President Trump's public breakup with Steve Bannon is more than fodder for the chattering class. Though I'm not sure its actual import is proportional to the media coverage it's received. When policy matters on which Trump and Bannon disagree become relevant, so too will their split.
That could happen soon. With negotiations over Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programs heating up, Bannon has new motivation to undercut Trump if he chooses to appease Democratic leaders. Democrats have come to the table insisting Congress pass a clean Dream Act, while Republicans, Trump included, maintain protections for Dreamers must necessarily be tied to efforts enhancing border security.
It's clear that a significant segment of Trump's base takes cues from Bannon and Breitbart (the failed Senate candidacy of Republican Roy Moore in Alabama is a good example of that relationship). It's also clear that in moments of doubt over the president's commitment to executing his campaign promises on immigration policy, his base has not hesitated to express concern. Remember "Amnesty Don"?
If Trump indicates a willingness to make concessions on DACA that rankle Bannon, the latter's now more liberated than ever to weaponize Breitbart against the administration. This puts a certain segment of Trump's base in a strange spot: Many people drawn to Breitbart based on their support for Trump probably want the president to remain strong on immigration, but may also find Bannon's remarks disagreeable. The question is whether Trump's biting statement on his former chief strategist will be enough to undermine Breitbart's credibility with his base.
