Trump and Bannon are partners in crime as they 'line their pockets' with their fans' money: historian

In a column for the Guardian, historian and podcaster Andrew Gawthorpe explained that the latest accusations aimed at Steve Bannon -- which led to his turning himself in on Thursday morning -- could also be applied to his old boss, Donald Trump.

As the historian noted, Bannon is facing jail time for his part in bilking supporters out of an approximate $25 million that was to be earmarked for the private building of Trump's wall along the southern border -- with a substantial amount ending up "lining his pockets."

As Gawthorpe wrote, Bannon, like Trump, has portrayed himself as a champion of the common man while enriching himself at their expense, with the historian adding, "He’s not the everyman – he’s the corrupt elite."

Writing, "This was driven home once again on Thursday, when Bannon surrendered himself to New York prosecutors to face charges of defrauding donors to We Build the Wall, a non-profit organization that raised over $25m to build a wall to keep immigrants from crossing America’s southern border," he added, "This affair – in which two people have already pleaded guilty – is a very direct example of a prominent figure in the Maga movement lining their pockets with the money of unsuspecting marks."

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"During his first presidential campaign in 2016, Trump – with Bannon at his side – tried to present himself as a champion of the downtrodden. He promised to bring jobs back from overseas and help Americans get over their economic anxiety. But as soon as he got into office, he governed as a plutocrat," he suggested. "His one significant legislative achievement before the coronavirus pandemic was a 2017 tax bill which forced lower-income groups to pay more and allowed higher income groups to pay less. And every year the administration proposed steep cuts to the social programs used by real ordinary Americans, including a 2021 budget which would have cut $1.2tn from Medicaid, food stamps and elsewhere."

According to Gawthorpe, the border wall is an example of the Trump and Bannon MAGA grift, with both profiting.

"The border wall has endured as the ultimate symbol of Trumpism because the soul of his movement is racism and exclusion, not charity and assistance," he explained. "It is through the stoking of hatred and division that Maga elites keep the punters engaged and happy to open their wallets. It’s also how they keep themselves rich and – through blocking any attempt to actually help working people – ensure the poor stay poor."

"This, the true driving force of Trumpism, makes a mockery of conservatives who pretend that the Republican party can become a “multiethnic, multiracial, working-class party," he added before concluding, "Maga is nothing but a scam with hate in its heart and other people’s money in its pockets. Just ask Steve Bannon."

You can read more here.

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