Steve Bannon says Hollywood celebrities are ‘dumb as ticks’

He said he's proud of his supporters for 'voting with their feet'

Steve Bannon speaks after Republican candidate Roy Moore defeated incumbent Luther Strange (REUTERS/Marvin Gentry)

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon does not have a high opinion of celebrities critical of the Trump administration’s priorities.

Mr Bannon, who is known for having been a strong advocate for nationalist policies in the Donald Trump White House, lashed out at Hollywood and the entertainment industry during a recent segment of a daily Breitbart News radio show, saying that entertainers are a vapid bunch ruining their own industry.

“By the way, you gotta understand something,” Mr Bannon said during a response to a caller who asked about the influence of entertainment on broader culture. “These actors and actresses; they’re all dumb as ticks. And, they’re lazy. They’re like pieces of furniture… That’s why movie attendance is down, people are tired of it. It’s why they’re not watching the National Football League, cutting the cord on ESPN. They’ve politicised everything. And you guys are voting with your feet, which I think is fantastic.

It’s certainly no secret that entertainers frequently wade into politics, offering up their opinions on what’s happening in the world: Late Show host Stephen Colbert spends a huge portion of his show ridiculing Mr Trump these days. George Clooney has publicly clashed with the administration, questioning the President’s ability to actually understand working class problems. Kid Rock has hinted that he might run for public office. Mr Trump actually ran for public office.

Mr Bannon has been leading Breitbart News since his abrupt departure from the White House last month, and has vowed to wage war against establishment Republicans in his bid to forward his economic nationalist policies. And, it appears that Mr Bannon may have some power to push those policies and change the face of Republicanism in Washington: Just this week, a candidate he backed in the Alabama primary for Senate won against the candidate Mr Trump backed. He reportedly plans on backing more candidates to take on the Republican establishment in the future.

Mr Bannon, before joining the Trump White House, actually tried to be a part of the Hollywood he is so quick to deride — and reports indicate that he may be trying again. After leaving the White House, Mr Bannon reportedly met with movie companies.

His first attempted foray into Hollywood included a pitch to depict the Los Angeles riots through a rap musical. He also once wrote a script for “an erotic science-fiction retelling” of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus (set in space).