Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus speak at CPAC - live updates
Top White House strategist Steve Bannon had more to say about the press, which he’s nicknamed “the opposition party.”
“It’s not going to get better -- it’s going to get worse every day,” Bannon predicted in a joint CPAC interview with White House Chief of Staff Reince Preibus. He went on to say of the “corporatist, globalist media” that it’s “adamantly opposed to a economic nationalist agenda like Donald Trump has.”
At the annual conference, Priebus attempted to dispel any notion that there is any rivalry between him and Bannon. He said he and Bannon get along and work closely together -- “we share an office suite together, we’re basically together form 6:30 in the morning until 11 o’clock at night,” he said -- and that the 2016 election showed the Republican Party and the conservative movement can be united.
“It was Donald Trump that was able to bring this party and this movement together,” he said. “And Steve and I know that, and we live it every day, our job is to get the agenda of President Trump through the door and on pen and paper.”
Here’s the live blog of the event:
2:16 p.m. ET With that, the event concluded.
2:14 p.m. ET What does Priebus like best about Bannon? And what does Bannon like best about Priebus?
“I love how many collars he wears, interesting look,” Priebus joked.
He named three things he admires about Bannon: that he’s “very dogged” in making sure Mr. Trump fulfils his promises, he’s “incredibly loyal,” and he’s “extremely consistent.”
Bannon described Priebus as “indefatigable,” noting that “his job is by far one of the toughest jobs I’ve ever seen in my life.”
2:08 p.m. ET The pair of White House aides got a question about the media’s bias against Mr. Trump, asking whether they believe things will improve between Mr. Trump and the media.
“I think there’s hope that it’s going to change,” Priebus said, noting that he himself didn’t realize the extent of the Trump phenomenon until he went home to Wisconsin and started talking to people outside of D.C.
Bannon, however, disagreed, saying “every day” will be “a fight” with the media.
“It’s not only not going to get better, it gets worse every day,” he said. “They’re corporatist, globalist media that are adamantly opposed to an economic nationalist agenda like Donald Trump has.”
2:03 p.m. ET What are the most consequential actions Mr. Trump has made in his first month in office?
Priebus named the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, his executive order on deregulation and his actions on immigration.
Bannon, responding to the same question, said the three big-picture areas where Mr. Trump has been acting are “national security and sovereignty,” “economic nationalism,” and “deconstruction of the administrative state.”
2:00 p.m. ET Bannon continued his criticism of the media, saying they don’t understand what’s going on in the administration and that Mr. Trump plans to keep all of his campaign promises.
“Just like they were dead wrong on the chaos of the campaign and just like they were dead wrong on the chaos of the transition they are absolutely dead wrong on what’s going on today,” he said. “The mainstream media better understand something: all of those promises are going to be implemented.”
1:56 p.m. ET The first question to Bannon and Priebus was about the biggest “misconceptions” people have about the White House.
Priebus replied: “The biggest misconception is everything that youre reading.”
He said he and Bannon get along and work closely together -- “we share an office suite together, we’re basically together form 6:30 in the morning until 11 o’clock at night,” he said -- and that the 2016 election showed the Republican Party and the conservative movement can be united.
“It was Donald Trump that was able to bring this party and this movement together,” he said. “And Steve and I know that, and we live it every day, our job is to get the agenda of President Trump through the door and on pen and paper.”
Bannon repeatedly referred to the media as “the opposition party,” saying everything the media reports is “always wrong.” He acknowledged that different people in the Trump coalition have different priorities but that they were able to “come together and win.”
“Look, we’re a coalition, a lot of people have strong beliefs about different things,” he said. “But we understand that you can come together and win.”
1:50 p.m. ET After program delays, Bannon and Priebus have just taken the stage.
1 p.m. ET With the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference getting underway in National Harbor, Md., several top members of the Trump administration are slated to speak.
Next up, shortly after 1 p.m., are President Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.
The two men will participate in a “conversation” event with Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which puts on the CPAC conference.
Earlier Thursday, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway spoke; tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, Vice President Pence is expected to deliver an address.
Follow here for live updates.
