Steve Bannon leaves White House
Steve Bannon
Steve Bannon   the White House chief strategist  has left the Trump administration and returned to Breitbart News  the right-wing website  he  led before joining President Donald Trump's campaign last year.
The conservative internet news mogul Matt Drudge first reported on Friday that  Bannon  was leaving the White House  tweeting that  he  "had one hell of a run."
"White House chief of staff John Kelly and  Steve Bannon  have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day " White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "We are grateful for his service and wish him the best."
Breitbart's White House correspondent Charlie Spierling tweeted Friday that  Bannon  returned to Breitbart News as executive chairman  and chaired the outlet's evening editorial meeting.
Rumors of  Bannon 's departure had reached a fever pitch in recent days.
Citing two administration officials briefed on the conversation  The New York Times reported shortly after Drudge's tweet that Trump had told senior aides he decided to remove  Bannon . The Times added  however  that a person close to  Bannon  insisted the departure was  Bannon 's idea. The source said  Bannon  submitted  his  resignation on August 7  to be announced earlier this week  but it was pushed back after the violent protests led by white nationalists in Charlottesville  Virginia  over the past weekend.
After Trump's Tuesday press conference  in which he said some of the protesters in Charlottesville were "very fine people "  Bannon  gave a series of on-the-record interviews and comments to publications including The Times  The American Prospect  and The Washington Post.
It was in those interviews  particularly with The Prospect  that  Bannon  appeared to seal  his  fate  if  he  hadn't already tendered  his  resignation.
 Bannon  lashed out National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn  contradicted the president on North Korea  and called white nationalists a "collection of clowns" and "losers."  He  also said  he  hoped Democrats "talk about racism every day."
"The longer they talk about identity politics  I got 'em  " Bannon  told The Prospect. "I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity  and we go with economic nationalism  we can crush the Democrats."
That interview irked Trump  CNN reported. The president was also upset with  Bannon 's participation in Josh Green's book "Devil's Bargain " which painted Trump and  Bannon  as equally responsible for Trump's election win in November. Trump was also reportedly annoyed by a Time magazine cover in February that depicted  Bannon  as "The Great Manipulator."
Asked during his Tuesday press conference about  Bannon 's status in the administration  Trump said  "We'll see."
"Look  look â I like  Mr. Bannon  " Trump said. "He's a friend of mine. But  Mr. Bannon  came on very late. You know that. I went through 17 senators  governors  and I won all the primaries.  Mr. Bannon  came on very much later than that."
"And I like  him  "  he  continued. " He 's a good man.  He  is not a racist. I can tell you that.  He 's a good person.  He  actually gets a very unfair press in that regard. But we'll see what happens with  Mr. Bannon . But  he 's a good person  and I think the press treats  him   frankly  very unfairly."
 Bannon  told some close associates that  he  did not believe  his  conversation with The Prospect's Robert Kuttner was on the record  but  he  told others that the interview was strategic.  He  told the Daily Mail on Thursday that it was good for the White House because it "drew fire away" from the president.
Earlier on Friday  Axios reported that Kelly was reviewing  Bannon 's status and a decision was "imminent." A source close to  Bannon  told the news website that  Bannon  would defend Trump from the outside and unleash "fire and fury" on opponents of Trump's agenda.
[TGT] has left the Trump administration and returned to Breitbart News  the right-wing website   [TGT]   led before joining President Donald Trump's campaign last year.
The conservative internet news mogul Matt Drudge first reported on Friday that   [TGT] was leaving the White House  tweeting that   [TGT]   "had one hell of a run."
"White House chief of staff John Kelly and   [TGT]   have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day " White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "We are grateful for his service and wish him the best."
Breitbart's White House correspondent Charlie Spierling tweeted Friday that   [TGT] returned to Breitbart News as executive chairman  and chaired the outlet's evening editorial meeting.
Rumors of   [TGT]  's departure had reached a fever pitch in recent days.
Citing two administration officials briefed on the conversation  The New York Times reported shortly after Drudge's tweet that Trump had told senior aides he decided to remove   [TGT]  . The Times added  however  that a person close to  [TGT] insisted the departure was   [TGT]  's idea. The source said   [TGT]   submitted   [TGT]   resignation on August 7  to be announced earlier this week  but it was pushed back after the violent protests led by white nationalists in Charlottesville  Virginia  over the past weekend.
After Trump's Tuesday press conference  in which he said some of the protesters in Charlottesville were "very fine people "  Bannon  gave a series of on-the-record interviews and comments to publications including The Times  The American Prospect  and The Washington Post.
It was in those interviews  particularly with The Prospect  that   [TGT] appeared to seal   [TGT]   fate  if   [TGT]   hadn't already tendered   [TGT]   resignation.
  [TGT] lashed out National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn  contradicted the president on North Korea  and called white nationalists a "collection of clowns" and "losers."   [TGT]   also said   [TGT]   hoped Democrats "talk about racism every day."
"The longer they talk about identity politics  I got 'em  "  [TGT]   told The Prospect. "I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity  and we go with economic nationalism  we can crush the Democrats."
That interview irked Trump  CNN reported. The president was also upset with   [TGT]  's participation in Josh Green's book "Devil's Bargain " which painted Trump and   [TGT] . Trump was also reportedly annoyed by a Time magazine cover in February that depicted   [TGT] as "The Great Manipulator."
Asked during his Tuesday press conference about   [TGT]  's status in the administration  Trump said  "We'll see."
"Look  look â I like   [TGT] " Trump said. "He's a friend of mine. But   [TGT] came on very late. You know that. I went through 17 senators  governors  and I won all the primaries.   [TGT] came on very much later than that."
"And I like   [TGT]   "   [TGT]   continued. "  [TGT]  's a good man.   [TGT]   is not a racist. I can tell you that.   [TGT]  's a good person.   [TGT]   actually gets a very unfair press in that regard. But we'll see what happens with  [TGT]  . But   [TGT]  's a good person  and I think the press treats  him   frankly  very unfairly."
  [TGT] told some close associates that   [TGT]   did not believe   [TGT]   conversation with The Prospect's Robert Kuttner was on the record  but   [TGT]   told others that the interview was strategic.   [TGT]   told the Daily Mail on Thursday that it was good for the White House because it "drew fire away" from the president.
Earlier on Friday  Axios reported that Kelly was reviewing   [TGT]  's status and a decision was "imminent." A source close to  [TGT] told the news website that   [TGT] would defend Trump from the outside and unleash "fire and fury" on opponents of Trump's agenda.