WATCH: ‘Bannon Is Real President,’ Joe Scarborough Says

By Daniel J. Solomon June 2, 2017

After Steve Bannon prevailed on President Trump to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, it’s the White House chief strategist who’s now running the show, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said Friday.

“Steve Bannon is president of the United States,” Scarborough said on his “Morning Joe” program. “Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about policy; Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about politics; Donald Trump doesn’t know anything about anything.”

Bannon and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt were said to be the point-men behind pressuring Trump to cancel American participation in the climate deal, signed under former President Obama.

That put Bannon ahead of the moderates within the administration on this score – Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were said to have pushed for remaining within the treaty.

More than ever, Bannon’s place within the administration appears secure – a stark turnaround from a few months ago when there were rumors of his ouster and Trump was publicly distancing himself from the strategist.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

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