Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon claimed in an interview set to air Sunday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) asked President Donald Trump to ditch his talk of “draining the swamp.”
“In one of the first meetings in Trump Tower with the President, as we were wrapping up, he basically says ‘I don’t want to hear any more of this “drain the swamp” talk.’ Flat-out,” Bannon claimed in a preview of an interview with CBS News’ Charlie Rose that is scheduled to air on Sunday’s 60 Minutes.
He accused “the Republican establishment” of “trying to nullify the 2016 election,” and named McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) in particular.
“That’s a brutal fact we have to face,” he said, and claimed “it’s very obvious” that McConnell and Ryan don’t want Trump’s “agenda to be implemented.”
“Right now there’s no accountability,” Bannon said of Republicans whose help Trump needs to implement his agenda. “They’re not going to help you unless they’re put on notice they’re going to be held accountable if they do not support the President of the United States.”
“And so therefore, now that you’re out of the White House, you’re ‘going to war’ with them?” Rose asked.
“Absolutely,” Bannon replied.
The ousted White House strategist did not specify how he planned to do so.
Bannon: Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan want to nullify the 2016 election. He also says McConnell asked Trump to stop saying "drain the swamp" pic.twitter.com/QyRuf6laZ1
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) September 9, 2017
