There’s a whole lot of drama between Steve Bannon and… well… a lot of people. It’s getting media attention, and it’s apparently causing Donald Trump no end of headaches.
Breitbart has been leading the charge against Jared Kushner of late, and it appears it’s starting to get noticed. The New York Times reported recently that Kushner complained about the coverage to Trump, and now Business Insider is reporting that Breitbart writers have been told to tone it down.
Employees at Breitbart News have been asked by senior editors to refrain from writing stories critical of Jared Kushner, two people familiar with the matter told Business Insider.
[…]
Kushner had become a target of Breitbart News amid reports that he was feuding with Stephen Bannon, the news website’s former executive chairman.
On Wednesday night, for instance, Breitbart published three stories critical of Kushner and promoted them heavily on its homepage. The next day, Axios reported Bannon had told associates, “I love a gunfight.”
Soon after the feud spilled out into the public, Trump told Bannon and chief of staff Reince Priebus he was fed up with bickering in the press and instructed the pair to “work this out,” the Times reported.
What is interesting here is what Business Insider goes on to say.
Bannon resigned from Breitbart News in November and has insisted he no longer has any editorial involvement with the website.
However, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider in March that Bannon at the time had instructed Matthew Boyle, the website’s Washington editor, to stop publishing articles critical of Priebus, who reports said had been feuding with Bannon. Alex Marlow, the website’s editor-in-chief, also told NBC News in March that Bannon reaches out to him “every so often.”
Is Bannon still directing coverage at Breitbart? If so, there are some huge ethical and legal concerns to be had here.
His influence in the White House is toxic. He has had (very public) private feuds with both Preibus and now Kushner. Is he trying to insulate himself by using whatever media power he has to tear down his opponents?
The President would do well to be rid of him.
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