Breitbart has gone full anti Trump all the time

[Johnny2X2X]

Peaking over there for a few days, the headlines are all anti Trump everyday now.

They blasted the Afghanistan speech last night. Today they are talking about an immigration deal Trump aides are proposing that breaks a campaign promise.

For anyone who thought Bannon would not attack Trump they have quickly been proven wrong, he's going after Trump and his aides guns blazing. Bannon is just as vindictive as Trump and he's going to slam him no matter what now because he got canned.

This is big news. Drudge has been hitting Trump too. It's basically down to FOX NEws against the World on Trump now.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Bannon's only error is thinking trump has ANY of his own ideas or is dedicated to anything.

Trump will turn, on a dime, on ANY issue, if it profits him.

ANY issue.

Bannon, on the other hand, really does hate minorities and wants to take the government from them so he can steal more from them and physically harm them more.

He is a true believer.

Anyone in Hollywood who allows his name to appear on anything going forward, will be boycotted by me and as many of the thousands of people I will tell about it, which i will do daily for the rest of my life.

[dalton99a]

2. +1

[nycbos]

10. Trump will change in mind depending on the last person he talked to.

I am guessing he will change in mind of this "immigration deal" five more times in the next months.

[zentrum]

32. I think Bannon even

...."recognized" that Trump could be President long before he was a candidate. And told him so and encouraged him to run. So he did get that part right.

Fascinating article in Vanity Fair a few months ago about the history of this guy---he soars up and crashes in a spectacular failure again and again. But people (well, certain groups of white males) fund and follow and invest in him again and again.

He's like Trump. Failure after failure, bankruptcy, scandal----and he keeps on going, unfazed.

[Scarsdale]

36. Before he latched onto tRump

he was promoting $arah Palin!! He just wanted a puppet in the WH, that he could rule over and run the country. Lucky for us he is not sober!! He has done so much damage in his impaired state, imagine if he was stone cold sober? He is dedicated to running the country, so much so he does not even seem to take time out for showers!

[zentrum]

52. You're right. He

....wants a weak, stupid, narcissist he can manipulate to gain his own power. I'd forgotten about his fixation on Palin.

He has enormously grandiose fantasies of epic warfare between East and West, with the goal of restoring to his "rightful place" the Great White Hero Father. Like a DeMille movie. He's not even embarrassed by these fantasies.

He's one creepy, sick SOB.

[nolabear]

3. Now we'll see how much power Breitbart really has.

I've always wondered if it's big or merely loud.

[JDC]

17. Brietbart is a zero w/o donor money.

They are a propoganda arm, bought and paid for. Nothing more

[womanofthehills]

23. Unfortunately, Mercer also funds Brietbart

[Ligyron]

25. I don't think Bannon or Breitfart have near the star power they claim.

People read it sure, but how many actually take their nonsense seriously? I go there to get a good laugh every once in awhile myself. About the same level with Info Wars.

[LisaM]

29. The problem during the campagin was their phony news bites

People I even knew were falling for the left-wing protestors getting paid garbage and posting it.

If 30-80,000 votes had flipped, we wouldn't be living in this nightmare. Power, no, influence, definitely.

[Bromwell]

42. Yeah but the rubes believe it b/c they want to believe it - "Lock her up!"

[Ligyron]

47. If they continue to attack Donnie I guess we'll see what their actual numbers

are and the amount of juice they truly have. It's probably worse than I'm thinking because day by day I discover more and more how completely stupid significant portions of our fellow countrymen are.

Rubes...

[Motownman78]

50. During the election

Breitbart would get more hits then ESPN, PornHub, and CNN COMBINED.

[Ligyron]

58. wow.

Yeah, now I remember reading that here.

Seems kinda hard to imagine them being such a Juggernaut, but...

I wonder if some were just bot accounts to drive up hits. I know there is an effective org going after advertisers on Breitfart but like the Murdorks with Fox, the Mercer-naries will just subsidize them to spread the that CT, RW garbage as far as possible.

We've got a lot of big money up against us and the truth. The whole RW machine does a good job of getting a bunch of people to vote against their best interests and it's hard getting them to see the light. Main thing is: many don't WANT to believe in reality - it's too complex. They want simplicity and an evil bad guy to blame for their own fear and misery - which would be US.

[leftynyc]

27. The only power he has is to HURT donnie

He has no power to help him by expanding his base.

[stopbush]

4. Count on the MSM to fill the void and start defending tRump against the alt right onslaught.

It's what they do.

[GallopingGhost]

11. Blitzer and Cillizza are

on now doing just that.

What I want to know is, why the f*ck does the orange so-called get training treats from the media everytime he supposedly sounds presidential.

Sounding presidential isn't something you should receive praise for; it's a given. Now obviously he is completely unfit for the position, but how f*cking SAD is it that he has to be praised for sounding like an an adult? Pathetic and scary.

[vi5]

51. Worse yet, it's not actually sounding presidential, it's just advocating...

..more money thrown at the military and for bombing people overseas. That is the entirety of what clowns like Blitzer and Cillizza (and David Brooks, and countless others) view as being "presidential".

[GallopingGhost]

60. I know.

Bombing Syria was so macho of Trump.

[JDC]

18. Great point

[DownriverDem]

22. What?

Rachel does not defend trump. Neither does Lawrence or Chris. Isn't MSNBC the MSM you are talking about?

[stopbush]

40. I don't consider openly partisan news shows/hosts to be part of the MSM

whether they are left wing or right wing.

To me, the MSM are those channels which purport to be neutral, like the big bcast networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) and CNN.

[luvtheGWN]

30. Totally agree.

It's all part of the bigger plan. (IMHO, of course).

[Leith]

5. hee hee hee

[KY_EnviroGuy]

6. Someone enlighten me

In the big, big picture of politics and society, just how much influence and power do these hard right-wing web sites have? Are they just singing to a small choir of like-minded followers, or does their influence spread to Congress, state and local political entities?

Is there even a metric or means for knowing how wide-spread it is?

[Weekend Warrior]

9. These sites were/are gathering grounds for the Tea Party types.

They are so powerful that in under ten years they got one of their own, who is extreme by common political standards in this country, as the White House Chief Strategist.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

57. Curious

Although both are on the same side of the broad political fence, Breitbart and the Tea Party seem to belong in different areas of the right's ideology. What ideological components do you feel bonded the two together? Or, was it just that the Tea Party just hungry for any available loud media outlet?

[Weekend Warrior]

59. They are one and the same.

Read up on Andrew a little and you will see the clear connection and timeline.

[better]

15. It's hard to judge, especially in the russian bot farm era, but

consider that back in February, Breitbart was receiving an average of 45 million unique visitors per month, eclisping ESPN, Fox News and even PornHub. 45 million is a third of the population that voted for either of the main party candidates in 2016.

Also consider the increasingly frequent dynamic of people saying that only they are covering the stories they care about. The depth of the problem only becomes readily apparent when one realizes that they reach a third of the electorate, and quite possibly the vast majority of that audience does not recognize it as the propaganda that it is.

We've all known about the right-wing echo chamber for a long time now, but Breitbart has taken us (with help from Trump) to a point where a considerable chunk of the population consider as "fake news" all media that is not covering breathlessly whatever outrageous bullshit is making the rounds on outlets like Breitbart. If it's not either anti-liberal or pro-fascism to the point of rejection of reality, it's pure left wing propaganda, as far as these folks are concerned.

By extension, yes, its influence most certainly does extend to Congress. Whether or not the folks in Congress actually believe the bullshit peddled by Breitbart and the like, they are very visibly too cowed to forcefully reject people who buy into such bullshit, and risk mobilizing the Tea Party against them. Just look at the number of establishment Republicans who were turfed out of office after being primaried from their right flank.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

53. Wow - Thanks

Don't realize they have garnered that much audience. My recollections of Breitbart was from back in the first years when it was quite obscure and we assumed the following was small and mostly fringe. Of course, I was - and still am to a degree - in denial that any decent human could fall for such obvious bullshit, and for years felt the same about Fox and Limbaugh.

I also think that many Americans are like me and suffer from a historic country naivety regarding the honor of public office, by thinking that most would be good public servants and not support or fall for lies and deceptions. It seems now that most will turn a blind eye to anything to gain a few votes. I realize this to a degree has been going on a long time, but it's the vast extent of it today that is astounding.

[DFW]

28. Influential right wing fundraisers still think they research their claims

Richard Viguerie saw on Breitbart that "Hillary only carried 57 counties in the 2016 election." That sounded ridiculously low to me. How did 63 million voters get crammed into 57 counties? I checked. Sure enough, it was a fantasy number made up by Breitbart. Richard just wanted to believe it, so he repeated it. He stopped when I pointed out to him that it was bogus, but even someone with as much political experience as Richard swallowed it without checking.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

55. How did you do that?

I admire you for being able to get Viguerie to change his tune, considering his history. Please tell us how you were able to do that. Although you may have special connections, I just wish we all had a means to put just a tiny dent in the (thanks, Bill) vast right-wing conspiracy. Talking reason to most right-wingers I know is like verbally trying to change the statement of a highway stop sign.

[DFW]

61. I've known Richard for over 15 years. All I had to do was tell him

He's a skillful propagandist and very well known. He knows that in his position, he can't afford to be spewing out things a simple check can make him look bad on. He even thanked me for setting the record straight. He is one of the few right wing fanatics who is actually charming in person and never gets into a shouting match. He is over 80 but as sharp as well-honed machete, and just as dangerous. But he will not knowingly repeat an outright lie if he is shown that it indeed is one.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

63. Very Interesting & Thanks!

I read his bio and sounds like he still has some old-fashioned values left. I've only know one Republican in my life that I could reason with and he was over 70 at the time (I was a mere child of 65). Our conversations were civil as well.

Just curious, how does a man like Richard respond philosophically regarding outright lies and distortions we see every day in other right-wing media?

[DFW]

64. Oh, his values are old-fashioned, alright

As in pre-Civil War!

But Richard is capable of "leaving his guns at the door," as he puts it. Most of his contemporaries are not.

Richard, like his less civil (and thus more outlandish) contemporaries, is not immune to "All lies and jests/Still a man hears what he wants to hear/And disregards the rest," as Paul Simon so keenly noted.

This is the difference between the rigid ideological right and the reasoned left. Both Richard and Rachel Maddow will drop something like a hot potato if proven to be false. The difference is, Rachel wants any statement she makes to be checked out before she says it in the first place. Richard is not so picky, especially if his "information" comes from a source he wants to believe. But behind the freaked out ideology he espouses, he's not as totally fooled by it as his website might imply. Last time I saw him in person, it was before the inauguration, and I reminded him that he himself had dissed Trump during the primaries as being not "conservative" in the slightest. He responded that Trump could be a Communist for all he cared, since Trump would not be attending 99% of the meetings where policy was decided--a very astute and reasoned insight for someone who makes his living descending to the intellectual level of the human hyenas that constitute his followers.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

65. Richard's WEB

Thanks for your insightful reply. Its very interesting and informative to hear from someone having exposure to the upper echelons of Republican internal machinery. Just visited Richard's web site for the first time and it should be vitriolHQ rather than ConservativeHQ.com. As a snapshot, I see mostly highly inflammatory and polarizing language laced with distortion and lies, with instances just short of calls for violent insurrection. Your statement about him "descending to the intellectual level of the human hyenas that constitute his followers" pretty much defines the entire home page. Almost makes me ill to look at it.

Folks with my country upbringing are astounded with this degree of backward thinking and void of civility. However, as you've made clear, his primary mission is creating a dense media smokescreen and noise machine to conceal massive implementation of hard-right social and economic policy.

As a scientist and liberal, I've grasped for understanding of the Republican mindset for many years and have gained some insight from the writings of psychologists with similar curiosity. I don't think we even have an official name for it but as you know, it's a well-defined mental condition. It's something related to evolutionary quirks and controlled, authoritarian upbringing that will always be a small sector of most populations but when coupled with those who are also psychopathic, we have the perfect Republican.

I refuse to call these people conservatives because to me, it's an adulteration of the word. Republicans have done that to far too many of our good words such as liberal, freedom and liberty, making it hard to carry on good literate conversations.

Appreciate the great exchange (and Paul Simon lines!), although I'm probably exceeding the intent of a regular DU thread response. Is there a subsection in DU where this is normal and encouraged? It's my preferred way to vent. Have a good week, DFW.

[DFW]

66. Don't get me wrong. Richard thinks I'm a nut case leftist and I think he's a nut case right-winger

But neither of us makes any apologies (or compromises!) to the other, and we do indeed "leave our guns at the door" when we get together. Otherwise, one of us would be accused of assault with intent to kill and the other would be in intensive care. He knows full well that I'll never see eye to eye with him, and with him being over 80 and having been successful as a propagandist, I know he sure isn't going to change, either.

The language he uses on his site is indeed beyond appalling, but since the age of Trump, we all know the kind of mentality he's appealing to, and there are plenty of them out there to keep him busy--and wealthy (although he doesn't show off like some of his contemporaries)!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

67. Relative morals

LOL, sort of like the high morals of running a clean, safe profitable whorehouse, drug den, or prosperity church, eh? Runs in perfect lockstep with Wall Street, like white chocolate icing on a cow pie.

You are blessed to know your opponents well and be able to sit with them in peace! Most of us here are still learning how.

[procon]

7. Hell hath no fury like the pockmarked Bannon scorned.

Trump-the-genius and all his cabinet of extra crunchy generals and cream filled ass-kissers, couldn't see that throwing a man like Bannon out the door would end badly... for them? He was toxic long before they hired him, a bomb thrower with matches who didn't care who he took out to maintain his own power.

Trump was crazy (worse than his normal nuttiness) to place Bannon in a high position that made him untouchable, and gave him access to all Trump's nasty little secrets. If Bannon is going to fight with Trump, reveal some of his shitstained laundry in public, I'll cheer him on!

[IronLionZion]

8. oh hell yeah!

Hoping they tear each other apart and destroy their party

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. They're opposing both because they actually want them

They're trying to make Trump look like he's compromising with Dems in order to paint Dems as obstructionists. In fact, the ridiculous immigration "deal" (DACA kids for EVERYTHING ELSE) the Trumpies are floating is DOA in any Senate vote. This is a half-assed strategy to make Trump appear moderate relative to some imagined right wing and make the Dems seem obstructionist is nothging but the Rs panicking about 2018. Hold the line.

[packman]

13. History lessons here

Any strong political, social movement when achieving power rids itself of those who brought it to power. Too extreme for even for the extreme. IF - IF Trump was able to with impunity, he would have had Bannon and his type imprisoned or done away with. Bannon is now free to do what he does best - be Bannon and promote his ideology. At this point, Trump is too, too moderate for him - which makes me gag.

Get the popcorn, it's going to be interesting and frightening at the same time.

[yodermon]

14. It's interesting: the only way to crack that 30% support base is to attack him FROM THE RIGHT

which is exactly what Bannon/Breitbart is doing.
Not sure what their agenda is. Perhaps it's just simple revenge and that's it.

[Johnny2X2X]

16. Breitbart was key into him getting elected

They were the tip of the spear and he legitimized them.

Bannon's agenda is part revenge, and part trying to push Trump to the Right. He hates those around Trump, especially Kushner because he is Jewish. In the end, Bannon is a know it all and being right is more important to him than ideology, so if Trump keeps listening to McMaster, Ivanka, Kelly, and Kushner he will bury Trump just to be able to say, "See, I told you I was right."

[LittleGirl]

19. Seriously!

Who do you think #45 learned this meanness from?
Breitbart and Bannon! How could anyone not know this?

[dchill]

33. What about Fred Trump, his KKK dad?

Trump is an experienced meanie.

[oberliner]

20. Along with attacking Black Lives Matter and denying global warming

Among their other usual nonsense.

[ToxMarz]

21. I don't think Breitbart is actually out to get Trump (YET).

Bannon is trying to lay out and hold Trump to the white nationalist agenda from outside the White House. They will turn on him though, if he doesn't heed their message.

[Johnny2X2X]

26. Technicality

Bannon can say he is fighting for Trump by trashing his policies and his advisers, but that's just a technicality. Breitbart is taken as the bible by about %40 of Trump's voters, this is going to have an effect. Bannon doesn't know nuance, he can say he's trying to help Trump by forcing him to follow his agenda, but it's not being taken like that. And the more Trump listens to those around him, the worse Breitbart will get.

This is going to get really ugly. Breitbart knows no limits on how nasty they can get, they'll attack Trump mercilessly.

[ffr]

24. Holy sh*tballs! I know RW'ers who parrot that site and depend on it.

We could have impeachment hearings sooner than we think, if these RW programmed drones turn on tRump.

[Johnny2X2X]

34. Agree that this helps lead to Impeachment

Impeachment is about approval and power for the GOP. If they feel they can limit damage by impeaching him they will. If their base tells them Trump is not making them happy they will fry him the second it becomes beneficial for them to do so.

[CentralMass]

31. Oddly I think that this is a positive for Trump

[Fla Dem]

35. Good let him and Brietbart tear Trump & the Republican party apart.

Gives them less time to focus on Democrats and the Democratic Party.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

37. We have always been at war with East Asia. NT

[Marie Marie]

38. Bully vs Bully...

Let the games begin!

[onetexan]

41. i'm waiting for idiot 45 to come charging on twitter against dufus Bannon

[cstanleytech]

39. Then again this could be a sham attack mean to lull people into thinking they can be trusted

to be hard on Trump with the intent to slowly refocus on supporting his campaign for the 2020 elections.

[barbtries]

43. we'll find out

how many people are really part of the trump cult and how many are just die hard haters.

[Bromwell]

44. I guess Buffoon-45 will have to start calling pretty much any "news" fake news

Just add Breitbart to the list I guess....which is ironic since its always been ACTUAL fake news.

[SunSeeker]

45. No, he's gone full anti-advisor. His main targets are McMaster, Jared & Ivanka.

Which were Breitbart's targets before Bannon got canned. Now thosr attacks are more pointed, but it's still pretty much the same as a week ago.


I could be wrong. I won't give Breitbart the clicks--its financial lifeblood. I rely on what others report. But that seems to be the general concensus of journalists.

[rainin]

46. Trump can't serve two masters.

One had to go: Mercer's boy Bannon or Putin. (gulp) What's next?

[CanonRay]

48. Trump still has the National Enquirer

for what that's worth

[LeftInTX]

56. It's worth a lot

There are too many people who vote based on what they see in the checkout lines.

[AlexSFCA]

49. wait until trump pardons arpaio

then you'll see breitbart praising him for great 'leadership'.

[ileus]

54. Other than fox everyone is on our side now.

Together our hate can pay off like never before.

[ecstatic]

68. Wow. Will trump respond? Or is Bannon another untouchable? Nt

[milestogo]

69. When a vengeful man makes friends with another vengeful man and things go awry

you can bet its going to be ugly.