Trump calls Bannon ‘one of my best pupils’ over positive 2020 analysis

President Trump on Friday embraced analysis of the 2020 Democratic field from former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, whom he previously derided as “sloppy” and a leaker. 

“Nice to see that one of my best pupils is still a giant Trump fan,” Trump tweeted. “Steve joined me after I won the primaries, but I loved working with him!”

The president shared a clip from Bannon’s appearance earlier in the day on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in which he dismissed the chances of the current field of Democratic presidential contenders against Trump in 2020.

Nice to see that one of my best pupils is still a giant Trump fan. Steve joined me after I won the primaries, but I loved working with him! pic.twitter.com/jRpmdrGYTB

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019

{mosads}Bannon said the crop of two dozen candidates lacks “excitement” and “energy,” and dismissed former Vice President Joe Biden’s status as a front-runner.

“If the Democratic Party want to take on Donald Trump, I got a newsflash for them, they’re not going to be able to take on Donald Trump with Joe Biden,” Bannon said.

Trump’s approving tweet marked a sharp reversal from his previous blistering criticism.

The president and Bannon had a public falling out in January 2018 after the former White House aide appeared extensively in Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury” criticizing the president’s family.

“Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency,” Trump said at the time. “When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.”

“Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book,” Trump added in a later tweet. “He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job.”

Bannon signed on to the Trump campaign as its CEO deep into 2016, and later joined the White House as a top aide. A former top editor at Breitbart and right-wing provocateur, Bannon left in August 2017 after John Kelly took over as chief of staff.