Jan 4, 2018

Billionaire Mercers distance themselves from Bannon

Steve Bannon. Photo: Andrew Harrer / Getty

Rebekah Mercer, a primary financial supporter of Steve Bannon and Breitbart News, has released a statement saying she and her billionaire father have not spoken to Bannon "in many months" and do not support his "recent actions and statements," after Bannon attacked President Trump and his family in interviews for a forthcoming book, per the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, the Mercers and other Breitbart board members have seriously discussed removing Steve Bannon as chairman of Breitbart due to his feud with Trump, the Wall Street Journal reports and Axios' Jonathan Swan has corroborated.

Why it matters: If the Mercers abandon Bannon he'll be left without the main funders of his political activities, harming his ability to take on the GOP establishment in this year's midterm elections. Mercer said in the statement that her family has "provided no financial support to [Bannon's] political agenda" in recent months.

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