Former Trump chief strategist and conspiracy podcaster Steve Bannon has dug himself a ditch on Twitter. Mind you, this is happening after Bannon got arrested on a boat by U.S. Postal Service Police in August (and posted bail) for mail fraud tied to a We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign (which Bannon allegedly used for personal expenses). So, Bannon is out on bail, which presents its own issues, including the possibility that he violated bail conditions by calling for the beheading of Dr. Anthony Fauci (who has been the target of repeated recent attacks by President Trump) and FBI Director Chris Wray.
Not a wise thing to do. Bannon made these comments on his podcast-y online program, War Room: Pandemic, which is as much of a far-right-wing affair as one might expect. Prior to the comments that got him banned, Bannon echoed President Trump’s claims that he’d won reelection. Then he made the beheading remarks and posted the video clip to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Here’s what CNN reports on the situation:
CNN relays that Bannon earned the ban by spouting the following violence-inciting rhetoric in the posted clip: “I’d put the heads on pikes. Right. I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats. You either get with the program or you are gone.”
Fauci has previously discussed death threats upon himself and family members. Bannon’s further encouragement of violence, particularly as the presidential election is about to be called (with many MAGAs), certainly deserves a ban and more. Really… is this a bail violation?
Is it a bail violation for Steve Bannon to call for beheadings on social media?
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) November 6, 2020
I’m not a lawyer, but I suspect calling for beheadings on social media might be a violation of Steve Bannon’s bail conditions.
— Hamish Mitchell (@H_MitchellPhoto) November 6, 2020
Isn’t calling for the murder of federal officials and urging civil war a violation of his bail? https://t.co/5qEr7k57v7
— Borzou Daragahi 🖊🗒 (@borzou) November 5, 2020
(Via CNN)