# Breitbart News A far-right American news and opinion website founded in 2007 by [[Andrew Breitbart]]. Under executive chairman [[Steve Bannon]] (2012–2016) and with funding from hedge fund billionaire [[Robert Mercer]], Breitbart became the media infrastructure of the alt-right and the primary press organ of [[Donald Trump]]'s 2016 campaign. Current editor-in-chief is [[Alexander Marlow]]. ## Andrew Breitbart and the Founding Vision Andrew Breitbart (1969–2012) was a conservative media entrepreneur and provocateur who previously worked with [[Matt Drudge]] and Arianna Huffington before launching his own site. His stated mission: fight the "Democrat-Media Complex" by building a right-wing media infrastructure that could compete with and undermine mainstream institutions. His tactical approach — generating outrage, exploiting the news cycle, using video stings and gotcha journalism — became the template for the post-2008 conservative media insurgency. Breitbart died of heart failure in March 2012 at age 43, before the site reached its peak influence. ## Steve Bannon and the Robert Mercer Funding Era [[Steve Bannon]] took over Breitbart after Breitbart's death and transformed it from a provocateur site into a full ideological operation. The Mercer family — Robert Mercer, a Renaissance Technologies hedge fund co-CEO, and his daughter [[Rebekah Mercer]] — became primary funders, eventually owning a significant stake. Under Bannon, Breitbart declared itself explicitly the "platform for the alt-right" and became the key media bridge between: - Mainstream conservative politics - Alt-right white nationalism - Anti-immigration movement (connections to the [[Tanton Network]]) - Trump's populist nationalism Breitbart amplified [[Stephen Miller]]'s immigration policy agenda long before Miller joined the Trump campaign. The leaked "Miller Emails" (reported by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch) showed Miller directly feeding Breitbart reporters content from white nationalist publications. ## Alexander Marlow Era Bannon departed Breitbart in January 2018 after feuding with Trump over the Michael Wolff book *Fire and Fury*. Alexander Marlow, who had been with the site from near the beginning, became and remains editor-in-chief. Marlow is also the author of *Breaking the News* (2021), a critique of mainstream media bias. The site has maintained its MAGA alignment under Marlow while losing some of its insurgent energy from the Bannon years. ## The Stephen Miller Connection [[Stephen Miller]]'s relationship with Breitbart is documented in hundreds of leaked emails, in which Miller: - Sent stories and editorial tips to Breitbart reporters - Recommended content from [[VDARE]], [[American Renaissance]], and other white nationalist publications - Coordinated messaging on immigration with what was functionally a propaganda outlet This is one of the most direct documented connections between the Breitbart media ecosystem and the policy apparatus of [[The Unholy Alliance]]. ## Influence on Republican Politics Breitbart's impact on Republican politics is hard to overstate. It: - Normalized anti-immigration maximalism, replacing "comprehensive immigration reform" with "invasion" framing - Mainstreamed alt-right aesthetics and rhetoric within conservative media - Served as the primary media vehicle for Trump's 2016 populist insurgency against the Republican establishment - Exported the Breitbart model internationally, launching UK and European editions during the Brexit/populist nationalism wave