Trump Thanks Bannon for His ‘Service’

President Trump broke his silence on Steve Bannon’s ouster on Saturday, thanking the former White House chief strategist for his “service” to the administration. “I want to thank Steve Bannon for his service. He came to the campaign during my run against Crooked Hillary Clinton—it was great! Thanks S,” Trump wrote on Twitter. The tweet was Trump’s first public comment on Bannon’s departure since the news was announced Friday amid increasing pressure to cut ties with the ring-wing firebrand. Although Bannon said his departure was voluntary, multiple reports claimed he was pushed out, and Trump fueled speculation about Bannon’s fate after saying earlier in the week, “We’ll see what happens with Mr. Bannon.” Bannon immediately returned to his position as executive chariman of right-wing news website Breitbart News on Friday, where he told The Weekly Standard he would “crush the opposition.”