Milo Mourns ‘Fellow Diva’ Steve Bannon: ‘Steve Will Be Back’
“The people knifing Steve now are cowards and hypocrites,” says Bannon’s ex-Breitbart cohort
Tim Molloy and Jon Levine | January 9, 2018 @ 2:59 PM
Last Updated: January 9, 2018 @ 3:10 PM
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Milo Yiannopoulos, the most infamous of Steve Bannon’s protégés at Breitbart News, called his former boss “one of the most hated men in the country” but predicted he will mount a major comeback.
“My prediction: Steve will be back, big league — and it will be Trump calling Steve for help, not the other way around,” Yiannopoulos said in a statement to TheWrap.
Yiannopoulos spoke out Tuesday soon after Bannon’s exit from Breitbart News, the vehicle Bannon used to help power Trump to the presidency.
Yiannopoulos exited Breitbart in February 2017 after comments surfaced in which he appeared to defend or at least make light of adult men having sex with underage boys. Bannon left Breitbart after more than a week of backlash over his comments in Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump Presidency.”
“Something true most people won’t say: Steve Bannon sacrificed his whole life for his country. His life will never be the same again. He was called a white supremacist and neo-Nazi by the press because they recognized what a formidable adversary he was,” Yiannopoulos said.
He added that Bannon must now travel “everywhere with private security, loathed by people after all the lies the media told about him.”
In “Fire and Fury,” Bannon accused the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., of attending a “treasonous” meeting with Russian operatives. But he later backtracked and said he was criticizing ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, not Trump Jr.
“The people knifing Steve now are cowards and hypocrites,” Yiannopoulos wrote. “They were perfectly happy to suck up to him when he had the President’s ear.”
He added: “Steve is one of the most brilliant political operatives of his generation. You’re a fool if you think this is anything but the opening of his next chapter. I’ve watched all my favorite people, including myself, pronounced dead repeatedly by the media. But they don’t have that power any more.”
Bannon took over Trump’s campaign in summer 2016, and later served as Trump’s White House adviser and strategist. He exited in August, in what the president later described as a firing.
Here is Yiannopolous’ full statement:
I loved working with Steve because I recognized in him a fellow diva.
The Steve I worked with was ruthless, demanding and stubborn, but also sincere, erudite and utterly committed to his agenda of strong borders, populism and economic nationalism.
To hear him on Breitbart radio was to hear someone directly plugged into the anxieties and wishes of ordinary Americans, long before Trump even announced his candidacy.
Something true most people won’t say: Steve Bannon sacrificed his whole life for his country. His life will never be the same again. He was called a white supremacist and neo-Nazi by the press because they recognized what a formidable adversary he was.
When I wrote to congratulate Steve on his appointment to the Trump campaign he wrote back in language that made it clear he considered it a patrician duty. I believe he did it for the country, not for personal advancement. As Steve often says, he has a Westpoint graduate daughter who photographed herself in the ruins of Saddam Hussein’s palace. He could have died happy without all this.
Now even the base has turned against him because his characteristically colorful and ill-tempered language has toppled out many months after it was shared, taking both Steve and the President by surprise. It’s very sad to watch.
He is now one of the most hated men in the country, traveling everywhere with private security, loathed by people after all the lies the media told about him. His crime was helping to define and deliver a populist, nationalist agenda. The price he has paid for helping to deliver Trump’s campaign promises.
The people knifing Steve now are cowards and hypocrites. They were perfectly happy to suck up to him when he had the President’s ear.
Steve is one of the most brilliant political operatives of his generation. You’re a fool if you think this is anything but the opening of his next chapter. I’ve watched all my favorite people, including myself, pronounced dead repeatedly by the media. But they don’t have that power any more.
My prediction: Steve will be back, big league — and it will be Trump calling Steve for help, not the other way around.
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.