One of Donald Trump’s most loyal allies Steve Bannon has shared his utter disbelief that the former president’s “big announcement” turned out to be a series of $99 digital trading cards – and has called for whoever came up with the idea to be fired.
The former White House chief strategist said Thursday: ‘I can’t do this anymore. He’s one of the greatest presidents in history, but I’ve got to tell you: whoever — whatever business partner and whoever on the communications team and whoever at Mar-a-Lago — and I love the people down there — but we’re in war. They should be fired today.
Bannon, who was sentenced in October to four months in prison following his conviction on contempt of Congress charges, reacted to the anticlimactic revelation with exasperation on the Right Side Broadcasting Network.
He admitted he still considers Trump one of America’s greatest presidents, but the digital trading cards were a step too far as he tries to kick-start his 2024 campaign.
Trump has fallen in Republican polls behind Ron DeSantis, faces a slew of legal problems and is still dealing with the fallout from his Mar-a-Lago dinner with Kanye West and Nick Fuentes.
Bannon, who spoke with fellow Trump White House advisers Dr. Sebastian Gorka and Steve Cortes on his show “The War Room,” blamed either business partners or communications staff who Bannon believes pushed these NFTs on Trump.
He commented that “you won’t find three harder cores” than he and his two co-hosts, with Bannon — who continues to support Trump — expressing that the NFTs made him look like he’s not taking the run seriously.
Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is the latest ally of the ex-president to turn on him, after Trump teased a ‘BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ that turned out to be digital trading cards
He said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. He’s one of the greatest presidents in history, but I’ve got to tell you: whoever — whatever business partner and whoever on the communications team and whoever at Mar-a-Lago — and I love the people down there — but we’re in war. They should be fired today.
Above is an image of the new Trump digital trading card
The former chairman of Breitbart News remains out of jail on appeal after he was convicted of defying a congressional subpoena from a House committee on Jan. 6.
Gorka shook his head and agreed with Bannon’s comments.
“Whoever wrote that, that pitch, should be fired,” Gorka said. “And should never be involved with anyone … I don’t want them making the presidential napkins for Mar-a-Lago … anyone who came up with that.”
“If you want to do this kind of thing, ask a peon to do it,” he added. “Get someone recognized in the MAGA world to, you know, put their face to this thing and do it. But the president should not be involved in this.’
Trump left his supporters on the edge of their seats when he announced a “big announcement” just weeks after revealing his choice to run for president again in 2024.
Speculation swirled that it could be the announcement of a rally after a hiatus since the midterms or a move that could nullify the Republican primaries.
Despite the expectation, it turned out to be a series of his own digital trading cards, costing $99 each, that showed him as various dream characters – including Superman and as a cowboy with a hunting rifle.
“They will disappear, I think, very quickly!” Writing on Truth Social, Trump confirmed that he was joining his wife Melania in the NFT game.
“BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!” he said. ‘My Official Donald Trump Digital Trading Card Collection is here! These limited edition cards feature amazing ART of my Life & Career! Collect all your favorite Trump Digital Trading Cards, very much like a baseball card, but hopefully a lot more exciting.’
Two versions of the Trump trading card included the former president in a tuxedo and in military uniform
In a video ad for the cards, Trump began: “Hey everyone, this is Donald Trump — hopefully your favorite president of all time, better than Lincoln, better than Washington, with an important announcement to make. I’m doing my first official Donald J. Trump NFT collection.’
Each card will reportedly enter a raffle where the buyer can win dinner with the former president, a round of golf or a Zoom call with him.
“Buy one and you will join a very exclusive community,” Trump said.
President Biden mocked Trump’s “big announcement” that he was selling e-commerce cards by touting what he saw as the administration’s victories in recent weeks.
“I had some BIG announcements in the last couple of weeks as well…” the President began.
He then ticked off lowering inflation, signing gay marriage into law, bringing home women’s NBA star Britney Griner from Russia, gas prices down from a year ago and “10,000 new high-paying jobs in Arizona.”
Inflation in November was up 7.1 percent from a year ago, a decline for the fifth consecutive month, down from a peak of 9.1 percent in July. As of Thursday, the average price of a gallon of gasoline is $3.19. This time last year, it was $3.31 — though it rose to over $5 a gallon over the summer.
Biden also credited his administration with Taiwanese semiconductor firm TSMC investing $40 billion to build operations in Phoenix.
Trump’s “major announcement” was a collection of digital trading cards
The release comes as recent polls show Republicans are buzzing about the former president after he portrayed himself as a rogue candidate with a series of recent moves — including dining with Kanye West and white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
‘AMERICA NEEDS A SUPERHERO!’ Trump said along with a clip posted to Truth Social on Tuesday. “I’m making a BIG announcement tomorrow. Thank you!’
The clip was a cartoon of himself posing as Superman outside Trump Tower, one of three properties his legal team had executed an executive search of in search of additional government material, as part of a Justice Department investigation into a trove of classified documents unearthed in Mar-a-Lago.
This investigation is one of several challenges Trump faces on the legal front. Despite a stable of lawyers, a federal judge he appointed in Florida this week finally struck down a special master Trump had demanded, after being shot down by an appeals court.
Last month, the 76-year-old former president announced he was running again in 2024, and many had speculated that his “big announcement” may be related to his campaign.
Trump has yet to hold a campaign rally since announcing his run, so the tease raised speculation that he might give an update on his plans to connect with voters as Republicans consider who they want to carry the party banner after the GOP captured the House, but lost a seat in the Senate.
Trump got an early jump on 2024 by announcing a run to try to retake the White House – just days after the November election, when some Republicans accused the former president of supporting candidates like Georgia’s Herschel Walker, who lost.
Now his numbers are starting to slide against DeSantis, the Florida governor.
A new Wall Street Journal survey of likely voters — conducted two years before Election Day 2024 — shows DeSantis in the lead. Among likely primary voters, the poll found 54 percent favored DeSantis, compared to 38 percent who supported Trump.
That lead grows to 30 points among more moderate Republicans, though they tend to be a more marginal force in the primary process.
DeSantis is also viewed more favorably, with 43 percent compared to 36 percent for Trump.
Prominent Republicans flocked to the former president’s third campaign after the party’s lackluster performance in the midterm elections, and even Trump’s staunch allies have refused to endorse him.
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has included attacks on the former president in his last three weekly press conferences. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy weighed in on the issue Wednesday.
“We haven’t talked about it yet,” he said at a press conference, asked if he planned to endorse Trump after Trump endorsed him for speaker.
The former chairman of Breitbart News remains out of jail on appeal after he was convicted of defying a congressional subpoena from the House of Representatives on January 6.
