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Republican lawmaker: GOP must ‘dump’ Bannon

by Rebecca Savransky - 12/13/17 8:35 AM ET

Rep. Peter King: Steve Bannon “does not belong on the national stage. He looks like some disheveled drunk that wondered onto the political stage.” https://t.co/9YYV7w0a7N pic.twitter.com/heItrwGhOb

— Joshua Chavers (@JoshuaChavers) December 13, 2017

Republican Rep. Pete King (N.Y.) is calling for the GOP to “dump” former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, saying the Breitbart News chief looks like a “disheveled drunk.”

“This guy does not belong on the national stage. He looks like some disheveled drunk that wandered onto the political stage,” King said during an interview on CNN the day after Roy Moore, whom Bannon had strongly supported, lost the special election for an Alabama Senate seat to Democrat Doug Jones.

“He sort of parades himself out there with his weird alt-right views that he has, and, to me, it’s demeaning the whole governmental and political process,” he added in an interview given after King attacked Bannon on Twitter.

After Alabama disaster GOP must do right thing and DUMP Steve Bannon. His act is tired, inane and morally vacuous. If we are to Make America Great Again for all Americans, Bannon must go! And go NOW!!

— Rep. Pete King (@RepPeteKing) December 13, 2017

{mosads}

Jones is the first member of his party elected to the Senate in the state since 1992.

The special election result is a significant lost for Bannon, Breitbart’s executive chairman, who campaigned for Moore even after allegations that Moore pursued relationships and sexual contact with teenagers several decades ago.

Bannon stumped for Moore during a rally earlier this week, in which he called out GOP leaders who have failed to support Moore and told the crowd there is a “special place in hell for Republicans who should know better.”

“This is not the type of person we need in politics,” King said.

Top allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) see the results of the Alabama election as a deep wound for Bannon.

“Before we get the results, I’d just like to thank Steve Bannon for showing us how to lose the reddest state in the union and Governor [Kay] Ivey for the opportunity to make this national embarrassment a reality,” Josh Holmes, a former McConnell chief of staff, said in a tweet.

Bannon, who considers himself an enemy of the establishment, has frequently clashed with McConnell, who says Bannon and his allies are “specialists at nominating people who lose.”

In October, Bannon declared a “season of war” against Republican lawmakers and promised to help elect replacements for any Senate Republican who opposes Trump.

Tags Alabama Senate special election Mitch McConnell Pete King Pete King Steve Bannon