Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon ignited a feud with Donald Trump after calling Ivanka Trump “dumb as a brick” in journalist Michael Wolff’s 2018 book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. The book, which revealed insider details about the Trump administration, also alleged that Bannon referred to Ivanka as the “queen of leaks.” Ivanka reportedly responded to these claims by calling Bannon a “f***ing liar” and unfollowing him on social media.
In addition to criticizing Ivanka, Bannon made damning remarks about Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign, calling it “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.” He also suggested that Trump himself may have been present, further straining relations with the former president.
The book additionally claimed that Ivanka had ambitions to run for president, reportedly making a deal with her husband Jared Kushner that she would seek the presidency if the opportunity arose. Bannon dismissed these claims with disbelief, stating, “Please don’t tell me that. Oh my God.”
In response to the controversy, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders labeled Bannon’s comments as “outrageous” and “false,” calling the book “trashy tabloid fiction.” Donald Trump issued a lengthy statement distancing himself from Bannon, accusing him of leaking false information and declaring, “Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.”
The fallout from these comments severely damaged Bannon’s reputation within Trump’s inner circle, with suggestions that his tenure at Breitbart News should be reconsidered.
