Breitbart … Rose with Trump and Claims to ‘Protect’ him

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting. (AP)
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting. (AP)
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Breitbart … Rose with Trump and Claims to ‘Protect’ him

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting. (AP)
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting. (AP)

It is usually the custom of businessmen and groups to pressure newspapers and website to portray them in a positive light, whether politically or commercially. It is rare however for a media outlet to succeed in infiltrating the political realm, the most powerful administration on the planet no less. This is exactly what the Breitbart media network did in a relatively short time after it was initially shunned by the majority of the political elite in Washington due to its views that leaned towards violence and discrimination.

Its executive chairman Steve Bannon had even served as director of Donald Trump’s electoral campaign before he was later appointed White House chief strategist for a period that did not exceed eight months. Bannon was behind many of Trump’s electoral slogans and he helped in devising his presidential priorities. These are the same priorities that were adopted by Breitbart.

While this right-wing news site does not enjoy the popularity and credibility of other media, such as the New York Times, Washington Post and even Buzzfeed, it has become the most popular conservative site after Trump’s election as president.

But what is Breitbart and has it really become an indication of the US administration’s policies? Is it really the White House’s unofficial spokesman?

Israeli idea and American birth

Conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart chose in 2007 to establish his own news website. He had previously worked with famous media pioneers, such as Ariana Huffington and Matt Drudge.

Co-founder of Brietbart, Larry Solov revealed in a 2015 article that Andrew Breitbart had the idea to establish his website while they were on a media trip to Israel in 2007. He said that Breitbart got the idea to set up a media network that “backs freedom and Israel.”

Solov said: “Andrew turned to me and asked if I would de-partner from the 800-person law firm where I was practicing and become business partners with him.”

“Maybe it was the impact of the historical place that we were in, but I agreed,” he said.

“I remember that we discussed that night our desire to set up a site that supports freedom and supports Israel,” recalled Solov.

Andrew Breitbart, who realized the importance of digital media, first set up a website that offers news from various agencies, such as Fox News. He republished them on his website before establishing in 2008, 2009 and 2010 three related news websites that reflect his editorial policy. A number of journalists who shared an opposition to the left, moderate right and traditional media soon joined these outlets.

Breitbart gained notoriety in 2010 and 2011 for publishing a series of false stories that relied, on several occasions, on manipulating videos. One such incident involved USDA official Shirley Sherrod. The site aired a video of her that showed her making racist comments. This led to her sacking from the USDA, but the video was later revealed to have been tampered with.

In 2011, Breitbart restored some of its credibility when it reported New York Representative Anthony Weiner’s scandal involving sexually explicit photographs. The scandal eventually led to his resignation.

The right’s Huffington Post

Breitbart gained further notoriety by publishing a series of scandals involving liberal and bureaucratic politicians and organizations. It became shunned by the Democrats and centrists, and even some Republicans, who said that the website sought to create political sedition and hate to promote its misleading stories.

After joining Breitbart, Bannon declared that he wanted the outlet to become the right’s Huffington Post. Bannon did not rise to prominence until after Andrew Breitbart died of a heart attack in 2012. He continued in his predecessor’s footsteps and worked on expanding and updating the website. It now has offices in Texas, Florida, California, London, Jerusalem and Cairo.

Bannon, Breitbart’s godfather

Bannon served four years in the navy in the 1980s as he pursued his studies in national security from Georgetown University. Given his admiration of then US President Ronald Reagan, he pursued business management at Harvard University. He worked at Goldman Sacks before leaving it to establish a small investment bank, Bannon & Co., which was later purchased by Societe General in 1998.

Bannon then shifted careers and turned his eyes on the media and Hollywood. He soon produced a documentary that highlighted the political development during the Reagan years. He followed that with more movies that reflected his right-wing interests.

He met Andrew Breitbart in 2004 and they discussed forming a news website. After Andrew’ death, Bannon took over the site, which many said became a mouthpiece of the Tea Party, especially in wake of Barack Obama’s election as president.

Even though Bannon managed to develop the website, many among Andrew’s team criticized him because he had steered away from the “founder’s legacy.” Ben Shapiro, a major editor and one of Andrew’s friends, said that the founder sought to confront the bullies in politics and he used Breitbart to do so. He eventually resigned from the site in objection to Bannon’s leadership and direction he was taking.

Protecting the president from his enemies

Bannon’s return to the media after his brief stint in Washington sparked controversy in the media and political fields because he was privy to top secret meetings at the White House. His return was also seen as an opportunity to detect Trump’s interests and leanings.

Shortly after his departure from his White House post, Bannon held an editorial meeting at Breitbart after which he held a rare press conference during which he declared that he will “fight his enemies alongside President Trump.” He made his statement in reference to the so-called “fake” media, as labeled by the US president.

Many believe that Breitbart is leading media wars that the president cannot take on himself. It has even gone after some of Trump’s closest aides due to their “vague” positions. Breitbart attacked Trump’s daughter Ivanka and later her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom it described as the “Democrats” at the White House. The website also attacked Trump’s strategy in Afghanistan, but it soon came back to support him when it came to his goal to build a border wall with Mexico and end the Obamacre health program.

Bannon asserted once again that he will continue to protect the American president from his “enemies”. He focused on immigration and defended Trump’s views, accusing the Catholic church of backing immigration for economic purposes.

Conditional White House ally

The number of readers of Breitbart rose from 2.9 million in 2012 to 17 million in 2016, revealed data published by the Washington Post, making it the most popular conservative American news site. The massive jump in readership can be attributed to exclusive interviews it made with Trump during his electoral campaign.

This has not gone without criticism, as Shapiro explained that he decided to resign from Breitbart after it became clear that the website had become more loyal to Trump than its own employees.

Bannon responded to the claims, saying that “our loyalty is not to Trump, but our readers and values.”



To Get Their Own Cash, People in Gaza Must Pay Middlemen a 40% Cut

A destroyed branch of the Bank of Palestine in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
A destroyed branch of the Bank of Palestine in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
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To Get Their Own Cash, People in Gaza Must Pay Middlemen a 40% Cut

A destroyed branch of the Bank of Palestine in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)
A destroyed branch of the Bank of Palestine in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City is seen Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP)

Cash is the lifeblood of the Gaza Strip’s shattered economy, and like all other necessities in this war-torn territory — food, fuel, medicine — it is in extremely short supply.

With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people have become reliant on an unrestrained network of powerful cash brokers to get money for daily expenses and commissions on those transactions have soared to about 40%.

"The people are crying blood because of this," said Ayman al-Dahdouh, a school director living in Gaza City. "It’s suffocating us, starving us."

At a time of surging inflation, high unemployment and dwindling savings, the scarcity of cash has magnified the financial squeeze on families — some of whom have begun to sell their possessions to buy essential goods.

The cash that is available has even lost some of its luster. Palestinians use the Israeli currency, the shekel, for most transactions. Yet with Israel no longer resupplying the territory with newly printed bank notes, merchants are increasingly reluctant to accept frayed bills.

Gaza’s punishing cash crunch has several root causes, experts say.

To curtail Hamas’ ability to purchase weapons and pay its fighters, Israel stopped allowing cash to enter Gaza at the start of the war. Around the same time, many wealthy families in Gaza withdrew their money from banks and then fled the territory. And rising fears about Gaza’s financial system prompted foreign businesses selling goods into the territory to demand cash payments.

As Gaza’s money supply dwindled and civilians’ desperation mounted, cash brokers' commissions — around 5% at the start of the war — skyrocketed.

Someone needing cash transfers money electronically to a broker and moments later is handed a fraction of that amount in bills. Many brokers openly advertise their services, while others are more secretive. Some grocers and retailers have also begun exchanging cash for their customers.

"If I need $60, I need to transfer $100," said Mohammed Basheer al-Farra, who lives in southern Gaza after being displaced from Khan Younis. "This is the only way we can buy essentials, like flour and sugar. We lose nearly half of our money just to be able to spend it."

In 2024, inflation in Gaza surged by 230%, according to the World Bank. It dropped slightly during the ceasefire that began in January, only to shoot up again after Israel backed out of the truce in March.

Cash touches every aspect of life in Gaza

About 80% of people in Gaza were unemployed at the end of 2024, according to the World Bank, and the figure is likely higher now. Those with jobs are mostly paid by direct deposits into their bank accounts.

But "when you want to buy vegetables, food, water, medication -- if you want to take transportation, or you need a blanket, or anything — you must use cash," al-Dahdouh said.

Shahid Ajjour’s family has been living off of savings for two years after the pharmacy and another business they owned were ruined by the war.

"We had to sell everything just to get cash," said Ajjour, who sold her gold to buy flour and canned beans. The family of eight spends the equivalent of $12 every two days on flour; before the war, that cost less than $4.

Sugar is very expensive, costing the equivalent of $80-$100 per kilogram (2.2 pounds), multiple people said; before the war, that cost less than $2.

Gasoline is about $25 a liter, or roughly $95 a gallon, when paying the lower, cash price.

Bills are worn and unusable

The bills in Gaza are tattered after 21 months of war.

Money is so fragile, it feels as if it is going to melt in your hands, said Mohammed al-Awini, who lives in a tent camp in southern Gaza.

Small business owners said they were under pressure to ask customers for undamaged cash because their suppliers demand pristine bills from them.

Thaeir Suhwayl, a flour merchant in Deir al-Balah, said his suppliers recently demanded he pay them only with brand new 200-shekel ($60) bank notes, which he said are rare. Most civilians pay him with 20-shekel ($6) notes that are often in poor condition.

On a recent visit to the market, Ajjour transferred the shekel equivalent of around $100 to a cash broker and received around $50 in return. But when she tried to buy some household supplies from a merchant, she was turned away because the bills weren’t in good condition.

"So the worth of your $50 is zero in the end," she said.

This problem has given rise to a new business in Gaza: money repair. It costs between 3 and 10 shekels ($1-$3) to mend old bank notes. But even cash repaired with tape or other means is sometimes rejected.

People are at the mercy of cash brokers

After most of the banks closed in the early days of the war, those with large reserves of cash suddenly had immense power.

"People are at their mercy," said Mahmoud Aqel, who has been displaced from his home in southern Gaza. "No one can stop them."

The war makes it impossible to regulate market prices and exchange rates, said Dalia Alazzeh, an expert in finance and accounting at the University of the West of Scotland. "Nobody can physically monitor what’s happening," Alazzeh said.

A year ago, the Palestine Monetary Authority, the equivalent of a central bank for Gaza and the West Bank, sought to ease the crisis by introducing a digital payment system known as Iburaq. It attracted half a million users, or a quarter of the population, according to the World Bank, but was ultimately undermined by merchants insisting on cash.

Israel sought to ramp up financial pressure on Hamas earlier this year by tightening the distribution of humanitarian aid, which it said was routinely siphoned off by militants and then resold.

Experts said it is unclear if the cash brokers’ activities benefit Hamas, as some Israeli analysts claim.

The war has made it more difficult to determine who is behind all sorts of economic activity in the territory, said Omar Shabaan, director of Palthink for Strategic Studies, a Gaza-based think tank.

"It's a dark place now. You don't know who is bringing cigarettes into Gaza," he said, giving just one example. "It's like a mafia."

These same deep-pocketed traders are likely the ones running cash brokerages, and selling basic foodstuffs, he said. "They benefit by imposing these commissions," he said.

Once families run out of cash, they are forced to turn to humanitarian aid.

Al-Farra said that is what prompted him to begin seeking food at an aid distribution center, where it is common for Palestinians to jostle over one other for sacks of flour and boxes of pasta.

"This is the only way I can feed my family," he said.