannon has made numerous inflammatory statements in support of overthrowing the United States Government,” Espaillat tweeted.

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