Steve Bannon ridiculed without mercy after claiming Pennsylvania Senate candidate is 'satanic'

Dr. Mehmet Oz’s U.S. Senate campaign in the key swing state of Pennsylvania has not been going well. Some polls are showing his Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, with a double-digit lead, and Oz has been inundated with brutal mockery in response to a shopping video that was meant to disparage President Joe Biden and other Democrats but, according to critics, misfired badly. Fetterman, in fact, has fundraised more than $500,000 from Oz’s widely ridiculed “crudité” video.

MAGA Republicans have been hoping to find a way to derail Fetterman’s campaign. One of them is Steve Bannon, host of the “War Room” podcast and former White House chief strategist in the Trump Administration. But Bannon’s line of attack is being slammed by critics as both ridiculous and desperate; Bannon is implying that Fetterman has a “satanic” appearance.

In a Gettr post on Wednesday, August 17, Bannon shared an over-the-top article from the right-wing Washington Free Beacon; the article showed Fetterman’s family members next to someone who was dressed as an animé character and claimed that Fetterman was part of a “Democratic grooming scandal.”

Bannon wrote, “Is Fetterman satanic?? His look, his vibe, his associations ... has there been anyone in the history of the country that exudes more just pure evil than this guy.... the Citizens of the Commonwealth need to ask themselves — do we want someone who hangs with Satanic Groomers to represent us in the US Senate."

When Bannon’s Gettr post was shared on Twitter — a platform that the “War Room” host was banned from after saying that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Chris Wray should be beheaded — it didn’t take long for him to be inundated with ridicule and mockery. Florida-based attorney Ron Filipkowski, on August 17, tweeted, “Pretty sure when Steve Bannon calls you ‘satanic’ that means you are winning.” And similarly, journalist/author James Surowiecki tweeted, “To me, this just seems like clunky, self-evidently false nonsense from Bannon, and it really shows is how Republicans are scrambling to find a line of attack against Fetterman…. Fetterman ‘exudes pure evil’ is so distant from reality that it has no force.”

Another Twitter user, Seth Daire, @SethDaire, posted, “That's not even subtle QAnon rhetoric by Bannon, which dehumanizes and demonizes those they scapegoat. Also, have you seen Bannon's look, his vibe, his associations?”

Daire, in another tweet, argued that Bannon and other MAGA Republicans on the far right promote violence when they push ridiculous conspiracy theories. Daire wrote, “For those who asked, Satanic Groomers aligns with ideas central to Pizzagate and QAnon, and by framing his opposition that way, it dehumanizes and demonizes, which makes it easier for them to justify violence and harassment. Bannon has QAnon followers, even though he isn't QAnon.”

Writer Mark Russell mocked the appearance of Bannon, who former President Donald Trump describes as “Sloppy Steve” even though he considers him an ally. Russell, talking about Bannon, tweeted, “Says the guy who perpetually looks like he just stepped out of a panel van to buy duct tape.”

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