2017/03/06/Steve Bannon in 2013: Joseph McCarthy was right in crusade against Communist infiltration
- when: 2017/03/06 (2017/03/06)
- author: Chris Massie and Andrew Kaczynski
- source: CNN
- topics: Steve Bannon McCarthyism war on communism
- link: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/kfile-bannon-mccarthy/index.html
- title: Steve Bannon in 2013: Joseph McCarthy was right in crusade against Communist infiltration
- summary: Donald Trump's chief White House strategist Steve Bannon said in 2013 that Sen. Joseph McCarthy was right in his 1950s campaign claiming widespread Communist infiltration into the United States government.
Excerpt
"Today in modern pop culture, you know they call Ted Cruz the Joe McCarthy -- if you want to think of who devils are it's Ronald Reagan and those who name-names at the House Un-American Activities, the Hollywood Ten are heroes right?" Bannon said. "Alger Hiss is a hero, right? Richard Nixon's a villain? Joe McCarthy is a villain. Your book makes very plain that these guys were right. The place was infested with either traitors that were on the direct payroll of Soviet military intelligence or fellow-travelers who were kind of compliant in helping these guys get along. I mean, there's absolutely no question of it. How has pop culture so changed it that white is black and black is white?"
h/t: Dawn Shepard (profile)
Commentary
The only remaining question, in 2026, is whether Bannon is honestly confused on this point or understands very well the reality inversion he is promoting.