Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon is going after other members of the president-elect’s orbit as Trump returns to Washington to take his second oath of office.
The world’s three richest men, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, are planning to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Bannon, in an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday morning, called the billionaires and one-time Trump foes “supplicants” and their attendance “an official surrender.”
Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta, has previously come under fire from Trump and some of his top aides. Meta suspended Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, donated nearly $420 million to nonprofits to help local and state officials with administering the 2020 election.
Trump and some Republican allies pushed false claims that the funds boosted Democrats.
But since Trump’s win in November, Zuckerberg has publicly signaled his willingness to work with the incoming administration – and Meta donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
Why Meta went MAGA:Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s reset with Donald Trump
Bannon said Sunday he was unimpressed.
“Zuckerberg’s road to Damascus came a little late. It was after the 5th of November,” Bannon told ABC. “Now he wants to be a bro … That doesn’t hack it with me. That guy will flip on President Trump, and he’ll flip on us in a second when it’s convenient for him.”
Zuckerberg is not the only billionaire at Trump’s side and the receiving end of Bannon’s ire.
Earlier this month, Bannon called Musk “truly evil,” after the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder had adamantly backed H-1B visas. Bannon and other conservatives have opposed the visas and argued that skilled-worker program takes jobs away from American citizens.
“I will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day,” Bannon said in an interview at the time.
Musk has had the ear of the president-elect since before Election Day, appearing at the Republican candidate’s rallies and donating millions toward Trump’s campaign. Musk is also set to lead the newly founded Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at slashing government spending, during Trump’s second term.
‘President-elect Musk’:Elon’s influence on display in government spending fight
Bannon defended his statements against Musk over the weekend, though he declined to say if he would back off at Trump’s behest.
“If Trump told you directly, ‘Knock it off, Bannon. This is my guy.’ Would you knock it off?” ABC’s Jonathan Karl asked.
“If President Trump has a conversation with me,” Bannon replied, “I’ll keep that conversation between President Trump and myself.”
