Will Steve Bannon Be Fired? Former Trump Adviser Says He'll 'Blow' McMaster, Drudge 'the F**k Up' If Adviser Is Ousted

H.R. McMaster, Steve Bannon
White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, right, and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster arrive for a joint news conference between President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on April 12. Carlos Barria/Reuters

Amid increasing talk of Steve Bannon's perilous position within Donald Trump's White House, a former aide to the president has said that should Bannon be ousted, he will blow his perceived enemies, namely H.R. McMaster and Matt Drudge, "the fuck up."

Related: Trump defends McMaster after alt-right attacks from Bannon allies

McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, is at the center of a rift within the administration that could lead to Bannon's removal, according to a report Saturday by Axios. Meanwhile, Drudge, a former friend of Bannon's, has published a series of negative stories about Trump's chief strategist on his conservative news site Drudge Report.

"Matt should go back into his hobble hole in Miami and listen to techno," Sam Nunberg, a longtime Trump aide and an early adviser to his presidential campaign, said in an interview with The Daily Caller published Sunday. "Matt should understand that people like me can blow him the fook up. F-o-o-k, Conor McGregor. Blow him the fook up [sic]." (Irish UFC fighter Conor McGregor pronounces fuck as fook.)

Bannon once worked for Drudge, whose Drudge Report has turned on the former Breitbart editor in recent months. Amid initial rumors about Bannon's position in the White House coming under threat back in April, Drudge Report led with the headline "Bannon Loses Power in White House Shakeup."

Nunberg vowed there would be repercussions for Drudge if his negative news stories continue.

"Matt should understand there will be serious fucking consequences if he continues this jihad against Steve Bannon," Nunberg said. "I was somebody with [Trump] for four and half fucking years who understood and came up with a formula to win…. Matt Drudge is somebody who wants web traffic."

He added, "I'll get conservative radio to talk about how Matt Drudge pushed out Steve Bannon so McMaster can control the White House."

On Sunday, McMaster declined to put to rest the speculation about a rift between the two. Asked on NBC's Meet the Press whether he and Bannon could still work together, he responded, "I get to work together with a broad range of talented people. And it is a privilege every day to enable the national security team."

After he was pressed on the matter, McMaster said, "I am ready to work with anybody who will help advance the president's agenda and advance the security, prosperity, of the American people."

According to Axios, Trump has grown frustrated at Bannon putting self-promotion above advancing the president's agenda, as Trump sees it.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Jason Le Miere is from the British island of Jersey, which has absolutely no relation to the Garden State, other than ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go