Knowing he would be out, with nothing to lose, Bannon had already started working on his new role during the by now notorious interview with the American Prospect; that was Bannon's way to deliver a strong message to working class Democrats.
"The Democrats," Bannon said in the interview, "the longer they talk about identity politics, I got 'em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats."
So this is the money quote to understand the aftermath of Charlottesville. The Democrats fell on the trap. Hysteria reigns on what is essentially a fight of identity versus class politics. The key variable to watch from now on is how -- and if -- Trump, helped by outsider Bannon, may emerge as the winner, finally empowered to implement economic nationalism.
The Bannon and Mooch show
Is it war? You betcha. And the battle plan has already been sketched.
Bannon will be helped from inside the White House by Stephen Miller -- the man who wrote Trump's dystopic "American carnage" inauguration speech.
Crucially, two days before the end of his White House adventure, Bannon held a meeting for no less than five hours with key Republican billionaire donor Bob Mercer at Mercer's sprawling estate on Long Island.
The full "thermonuclear" political and media strategy ahead is already codified. Also crucially, the day after Mercer had dinner with Trump and a selected group of Republican high-roller donors.
So the narrative that the US deep state -- which now de facto controls the Trump presidency -- banished Bannon forever to the "deplorables" badlands tells only part of the story. The Swamp may decide on policy -- but the Breitbart guerrilla surge will take no prisoners.
That may even yield a Trump favorite -- a new cable show. "Watching the Swamp" -- with Bannon and The Mooch, anyone?
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