RUSH: Audio sound bite number 1. This was Fox & Friends this morning. Pete Hegseth filling in spoke with trial attorney and Trump supporter Robert Barnes about the chief strategist Steve Bannon and his allegedly diminished position in the White House. Question: “You’ve seen these news reports of Steve Bannon’s on his way out. What do you make of those reports?”

BARNES: The media has been waging a five-month war against Steve Bannon because, as Rush Limbaugh said last week, they know how valuable Trump has been able to tap Steve Bannon’s unique set of skills. They know that Bannon helps Trump and that Trump has masterfully utilized Bannon’s unique set of skills. He’s sort of Trump’s personal MOAB that busted through the Democratic firewall. Trump may be the original Jedi but Bannon’s the last Jedi against the Empire of media lies and that’s why we’ve been waging such a war against Bannon.

RUSH: This is the kind of stuff that Bannon supporters should not be saying. This is not cool. This is positioning Bannon as the reason Trump’s who he is. This positions Bannon as the guy who makes Trump possible. Trump may have been the original Jedi, but Bannon the last Jedi against the empire of media lies. Mr. Snerdley asked me this morning if I think anything is going to happen to Bannon. No, I don’t, not any time soon.

I think all of this is a bunch of — pardon the phrase — trumped up. I mean, there may be something to it to one degree or another, but I think it’s exaggerated and overblown and much of what you see in the media is really the reporting of their desires. They’re eager for a scalp, folks. The Drive-Bys, that’s what they do. They are eager for a scalp. And Bannon is one that they think they could secure. And they think they’re on the verge of doing it, which is another reason why I don’t think it’s gonna happen any time soon.