But the pure nature of Bannon’s opportunism was also an important window, one that Trump insiders stood at, aghast. Bannon’s self-interest had been an overriding theme since his first involvement with Trump. Trump, as an outlier largely without any insider support, was a vehicle for other outliers. Bannon, hungry and ambitious, had largely failed to go beyond the periphery of any of the worlds he had tried to enter (finance, entertainment, media, and politics). Trump, no matter his flaws—and Bannon was among the most clear-eyed, and certainly the most vocal about them—was, and Bannon repeated this as his constant rationalization, a “vehicle.” He was a television star who was himself so opportunistic that he was willing to do anything to be an even bigger star. The difficulty here was that Trump was … Trump. And the degree to which you tried to use him, for good or bad purposes or for anything other than Trump’s own purposes, was the degree to which he resented you.

But the election challenge was a clean slate. All the outsiders who now joined up immediately became the new Trump insiders.

Giuliani, ever blocked by the insiders, had a route back; Ellis, never taken seriously by the insiders, had her sudden chance to be on television all the time. And Bannon, most naked in his desires, needed a pardon. All that was required was that you indulged Trump in his fantasy. Bannon could certainly rationalize that there was a limited downside: the effort would come to a natural end; democracy would not collapse; Trump would not get a second term; and yet all the game players would be left with some elevated standing in right-wing media circles. And, in addition, Bannon might well receive a pardon.

Opportunistic enablers aren’t of course new in politics. But the ease with which the most desperate and shameless could come over the Trump walls was notable.

And the other fact, which Bannon perhaps more clearly appreciated than anyone else, was that for all this, no matter how loopy and farfetched and disturbed, there was a large and reliable audience. This was show business or politics, or the two now indistinguishably joined.

6

WHERE NOW?

Who was doing what? Who was speaking to whom? What was the primary area of focus? Who was prioritizing the areas of focus? What were the next steps in terms of each initiative? And who was responsible for coordinating the follow-up? What was the precise threshold of what needed to be accomplished, and what were the reasonable measures of success? What’s our endgame? And where do we get a win?