Bannon still on for one festival, out of another
NEW YORK — Steve Bannon’s invitation to speak at a festival hosted by The Economist is still on.
The magazine announced Tuesday that Bannon would be speaking, as scheduled, during The Economist’s “Open Future” gathering this month. The former Trump strategist and Breitbart executive will be interviewed Sept. 15 in New York by Editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes.
On Monday, New Yorker Editor David Remnick withdrew an invitation for Bannon to speak at the magazine’s festival next month after facing widespread criticism and threats by Jim Carrey, Judd Apatow and other guests to drop out. Beddoes said in a statement that she was deeply troubled by Bannon’s far right stances, but believed open debate was more important.
“Mr. Bannon stands for a world view that is antithetical to the liberal values The Economist has always espoused. We asked him to take part because his populist nationalism is of grave consequence in today’s politics. He helped propel Donald Trump to the White House and he is advising the populist far right in several European countries where they are close to power or in government. Worryingly large numbers of people are drawn to nativist nationalism. And Mr. Bannon is one of its chief proponents,” she wrote.
“The future of open societies will not be secured by like-minded people speaking to each other in an echo chamber, but by subjecting ideas and individuals from all sides to rigorous questioning and debate.”
Bannon, meanwhile, issued a statement late Monday saying that he had welcomed the chance to spar with Remnick, a prominent Trump opponent. “The reason for my acceptance was simple: I would be facing one of the most fearless journalists of his generation,” Bannon said.