BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on White House strategist Steve Bannon (all times local):
10:15 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s chief strategist is contradicting his boss on strategy toward North Korea.
Steve Bannon says there’s no military solution to the threat posed by North Korea and its nuclear ambitions. Just last week, Trump pledged to answer North Korean aggression with “fire and fury.”
Trump is already facing renewed pressure to fire Bannon, and the unusual interview with The American Prospect could complicate matters.
Bannon also told the liberal publication in the interview posted online Wednesday that the U.S. is losing the economic race against China.
The White House and a representative for Bannon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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5:15 a.m.
China has warned “there is no winner in a trade war” after an aide to President Donald Trump advocated a tougher stance toward Beijing in published comments.
A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said Thursday both sides have benefited from trade.
In comments to The American Prospect posted online, Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, said the United States is in an “economic war” with China.
Asked about Bannon’s comments, Hua said at a regular new briefing, “There is no winner in a trade war. We hope the relevant people can refrain from dealing with a problem in the 21st century with a zero-sum mentality from the 19th or the 20th century.”
Hua appealed for dialogue to “preserve the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations.”
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3:26 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon says there’s no military solution to the threat posed by North Korea and its nuclear ambitions, despite the president’s recent pledge to answer further aggression with “fire and fury.”
In an interview with The American Prospect posted online Wednesday, Bannon tells the liberal publication that the U.S. is losing the economic race against China. He also talks about purging his rivals from the Defense and State departments.
Bannon is also asked about the white supremacist movement, whose march on Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend led to deadly violence. He dismisses them as “losers,” ”a fringe element” and “a collection of clowns.”
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
