The recent House GOP infighting that led to a blow up in the removal of Kevin McCarthy's speakership can reportedly be traced to an ally of the ex-president.
Steve Bannon has been orchestrating several aspects from his "cavelike" podcast studio, the New York Times reported Wednesday. Bannon is a former Trump adviser whose associate was recently sentenced to prison time for a "Build the Wall" scheme they worked on together.
The Times says Bannon "has spent years promoting the lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald J. Trump, railing against coronavirus mandates and what he refers to as a 'criminal invasion of the southern border.'"
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"His obsession of late was toppling Mr. McCarthy and taking out what he describes as 'uniparty' Republicans who have become indistinguishable from Democrats," it reported.
With Mr. McCarthy’s historic downfall this week, the article states, "his wing of the party has claimed its most prominent trophy."
"Mr. Bannon represents a clear through line from the grievance-driven MAGA base to Congress. And his role in the meltdown that played out this week in the House helps explain why the Republican Party appears to be eating its own. He is a vital part of a feedback loop of red-meat media hits and social media posts, online fund-raising and unfettered preaching to an often angry and fervently right-wing base that rewards disruptions and detests institutions."
The report also describes some of the key players in ousting McCarthy, including Matt Gaetz, taking regular treks to Bannon's studio.
"Representatives Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Matt Gaetz of Florida joined Mr. Bannon on his podcast the morning after voting to oust Kevin McCarthy from his speaker post," according to the Times piece. "In past decades, right-wing rebels on Capitol Hill have encountered trouble getting real traction — shunned by lobbyists and big-money political action committees, excluded from leadership suites in the Capitol and disregarded by Fox News. But with the help of Mr. Bannon, who streams live for four hours every weekday, Mr. Gaetz and others don’t need to rely on any of that."
