Bannon: I Had 'Influence' at White House, 'Power' at Breitbart

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon says in a new interview he had considerable influence in the White House before he resigned last week.

Bannon spoke with The Economist about his time in the White House and leading President Donald Trump's campaign last year.

"In the White House I had influence," Bannon said multiple times during the interview. "At Breitbart, I had power."

Bannon was referencing Breitbart News, the right-leaning website he ran before joining Trump's team. He is slated to return to the news outlet soon.

Bannon's role in the White House involved keeping the president on track with hitting his campaign promises. Some of Bannon's ideas, such as a travel ban for people from countries with a terror presence and a push to withdraw the United States from NAFTA, have fallen short.

The Economist noted that Trump eventually began to rely on input from other aides, including his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, which seemed to diminish Bannon's role.

Bannon told the news outlet, however, that Breitbart will continue to support Trump.

"I am an ideologue, that's why I am out," he said. "I can rally the base, have his back. The harder he pushes, the more we will be there for him."

In his first interview after leaving the White House, Bannon told Bloomberg he is "going to war for Trump against his opponents — on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America."

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