Donald Trump’s campaign has announced a shakeup that is hard to see in any other way than, “Trump hires new Minister of Propaganda to run his campaign.” Despite having ZERO campaign experience, a top Breitbart executive has been named top dog for Trump’s campaign.
According to NYT:
Stephen Bannon, the executive chairman of Breitbart News LLC, will become the Republican campaign’s chief executive, and Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser and pollster for Mr. Trump and his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, will become the campaign manager.
I've always joked that Trump was a walking Breitbart commenter but I didn't mean it so literally.https://t.co/hoCzSyqfCZ
— Rob Flaherty (@Rob_Flaherty) August 17, 2016
Ms. Conway confirmed the news early Wednesday, downplaying any sort of “demotion” when it came to Manafort, saying that the campaign was now a four-way team. Manafort and his assistant are staying on. But, there is more!
Both Ms. Conway and Mr. Bannon, whose news organization has been very favorable to Mr. Trump since he entered the primaries, are close with Robert and Rebekah Mercer, the father-and-daughter conservative donors who have become allies of the candidate and are funding a “super PAC” that is working against Hillary Clinton.
A Breitbart exec (Stephen Bannon) Running a Major Party Candidate's Bid for White House; Perfect expression of state of affairs in GOP
— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) August 17, 2016
The promotion, outside hiring, and what has been seen as a demotion of Paul Manafort come at a very rough time for Trump, as his campaign is falling on its face over repeated gaffes and Trump and Manafort’s reported ties to Russia. And, of course, The relationship to the Mercer family is yet another link to influential billionaire cash.
It is tempting to gossip and giggle about Manafort, Trump’s embattled Campaign Chair, getting demoted, but the fact is that Trump has just shown us his hand. This “shakeup” doesn’t appear to be about becoming a more viable candidate, it appears to be about becoming a better headline creating machine.
The move is hurting Trump’s image even among Conservatives if Twitter is any indication.
That speech last night is exactly why poc vote Democrat. It is action, not words that poc wanna see from our side. Hiring Breitbart hurts.
— ConservativeBlackMan (@Thomasismyuncle) August 17, 2016
The RNC shouldn't give a dime or help in anyway a campaign run by Breitbart. It's like funding CDC run by a Witch Doctor.
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) August 17, 2016
By hiring a person who is absolutely unqualified to handle the campaign, but well-versed in spreading heavily slanted political propaganda, replacing his son in law with a woman well liked by his adult children, and keeping Manafort and his lackey, Trump has just shown us his cabinet choices. In fact, there is even news that he has hired disgraced Roger Ailes to work with his campaign as an adviser, too.
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He's going to go full Breitbart. Never go full Breitbart. https://t.co/UCusAkLBpV
— Ioana F (@ibflorea) August 17, 2016
The number of “media” executives (corporate propagandists) being hired for top spots in the Trump campaign without any previous experience in running general election campaigns is far too high for any serious bid on the White House. But, it seems to lend credence to the much talked about theory that Trump not only knows he isn’t going to win, he is using this campaign to launch a “news” network specializing in profiting from RWNJ thought and base conspiracy theory.
RELATED: Trump Plans To Create His Own Right-Wing Television Network To Rival Fox News, Trump TV
When I quit Breitbart, they were upset I called them Trump Pravda and specifically singled out Bannon as the betrayer of Andrew's legacy.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 17, 2016
Then there is this, the fact that Bannon has no compunctions with excessive nationalism. Bannon seems to perfect foil to Trump’s desire to make this campaign about soundbites and fear mongering, appealing to the lowest common denominator of hateful, closed-minded, bigots.
Featured image via Kirk Irwin/Stringer/Getty Images
