By Gregory Crofton, publisher and editor of ChannelNonfiction.com.
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s new right-hand men David Bossie and Steve Bannon are committed producers of hard Right documentaries.
We spoke to Bossie last year about the film studio he led as president and chairman of Citizens United (CU), a conservative political advocacy group.
- CU has produced 25 documentaries under Bossie including “Hillary: The Movie.”
- The promotion of “Hillary” resulted in the landmark Supreme Court decision on campaign funding, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
- Trump hired Bossie away from Citizens United in September and appointed him deputy campaign manager.
- Just prior Trump chose Bannon to be CEO of his campaign.
- Bannon has since been controversially promoted by the President-elect to chief strategist and senior counselor
Back Story
- Bossie and Bannon have worked together before.
- They partnered on the production of four films for CU including “Generation Zero” (2010), “The Hope and The Change” (2012),“Occupy Unmasked” (2012), and “Torchbearer” (2016).
Torchbearer for …?
- “Torchbearer,” released in October, is about the love of God and country.
- It stars Phil Robertson, the patriarch of A&E’s “Ducky Dynasty.”
- Bossie produced the film, while Bannon co-wrote and directed it.
- Robertson ignited a controversy in 2013 when he publicly supported homophobic and anti-Muslim views and expressed sympathy for living conditions endured by slaves.
- A&E management stood firm against calls to ban Robertson and his hit series, which was ultimately cancelled last month.
- Bannon also wrote and directed “Clinton Cash”, a 2016 pre-election attack film.
Experience
- Bossie made a name for himself in Washington D.C. as a Congressional investigator and a Clinton attack dog.
- Bannon was executive chair of the ultra-conservative website Breitbart News until he left to work for Trump.
- There’s a must-read profile of Bannon in Scott Shane’s New York Times feature Combative, Populist Steve Bannon Found His Man in Donald Trump. (November 27, 2016).
Read Here
Read our 2015 interview with Bossie to learn more how Citizens United documentaries are produced, promoted and distributed.
We also covered the under-estimated contribution by Trump’s Reality TV audience in his campaign.
- We compared “The Apprentice” to Ronald Reagan’s launching pad, “GE Theater.”
- Read: Donald Trump: Reality TV’s Presidential Candidate Rides ‘Earned Media’ to the Nomination
Why define right wing or left wing. Good docs are going to come from all points of view.