“Bannon may ultimately deliver Trump another mark for the loss column, and he’ll be doing so at a time when the President is clearly in need of a win.”
Steve Bannon is no longer in the White House, but that simply means that the outspoken media mogul will have more room to get involved in politics. By shedding the “Chief Strategist” title given to him by President Donald Trump, Bannon no longer has to lurk quietly in the shadows. And while Bannon left the White House with the promise to wage war “for” President Trump, it now looks like he’s set to wage war against the administration in Alabama.
The battle is set to unfold in the closely watched Alabama Senate race, where Trump-backed Senator Luther Strange is facing off against right-populist Roy Moore, a former State Supreme Court Justice. Strange was appointed to fill in for Jeff Sessions, who is now acting as the Attorney General in the Trump Administration. A permanent replacement is being selected via special election.
While Trump has frequently backed right-populist candidates, Strange is the President’s choice in Alabama. Strange has also received wide-spread support from the Republican establishment. While Mitch McConnell is struggling with plummeting poll numbers, he still wields considerable influence through various super-pacs and other organizations. McConnell has been pouring funds into Strange’s campaign, recognizing that another right-populist Senator would dilute his own influence even more.
Bannon, on the other hand, has told powerful conservatives that he will be throwing his weight behind Roy Moore, who infamously refused to remove the Ten Commandments from the Alabama state court house. The comments were made at the secretive Conservative Action Project. Given Breitbart News and the vast resources at its disposal, Bannon’s entry into the Alabama Senate race could really shake things up.
Who’s going to win? Right now polls show a close race with Moore leading 45% to 41% for Strange. This is within the 4% margin of error, so the race is a dead heat. And now with Bannon’s entry into the race, Moore stands a great chance of pulling away. Few conservative outlets have as large of an audience or as strong of a social media presence as Breitbart.
It’s also interesting that Bannon is opposing Trump so quickly. So far, signals from Bannon have been mixed, with Breitbart still providing the President with relatively favorable coverage. Still, Trump has weighed in heavily on the Strange campaign, urging voters to support him. Trump’s move came even after aides warned that it would be a grueling campaign with an uncertain outcome.
Now, Bannon may ultimately deliver Trump another mark for the loss column, and he’ll be doing so at a time when the President is clearly in need of a win. This could spell trouble for an already embattled President who is struggling to move his political agenda through Congress. Bannon’s decision to enter the race could be a preview of the future. While Bannon might support the President when it fits his larger aims, he clearly won’t be taking a backseat or following blindly.
