Steve Bannon is determined to prove that he is capable of more than bluster, taking clear steps to steer a well-funded political operation, devise a new media effort, and increase the pressure on House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to turn the GOP into the party of Trump.
Bannon has spent the weeks since he left the White House working to dispel his reputation as being not much more than a troublemaker, in an attempt to refute the many people — including President Trump himself — who have questioned his credentials as “The Great Manipulator.”
There’s still widespread skepticism, even among those close to him, about how effective Bannon can be in his battle against Republicans. But his openly declared war on the GOP establishment, sources say, will be fought on multiple fronts: putting pressure on Ryan through an alliance with a group of House conservatives; threatening McConnell and Republican incumbents he sees as anti-Trump by jumping into Senate primaries; and a continued assault on the media through his website Breitbart, potentially a TV network or online show and more partnerships with conservative outlets.
