Breitbart's Audience Has Dropped 72% Since Trump Took Office

Breitbart News, the once-dominant force in conservative media circles whose former leader Steve Bannon entered Donald Trump’s White House after the election his coverage helped shape, has seen an erosion in its audience as well as its dominance among right-leaning online sites.

Monthly traffic on Breitbart has plummeted nearly 72% from 17.3 million in January 2017, when Trump took office, to 4.9 million in June 2019, according to the data-tracking firm ComScore. And while traffic on most politically oriented news sites has dropped significantly in 2019, the decline has been particularly acute for Breitbart.

As recently as December 2018, when the site had just under 7.2 million monthly unique visitors, Breitbart nabbed a bigger audience than any other conservative website tracked by Howard Polskin’s aggregation site TheRighting aside from the cable-TV-backed behemoth FoxNews.com.

But by June, the most recent month for which figures are available, Breitbart dropped to sixth — behind such upstarts as the Philip Anschutz-backed Washington Examiner (10.0 million), Washington Times (6.7 million), Glenn Beck’s The Blaze (6.0 million) and the Tucker Carlson-founded Daily Caller (5.0 million). (Fox News, of course, dwarfed them all with 103.2 million visitors.)

Breitbart was “firmly established” as No. 2 to Fox News for a long time, Polskin told TheWrap, but while “they’re still bringing in a lot people, they’re not the force that they used to be.”

Also Read: All 18 Movies and Shows Steve Bannon Wrote, Directed or Produced (Photos)

Founded in 2007 by the late Andrew Breitbart, the site came into its own under Bannon — who took over after Breitbart’s death in 2012. During the 2016 election, the early Trump backer described the operation as “the platform for the alt-right” and found a huge audience with shocking headlines like “Birth control makes women unattractive and crazy” and “Bill Kristol: Republican spoiler, renegade Jew.”

By the time Bannon and fellow Breitbart alum Sebastian Gorka landed positions in the Trump White House, the site had “the perception of outsized influence due to perceived proximity of their former colleagues,” former spokesperson Kurt Bardella told TheWrap. But all of that changed, he said, after “Trump exiled Bannon” and ejected him from a senior adviser role in August 2017.

Five months later, Bannon was ousted from Breitbart itself after his public criticisms of Trump in Michael Wolff’s best-selling book “Fire and Fury” caused an outcry among conservatives — and alienated one of the site’s top financial backers, Rebekah Mercer.

In addition, Breitbart appears not to have recovered from an advertiser boycott led by the advocacy group Sleeping Giants beginning in 2016. By May 2017, the site had lost 90 percent of its advertisers in just three months, according to Digiday.

Also Read: Fox News' Tomi Lahren Apologizes for Kamala Harris Tweet Asking: 'Did You Sleep Your Way to the Top?'

In the 2018 documentary “The Brink,” Bannon admitted that the site was in “tough financial shape” because the ad revenues he projected to hit $8 million for 2016 had dropped 90 percent following the boycott campaign. “All the right-wing media, the top 10 companies — except for Fox — will be donor-based,” he said in a July 2018 conversation captured in the film. “You’ll have to have a donor come in and write a check.”

A spokesperson for Brietbart did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the site, its traffic and its financial status.

Not only does Breitbart in its current incarnation lack the money to grow, Bardella said, “the audience they are targeting — the alt-right/racist/white nationalist audience — isn’t one that is ever going to expand. It is as large as it will ever be. There’s no room to grow it.”

And the competition in the right-wing media space has increased dramatically, including from former Breitbart staffers like Ben Shapiro, whose DailyWire site is inching up on Breitbart with 4.3 million unique visitors in June.

Also Read: MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Drops to Fifth Place in July Cable News Ratings

John Ziegler, a conservative columnist and filmmaker known for his own inflammatory takes (earlier this year, he tweeted that “the entire ‘Penn State/Joe Paterno/Jerry Sandusky Scandal’ is a myth“), said he hasn’t looked at Breitbart “in at least two years,” which he said is “bizarre” since he used to write for the site. “I already know what they are going to say and it’s not credible,” he said.

Others suggest that Breitbart has struggled as the far-right views that used to make it stand out have become mainstream. “Fox News’ embrace of the extreme has left Breitbart with no real space that they uniquely own,” said Bardella, who switched his affiliation to the Democratic Party after leaving Breitbart. “Fox News programming during this time of Trump mirrors what Breitbart homepages looked like pre-Trump. Fox has gone full-tilt Breitbart and in the process made Breitbart irrelevant.”

Still, some observers are not so quick to write off Breitbart under its current top editor, Alex Marlow.

“There is clearly an appetite for the type of information they’re producing. I would not rule them out,” Polskin said, pointing out Breitbart is currently seeking to hire new assistant editors and investigative reporters. “They are a very strong brand, whether you are repulsed by the name Breitbart or you think it aligns with your political view or view of the world.”

All 19 Movies and Shows Steve Bannon Wrote, Directed or Produced (Photos)

Before he had the ear of the president, former White House Chief Political Strategist Steve Bannon tried his hand at Hollywood. As a producer, he was behind several small movies, but he really hit his movie-making stride writing and directing conservative documentaries aimed at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here's a complete list of every Hollywood project in which Bannon's had a hand.
“The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer
Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on the opposite sides of the law. Here’s the trailer.
MGM
"Seinfeld" (1992) — Investor
Bannon's investment banking company bought a minor stake in Castle Rock Entertainment, the producer behind the show, in 1992. That gave Bannon's company an undisclosed chunk of the syndication royalties for the show. By 2013, "Seinfeld" reruns had earned $3.1 billion. Even if Bannon only had a 1% cut of the royalties, "Seinfeld" would have netted him $31 million.
NBC
"Titus" (1999) — Co-Executive Producer
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this modern-styled adaptation of the Shakespeare “Titus Andronicus.” That story packs an interesting mix of 1950s aesthetics and ancient Roman subject matter. Bannon served as co-executive producer on the project, the production of which was his obsession for almost a decade. Watch the trailer here.
Fox
“Reagan: In the Face of Evil” (2004) — Co-Producer
Bannon wrote and directed this documentary, based on the book “Reagan’s War” by Peter Schweizer. It’s heavily conservative and positive about the former Republican president, focusing on his Cold War battle with the Soviet Union. It also holds a fairly abysmal 11 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration” (2006) — Executive Producer
Bannon’s got a lot of interest in illegal immigration. “Border War” expands its look on illegal immigrants coming from Mexico, trying to include everything from human smuggling and crime to protests and immigration laws. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“Tradition Never Graduates: A Season Inside Notre Dame Football” (2007) — Executive Producer
For the first time since he was producing Shakespeare, Bannon’s filmography takes a break from conservative-leaning movies to talk about how great Notre Dame football is.
Vimeo
“The Chaos Experiment” (2009) — Executive Producer
Obviously the best way to improve a “Saw”-style serial killer thriller is with a heavy handed anti-global warming message. Val Kilmer is a deranged global warming scientist who no one will believe. So he locks six people in a steam room to simulate what global warming will eventually do to the world. Watch the trailer here.
YouTube
“Generation Zero” (2010) — Writer, Director, Producer
More than one critic called Bannon's documentary “Generation Zero” a “horror movie” about the US economy. Bannon explains the economic crash of 2008 by blaming the national deficit and bank bailouts, as well as the 1960s and the Baby Boomer generation. But really, this is about the rise of the Tea Party. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“Battle for America” (2010) — Writer, Director, Producer
Bannon tried to get out the conservative vote for the 2010 midterm elections by painting it as a war against the Obama Administration in this documentary. It's kind of hilarious listening to some of the conservative comments about the radical Obama presidency in the face of Trump's first seven weeks in office. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
"Fire from the Heartland" (2010) — Writer, Director, Producer
Focusing on women in American conservatism, "Fire from the Heartland" paints the picture of a powerful American cultural movement that draws strength from women's issues. The movie posits that angry "Mama Grizzly" conservative women are the unforeseen side-effect of feminism in America. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
"Sarah Palin: The Undefeated" (2010)
"The Undefeated" chronicles Sarah Palin's rise in battling the Republican establishment and the liberal media. Bannon's doc explores her life and history as a politician, painting her as a warrior who went up against special interests and corruption as she rose from Alaska to the national stage. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“The Hope & the Change” (2012) — Writer, Director, Producer
Democrats are disillusioned because of Barack Obama, Bannon works to show in this documentary. Interviewing something like 40 Democrats and Independents, the movie finds people who never got the Hope and Change they were promised. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“District of Corruption” (2012) — Writer, Director, Producer
Before he was part of the Trump Administration and the constant allegations of corruption it weathers, Bannon made this doc hammering the Obama Administration with claims of corruption. Bannon wrote and directed this one, working with conservative watch dog group Judicial Watch. Check out the trailer here.
Citizens United
“Occupy Unmasked” (2012) — Writer, Director
Bannon's documentaries have shown the Tea Party in a positive light, and in "Occupy Unmasked," he goes after a liberal movement. The movie portrays Occupy as radical, uncontrollable, and dangerous. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“Sweetwater” (2013) — Executive Producer
Taking a break from making documentaries, Bannon produced "Sweetwater." The Western is all about revenge and murdering bad dudes, and has a pretty notable cast, including heavy hitters like January Jones, Jason Isaacs, Ed Harris and Stephen Root. Watch the trailer here.
“Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power” (2014) — Executive Producer
"Rickover" tells the story of controversial US Navy Admiral Hyman Rickover, who pushed for the first nuclear-powered submarine. After that, Rickover became an entrepreneur and nuclear pioneer, building the first commercial nuclear power plant. The documentary, produced by Bannon, appeared on PBS, of all places.
PBS
“Clinton Cash” (2016) — Writer, Executive Producer
Ahead of the 2016 election, Bannon wrote a documentary adaptation of the book "Clinton Cash" by Peter Schweizer. The movie focuses on Clinton Foundation corruption and suggests foreign money influences Hillary Clinton in government. Another ironic one, as allegations of ethics breaches and using the presidency for personal enrichment continue to follow the Trump family. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
“Torchbearer” (2016) — Writer, Director, Executive Producer
"Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson goes around the world to talk about Christianity and the Bible in this Bannon-directed doc. The Duck Commander uses the Bible to add context to historical sites, pushing the idea of a culture war to get Christians out to the 2016 polls. Watch the trailer here.
Citizens United
"Trump @War" (2018) -- Writer, Director

After his ouster from the White House, Bannon directed and co-wrote a documentary ahead of the 2018 midterm elections that portrays Trump supporters as under siege. He also admitted to Axios that he hoped the film would get back into POTUS' good graces: "How jacked do we think Trump will be when he sees this?"
Victory Film Group

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Bannon produced Hollywood movies in the 1990s, but most of his efforts have gone to making polemic, conservative documentaries

Before he had the ear of the president, former White House Chief Political Strategist Steve Bannon tried his hand at Hollywood. As a producer, he was behind several small movies, but he really hit his movie-making stride writing and directing conservative documentaries aimed at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here's a complete list of every Hollywood project in which Bannon's had a hand.

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All 19 Movies and Shows Steve Bannon Wrote, Directed or Produced (Photos)

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