Who understands Trumpism better: Trump or Bannon?
The split between President Trump and former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon over the U.S. Senate race in Alabama should be easy enough to explain. Even friends with similar views disagree sometimes  right?
That is not Bannon's explanation  however. Appearing on Sean Hannity's Fox News show Monday night  the Breitbart News chairman suggested that he understands  Trumpism  better than  Trump  himself â that he is supporting Republican challenger Roy Moore instead of the president's candidate  incumbent Sen. Luther Strange  because Moore is actually the ally  Trump  needs  whether he realizes it or not.
[Stephen K. Bannonâs remarkable admission:  President Trump  is easily duped]
âWhat I'm here to do is to support  Donald J. Trump  by having folks down here support Judge Roy Moore â Bannon told Hannity after speaking at a rally for Moore in Fairhope  Ala.  on the eve of a GOP primary runoff. âI think Roy Moore is the guy that's going to represent  Donald Trump  and fight the establishment.â
âWe're not here to defy  President Trump  â Bannon added a moment later. âWe were here to praise and honor  him . And we think the best way to do that is to send somebody to Washington  D.C.  out of Alabama â the good folks of Alabama to send somebody that's going to have  Donald Trump 's back.â
Bannon made those remarks three days after  Trump  spoke at a rally for Strange.  Trump 's position is that Strange is the guy who will have his back. Yet here is Bannon  claiming that  Trump  doesn't know what is best for  himself .
Here's the truly zany thing:  Trump  seems to think that Bannon might be right.
âI'll be honest: I might have made a mistake â  Trump  said at Strange's rally on Friday  in one of those off-script moments that characterize  his  stump speeches.
âAnd I told Luther â  Trump  continued  âI have to say this: If his opponent wins  I'm going to be here campaigning like hell for him.â
[As  Trump  campaigns for Strange in Alabama   he  expresses some doubts: âI might have made a mistakeâ]
Bannon is hardly alone among  Trump  supporters in backing Moore  and the president appears to be considering the possibility that his base really did do a better job of picking the most Trump-like candidate than he did. My Fix colleague  Amber Phillips  framed the runoff like this:
An establishment candidate is running for his political life against a controversial  say-anything figure whom the elites despise. And against all political logic  the establishment may very well lose. It's as if the 2016 presidential campaign is playing out in the Alabama Senate Republican primary to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Only this time   President Trump  is on the establishment side  and Alabama voters could very well go against the president they adore.
The troubling development  for  Trump   is that some of  his  backers are willing to divorce Trumpism from  Trump himself . They cling more tightly to what  he  symbolized during  his  insurgent campaign for the White House than they cling to  him  â to the point of ignoring  his  endorsement.
Earlier this month  Ann Coulter  who wrote a book called âIn  Trump  We Trust â was asked in an interview on WBAL radio in Baltimore whether she still trusts in  Trump .
âUm  I trust in Trumpism â Coulter replied.
 Trump  is now in a fight with Bannon and company to define  his  own political brand.  Trump  says Strange fits the brand  Bannon says otherwise  and  Trump  has already hedged that Bannon might be right.
The split between President Trump and former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon over the U.S. Senate race in Alabama should be easy enough to explain. Even friends with similar views disagree sometimes  right?
That is not Bannon's explanation  however. Appearing on Sean Hannity's Fox News show Monday night  the Breitbart News chairman suggested that he understands  Trumpism  better than  [TGT]  â that he is supporting Republican challenger Roy Moore instead of the president's candidate  incumbent Sen. Luther Strange  because Moore is actually the ally   [TGT] needs  whether  [TGT]  realizes it or not.
[Stephen K. Bannonâs remarkable admission:   [TGT] is easily duped]
âWhat I'm here to do is to support   [TGT] by having folks down here support Judge Roy Moore â Bannon told Hannity after speaking at a rally for Moore in Fairhope  Ala.  on the eve of a GOP primary runoff. âI think Roy Moore is the guy that's going to represent  Donald Trump  and fight the establishment.â
âWe're not here to defy   [TGT]  Bannon added a moment later. âWe were here to praise and honor  him . And we think the best way to do that is to send somebody to Washington  D.C.  out of Alabama â the good folks of Alabama to send somebody that's going to have   [TGT]  's back.â
Bannon made those remarks three days after   [TGT]   spoke at a rally for Strange.   [TGT]  's position is that Strange is the guy who will have  [TGT]  back. Yet here is Bannon  claiming that   [TGT]   doesn't know what is best for   [TGT]  .
Here's the truly zany thing:   [TGT] seems to think that Bannon might be right.
âI'll be honest: I might have made a mistake â   [TGT] said at Strange's rally on Friday  in one of those off-script moments that characterize   [TGT]   stump speeches.
âAnd I told Luther â   [TGT]   continued  âI have to say this: If  [TGT]  opponent wins  I'm going to be here campaigning like hell for him.â
[As   [TGT] campaigns for Strange in Alabama    [TGT]   expresses some doubts: âI might have made a mistakeâ]
Bannon is hardly alone among   [TGT]   supporters in backing Moore  and the president appears to be considering the possibility that his base really did do a better job of picking the most Trump-like candidate than he did. My Fix colleague  Amber Phillips  framed the runoff like this:
An establishment candidate is running for his political life against a controversial  say-anything figure whom the elites despise. And against all political logic  the establishment may very well lose. It's as if the 2016 presidential campaign is playing out in the Alabama Senate Republican primary to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Only this time    [TGT] is on the establishment side  and Alabama voters could very well go against the president they adore.
The troubling development  for   [TGT] is that some of   [TGT]   backers are willing to divorce  [TGT]  from  [TGT]  . They cling more tightly to what   [TGT]   symbolized during   [TGT]   insurgent campaign for the White House than they cling to   [TGT]   â to the point of ignoring   [TGT]   endorsement.
Earlier this month  Ann Coulter  who wrote a book called âIn  Trump  We Trust â was asked in an interview on WBAL radio in Baltimore whether she still trusts in  [TGT]  .
âUm  I trust in  [TGT]  â Coulter replied.
  [TGT] is now in a fight with Bannon and company to define   [TGT]   own political brand.   [TGT] says Strange fits the brand  Bannon says otherwise  and   [TGT] has already hedged that Bannon might be right.