Steve Bannon thinks Jared Kushner & Ivanka ‘want to be prince and princess’

Steve Bannon’s career is still at death’s door. Just kidding! Even if Bannon gets pushed out of the Trump White House – a possibility that seems more likely by the day – he’ll still have a lucrative career as a right-wing pundit, fake news journalist and white supremacist “thinker.” But for now, Bannon is still nominally employed by Donald Bigly Trump and the federal government. And he’s still fighting for his job too. While there are rumors that Trump has diminished Bannon’s role even further, Bannon believes he’s playing the long-game (the long-con, if you will) and that he will simply outlast Precious Ivanka and Jared Kushner’s machinations. Vanity Fair’s Sarah Ellison spoke to “a person familiar with Bannon’s thinking,” aka a person who is probably Steve Bannon, and this is what was said:

A person familiar with Bannon’s thinking told me that he remains profoundly misunderstood. He isn’t so much an ideologue, this person said, as a deal-maker; like his famous boss, he is willing to compromise. “People try and put him in a box to say he’s a political consultant when he really is a media executive,” this person said. This person went on to put some distance between Bannon and the Breitbart audience he is seen to represent in the West Wing. “I’m not saying he doesn’t agree with Breitbart; he does. He doesn’t agree with 100 percent of what’s there.” But, this person added, “he’s an executive first.”

Another person close to Bannon suggested that it was unlikely that he was going anywhere anytime soon. “The guy does not quit,” this person said. “I don’t think he’s going to quit.” David Bossie, Trump’s former deputy campaign manager, put it to me more bluntly. “Steve is part of the team. He was part of the team during the campaign. He is part of the team now. It is not about Steve. It is about the ideas that elected Donald Trump.”

The question that remains, however, is how much the president wants Bannon and Kushner to make peace. He has told them to do so and they reportedly did just that in Mar-a-Lago about a week ago. But those exhortations don’t seem to have quelled the backroom infighting. The person familiar with Bannon’s thinking told me on Friday that “the team is working well together,” but that sounded somewhat aspirational.

The person close to Bannon added, “Jared and Ivanka, do they want to be responsible for the day-to-day management of the federal government? No. They want to be prince and princess. That’s great! They’d be good at that. They want to be in the photo ops and they don’t want to be there doing crisis management. And that’s the point.” This person continued: “Leave the governance to Bannon and get Bannon a competent partner. By the way, he will never ask for that. He’s just too loyal a soldier.” (One White House aide patently rejected this characterization and pointed to Kushner’s expanding portfolio—such as his newly created S.W.AT. team, and his recent trip to Iraq—in defense of his work ethic and accomplishments.)

[From Vanity Fair]

There’s so much to unpack there. Like, do I agree with Steve Bannon’s assessment of Jared and Precious Ivanka? It’s a crazy, mad world, my God. Bannon is right: Ivanka especially wants to be a princess, not a negotiator, not a dealmaker, not a policy wonk. She wants to pose for photos and flirt with Justin Trudeau. Jared is different though – I have the feeling that Jared sees himself as someone who is brilliant and incredibly competent at everything, when the reality is that he’s just coasted on daddy’s money for much of his life. Now, all that being said… this assessment by a source close to Bannon is rather sad, isn’t it? It’s the portrait of a white supremacist clinging to what’s left of his power after he was outmaneuvered by two dim-bulbs who want to be royal.

Photos courtesy of Getty.

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61 Responses to “Steve Bannon thinks Jared Kushner & Ivanka ‘want to be prince and princess’”

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  1. Prince says:

    Guess Ivanka and Jared are still trying to find a way to get rid of Bannon completely.

  2. Lightpurple says:

    Oh, Bannon, the Duke of Cirrhosis! You make a mistake here. Wants to be Princess? In her mind, she IS Princess. Princess Nagini the Corrupt of the Most Sacred Horcruxed Vagina. Her bite is lethal. You make this mistake at your own peril. Not that I care about your peril. Drink up, little Bannon. Your liver may save you by killing you with less pain.

    • INeedANap says:

      I need this comment expanded into novella form. Preferably as a fantasy-dystopia fiction, rather than accurate reflection of reality. I can pay you in my tears.

    • LOL says:

      Best analyzes ever, perfect in touch to reality of the crazy White House. I would love if this nickname would stick around 😉

      • Lightpurple says:

        I think we would probably need Rowling’s approval but given her views, that might be obtainable.

    • Diana says:

      🤣🤣 duke of cirrhosis!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • Abbess Tansy says:

      You had me at “Duke of Cirrhosis”, LOL! His liver might be hard as a rock.

    • PunkyMomma says:

      Duke of Cirrhosis! Yes! Brilliant, Lightpurple, brilliant!

    • Liz version 700 says:

      Duke of Cirrhosis is how I will refer to Banning n from this day forward! Perfect analysis.

    • Tata says:

      I continually giggle at the words horcurxed vagina. It gets me every time lightpurple. EVERY. TIME. (Because I have to consider how trump would make that horcrux…and then my mind explodes)

    • Norma Warner says:

      Brilliant! Perfect description of the princess!

  3. adastraperaspera says:

    And he wants to be Wormtongue.

  4. grabbyhands says:

    The person close to Bannon added, “Jared and Ivanka, do they want to be responsible for the day-to-day management of the federal government? No. They want to be prince and princess.

    Well, he’s not wrong.

    • tmot says:

      He is, because he just jealous. They’re already both; he and his evil plans and terrible optics are on the way out.

    • Christin says:

      Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.

      This is such a pot-meet-kettle mess.

      • Betsy says:

        I was thinking that “even blind squirrels find a nut,” but yours works, too. 😉

      • Megan says:

        They want to be Prince and Princess, Bannon wants to be the Evil Overlord, and Trump wants to be Emperor by Divine Right. So much drama with these people.

      • grabbyhands says:

        I mean it more as I think they view themselves as some kind of modern Louis and Marie Antionette, living in gilded luxury and playing at politics while ignoring the very real problems because so far the patented shtick of the Bigly clan is to just BS people or ignore them until they give in.

        Problem is, they forget how that story ended.

      • Megan says:

        @grabby I suppose that makes Mark Warner Danton and Adam Schiff Robespierre.

  5. EOA says:

    The notion that Bannon knows anything about governance is truly amusing.

  6. amy says:

    Ivanka would drop Jared like a hot potato if she had a chance to date Trudeau.

  7. Jenns says:

    Isn’t the real issue here is that Trump doesn’t want to be president? This is why there is such a power struggle. And none of these idiots gives a crap about the American people. Ivanka is protecting the Trump brand. Jared views himself as some kind of wunderkind who thinks he can slap on an LL Bean vest and fix Iraq. And Bannon is just a drunk who wants to test his chaos theory in government. If there were any kind of leadership, this high school back and forth in the press wouldn’t be happening. But Trump just wants to golf, tweet and watch TV.

    And we have four more years of this sh*t.

    • Tourmaline says:

      THIS so much this!

    • Pumpkin Pie says:

      I very much doubt Kuchner goes to Iraq to fix Iraq. Post-war infrastructure reconstruction to say the least involves BILLIONS of dollars.

      • swak says:

        Billions of dollars that could go to Trump and Kuschner’s businesses.

      • Christin says:

        Follow the money. This is about business deal/grifting opportunities. Plus getting the estate tax (which has already been raised to 5M) repealed, which benefits the super-wealthy heirs like — them!

      • MinnFinn says:

        I believe the Trump family “job” shuffling they did after the election was strategically crafted marketing identities for expanding Trump brands.

        The value of the US presidency to Trump & his family is the marketing platform. They obviously want to build Trump hotels in China as well as continue to grow Ivanka’s clothing market share there. It must be working or at least not hurting her clothing line because the day Chinese president Xi was photographed at Mar-a-lago, Ivanka’s clothing brand signed a new contract in China.

        Ivanka started speaking softly and wearing ultra-feminine dresses because media analysts determined that would grow her brand with the conservative set in Asia. Her end-goal is not to be a princess. She is marketing a lifestyle clothing brand.

        The China market is so lucrative that Jared and Ivanka are grooming their kids to continue their expansion into China into the next generation. They hired a nanny from China. Arabella and her siblings are English/Chinese bilingual. Arabella sang a traditional Chinese song to Xi and his wife and recited some Chinese poetry.

        The Trumps have pulled out all the stops for China and they are laughing all the way to their bank which is probably now in China too.

    • Playitagain says:

      Exactly!! Trump only wants the adulation of his crowds and to make as many money-deals as he can before he flees. I’ve never believed he was actually interested in doing the job of the president. None of his minions give a crap about America either; they’re only in it for themselves. And when they think they’ve gotten as much as they can (or they’re at real risk of being jailed), he’s going to bail and we’ll be stuck with Creepy Pence until the next election.

    • adastraperaspera says:

      They just want us paying for them to travel around the world cutting shady biz deals and building their brand. I still cannot believe this is happening. I am so upset about it every day.

  8. Belle Epoch says:

    Jimmy Fallon was funny as the non-speaking Jared on SNL.

  9. TheOtherOne says:

    Bannon’s insider seems like he is trying to humanize Bannon and make him not so bad. Too late. It just shows you, after all the bravado and ignorance people will do anything to save their own skin even if it goes against what they have been spewing for years. To that I say, eff you, Bannon and don’t let the door hit you in a**. Who do we push out next? Spicer? Conway? Nudes?

    Also good luck to those in Georgia’s sixth district today. Let’s show them we mean business.

    • Jenns says:

      I think Bannon’s insider is Bannon himself.

    • Lightpurple says:

      Yes, come on, Georgia Sixth! The Orange Voldemort is freaking out on Twitter this morning.

      • Shambles says:

        I’m not in the sixth, but I’m a Georgian who lives very close. I get nervous thinking about the election today. I want Jon to win so badly, but I’m trying not to think too hard about it because I can’t put myself through another November 8th if he doesn’t. That said, COME ON FELLOW GEORGIA PEOPLE, GET OUT AND VOTE YOUR OSSOFF!

  10. courtney says:

    not every woman that marries a prince automatically becomes a princess it depends what titles the sitting monarch confers upon the couple at marriage and weather they accept them or not like for example Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys Jones don’t have royal titles they declined them and Camilla Parker Bowles is the Duchess of Cornwall as Diana was Princess of Wales but reverted back to Lady Diana Spencer after the divorce was final in August 1996 not all royal children are given titles at birth either Princess Caroline of Monaco’s older children don’t have royal titles because their father was a commoner their stepfather is a German prince so their stepsister has titles

    • Theresa says:

      If Edward, Charles and Andrew didn’t have their other titles, their wives would be known as Princess Edward, Princess Charles, and Princess Andrew. Also, Camilla is Princess of Wales, but goes by her secondary title. Well, the feminine version of her husband’s secondary title.

  11. Rapunzel says:

    Ivanka and Jared graduated from Trump U. Of course they’re lazy, vain, and manipulative. Just like Bigly Daddy.

    But Bannon doesn’t want the day to day running of the country either. He just wants to dismantle it.

  12. AB says:

    God I hate this administration… that’s all.

  13. kNY says:

    On a superficial note, in that top picture it’s alarming to see how gross Bannon’s skin is. The only nice things you will ever see me say about these people: Flynn, Jared, Ivanka, and Preibus all have pretty nice skin for their respective ages. It’s just jarring to see them next to Bannon, who literally looks like a dead body that has been floating in the East River for about a week.

  14. Clare says:

    May I table a motion whereas future articles re: Steve Bannon feature a picture of someone more palatable – like maybe Gargamel or Mumra – so we don’t have to see his stupid face.

    • Christin says:

      Or ads for alcohol moderation and dermatology would do.

    • NotSoSocialButterfy says:

      How about an emoji sticker over his head… here are some options: 💩, 🤡, 👹, or maybe just this where his face should be: 🍸 (or 🥃, whatever his poison).

      After some thought, one of the hooch emojis would probably work best. Let’s save the clown for BabyFists. Ivanka and Jared could both be devils, and the lesser male offspring could both don the poop emoji.

  15. tracking says:

    All three are just so gross.

  16. Rocknrust says:

    Bannon will remain because of Mercer and his money. I’d love to see Bannon go but what would Mercer do?

  17. Rapunzel says:

    Ivanka’s fashion line is now booming cause of a lucrative Chinese contract. A contract she received the day she say down with- big surprise- the Chinese president. Somebody stop the grifting, now. Our government has been sold to the Trump corporation.

  18. JaneDoesWork says:

    I think Ivanka sees herself as the second coming of the Kennedy’s. You can tell she plays up a specific image and that she’s trying to invoke that American royalty thing with her own family. I always believed Ivanka was a hard worker, and I still believe that… I just think the political grind is not her strong suit nor does it really interest her. As fucked up as it is, I do think she’s trying to be a supportive daughter…

  19. SMD says:

    Shambles my fellow peach! Right here with you in GA on pins and needles. I hope Jon trounces the competition so it sends a loud and clear message. The Republican ads against Ossoff have been viscious and flat out untrue. It is infuriating! Fingers and toes crossed!!

  20. Pandy says:

    Every one of these tools is in it for themselves. To make money. End of story.

  21. Veronica says:

    Says the guy angling to be a Lord of the Sith.

  22. Twinkle says:

    I CANNOT look at Bannon. When did he decide to give up and become walking liver damage. He’s one giant cirrhosis.

  23. Raina says:

    I hate that so many people think Jared is cute. Bbbitch looks like a dildo.