These Guys Have Some ‘Splainin’ To Do About Their Ties To Breitbart, Bannon, And Milo (TWEET)



In a sane world, a lot of careers should have ended when Buzzfeed revealed the strongest evidence to date that Breitbart doesn’t merely give succor to racists, Nazis, and white supremacists. It is actively involved in a campaign to normalize and mainstream hate and bigotry. Notably, Breitbart’s once–and presumably future–star, Milo Yiannopoulos, actively collaborated with prominent white nationalists.

As of this weekend, only one head has rolled for crawling into bed with Breitbart. On Friday, Mitchell Sunderland, a senior editor at Vice’s feminism vertical, Broadly, was fired after Buzzfeed named him as one of at least three journalists at more mainstream outlets who fed ideas to Milo–thus making them, at the very least, accessories to Milo’s trolling campaigns. In one stomach-churning exchange, Sunderland sent a link to an article by New York Times columnist Lindy West, who works to combat anti-fat bias in the media. Apparently that article didn’t sit well with Sunderland, who urged Milo, “Please mock this fat feminist.”

But there are a number of far bigger names who owe the American people an explanation for why they associate with an outlet that has no qualms about crawling into bed with some of the worst people in the world.

Kris Kobach

Kris Kobach signing an autograph for a fan in 2014 (image courtesy Democracy International, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA license)
Kris Kobach signing an autograph for a fan in 2014 (image courtesy Democracy International, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA license)

When he isn’t working at his day jobs as Kansas secretary of state and operating head of Trump’s effort to troll for voter fraud, Kobach writes a regular column for Breitbart. When confronted with concerns about his association with Breitbart in August, Kobach maintained that he would never associate with a site that embraces white nationalism. He delivered his real answer in September, with another Breitbart column–this one attacking NFL players who take a knee.

Well, Kris, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. After all, we now know that Milo’s tome about the alt-right was essentially co-authored by three of some of the most notorious leaders of the white nationalist movement–Daily Stormer sysop Andrew “Weev” Aurenhemer, neo-feudalist Curtis Yarvin, and Devin Saucier of American Renaissance, a white nationalist journal that suggests IQ is tied to race. Is that enough evidence for you?


Kobach is running for governor of Kansas next year. There was already enough of a stench surrounding Breitbart that if the Democrats hadn’t tied Bannon around Kobach like an anchor, it would have been malpractice at best. Now? Unless Kobach is willing to tell the people of Kansas, and the nation at large, why he lends his name to such a noxious “news” site, he should do us all a favor and get out of here.

Lance Wallnau

Lance Wallnau relaxing in his chair (image from Wallnau's Facebook)
Lance Wallnau relaxing in his chair (image from Wallnau’s Facebook)

Wallnau, one of the most loathsome characters on the religious right, has been one of Milo’s staunchest defenders since Milo was pushed out of Breitbart for appearing to defend pedophilia. He went as far to say that the whole thing was a liberal hit job, much like the “Access Hollywood” tapes were supposedly a last-ditch attempt by liberals to smear Trump. He believes that the Conservative Political Action Conference should have given this “beaten-up young man” support and encouragement rather than run him out on a rail.

Since then, Wallnau has seen fit to give Milo Facebook traffic by sharing his posts on his own wall. For instance, when he railed that the protests in Charlottesville were an example of “left on left violence,” he did so while sharing a Facebook video from Milo.

This came even after it was amply established that Milo was a noxious troll who believes some people ought to be harassed, was permanently banned from Twitter for leading the harassment of Leslie Jones, and believes male soccer players who share “scouting reports” about their female counterparts are merely engaging in “locker room talk.” In other words–it was amply established that Milo was not someone who should be defended.

And now we know that Milo was actively collaborating with Nazis and racists. If Wallnau is still willing to stand by him now, then there will be no doubt that his moral code is no different from that of another Lance–namely, Lance Armstrong.

Roy Moore

Roy Moore on the campaign trail for Senate (image courtesy Moore's Facebook)
Roy Moore on the campaign trail for Senate (image courtesy Moore’s Facebook)

The former Alabama chief justice and hardcore theocrat rode Bannon’s support to a resounding victory in the Republican primary for Jeff Sessions’ former Senate seat. Recent polling in a general election matchup with Democrat Doug Jones is all over the map, showing anything from a Moore romp to a very close race.

There’s no denying that Alabama has turned an unrecognizable shade of red. But Jones would do well to ask why Moore is so cozy with a man who is so willing to work with racists and white nationalists–especially given Alabama’s fraught racial history.

Michael Grimm

Michael Grimm with Steve Bannon (image courtesy Grimm's Facebook)
Michael Grimm with Steve Bannon (image courtesy Grimm’s Facebook)

The former congressman from Staten Island and south Brooklyn wants his old seat back–and Bannon has thrown his full weight behind that push. At first glance, it was merely a case of one corrupt bully propping up another. Grimm, you may recall, was forced out of Congress in 2014 after pleading guilty to filing false tax returns for his restaurant. Before then, he gained infamy for threatening to hurl a reporter over the Capitol balcony.

But now it turns out that Bannon is far more than a bully–he’s actively helping mainstream racism. While this may be the most conservative district in New York City, you would think the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn have some standards.


There are certainly more where this list came from. But these are some of the highest-profile people to date who should have to answer–and promptly–for crawling into bed with one of the most noxious outfits ever to crop up on the Internet.

(featured image: photo art courtesy Emil Lendof, The Daily Beast)

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.