Steve Bannon, former Trump campaign manager and White House strategist, is leaving Breitbart.com, the conservative news site he helped turn into a news powerhouse. Bannon had taken over as executive chairman of Breitbart News after the founder Andrew Breitbart’s death in 2012.
“I’m proud of what the Breitbart team has accomplished in so short a period of time in building out a world-class news platform,” he said in a statement. Breitbart CEO Larry Solov honored Bannon’s role in establishing the site. “Steve is a valued part of our legacy, and we will always be grateful for his contributions, and what he has helped us to accomplish,” he said.
Bannon’s departure had been speculated on since last week, when he got into a very public row with President Trump over the role his son and son-in-law played in meetings with Russian individuals during the 2016 campaign.
The White House had also weighed in on Bannon’s future. Asked whether Breitbart should consider firing Bannon, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “I certainly think that it’s something they should look at and consider.”