Trump thanks Bannon though he said his ‘presidency is over’

US President Donald Trump thanks Steve Bannon, who was recently sacked as the White House chief strategist although he declared that his “presidency is over.”

“I want to thank Steve Bannon for his service. He came to the campaign during my run against Crooked Hillary Clinton - it was great! Thanks S[sic],” said the president in a tweet on Saturday.

Bannon’s dismissal would take him back to the notorious Breitbart News, known for its support for the far-right and white supremacy, and that in the wake of a terrorist attack during a rally by so-called white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Read More: 

• Trump sparks another firestorm on Charlottesville

His dismissal came after former White House Communications Chief Anthony Scaramucci (pictured above) said on Sunday that Bannon and Breitbart News were “undermining” the administration by serving as the main source leaking to the press.

“You also got this sort of Bannon-bart influence in there, which I think is a snag on the president,” Scaramucci, who was himself fired by Trump, said during an interview with ABC. “If the president really wants to execute that legislative agenda that I think is so promising for the American people . . . then he has to move away from that sort of Bannon-bart nonsense.”

Bannon back at his 'machine'

In an interview with the Weekly Standard on Friday, Bannon asserted that “the Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over.”

He further claimed that his dismissal means the Trump administration would "be much more conventional."

“Now, it’s going to be Trump… I just think his ability to get anything done – particularly the bigger things, like the wall, the bigger, broader things that we fought for, it’s just going to be that much harder.” he told the conservative outlet. "Now I’m free. I’ve got my hands back on my weapons… Someone said, ‘it’s Bannon the Barbarian.’ I am definitely going to crush the opposition. There’s no doubt. I built a f***ing machine at Breitbart. And now I’m about to go back, knowing what I know, and we’re about to rev that machine up. And rev it up we will do.”

In another tweet on Saturday, Trump praised Bannon, linking his dismissal to what he calls “fake news.”

“Steve Bannon will be a tough and smart new voice at @BreitbartNews...maybe even better than ever before. Fake News needs the competition!”

Since the 2016 campaign, Trump has repeatedly used the term "fake news" largely for any coverage criticizing him or his allies.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk