American Dharma is a 2018 British-American documentary film directed by Errol Morris . The film follows the career of political strategist Steve Bannon . The film was released on November 1, 2019, by Utopia .
115-494: American Dharma consists of a dialogue between documentary subject Steve Bannon and director Errol Morris focusing on Bannon's film-making, time as the executive chairman of Breitbart News , time as the chief executive of Donald Trump 's 2016 United States Presidential campaign, time on the United States National Security Council for Trump's administration, and commentary on several films. The documentary
230-632: A "trusted source" in its Facebook News feature alongside sources like The New York Times and The Washington Post . The decision sparked controversy due to Breitbart 's status as a platform for the alt-right and its reputation for publishing misinformation. In October 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook executives resisted removing Breitbart News from Facebook's News Tab feature to avoid angering Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress, despite criticism from Facebook employees. From November 2016 to June 2017, Breitbart ' s readership fell faster than other news sites. In
345-583: A California firm called WIS Media Partners, which was created in December 2016 by a close friend and advisor to Melania Trump, named Stephanie Winston Wolkoff , whose staff stayed at the Trump International Hotel during the planning of the inauguration. Wolkoff was personally paid about $ 500,000 for the inauguration. Twenty-four million dollars went to an independent organization created by television producer Mark Burnett , "Inaugural Productions", for
460-411: A classic black tuxedo, with a white button up shirt, and a black bow tie, in keeping with tradition. Melania Trump wore a white, off-the-shoulder, sleeveless gown designed by French-American fashion designer Hervé Pierre . Pierre has also designed dresses for first ladies Laura Bush , Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama , and he has been styling for Melania Trump for several years. The dress featured
575-565: A committee composed of Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, the committee chair, and Senate party leaders Sen. Mitch McConnell Kentucky and Chuck Schumer of New York, and House speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and House party leaders Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California. The committee was overseen by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration . The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies chose
690-742: A fireworks celebration, accompanied by a U.S. military choir and band performing the Battle Hymn of the Republic . On the morning of the inauguration, on January 20, after staying the night at the Blair House , the traditional house used by the incoming president-elect due to its proximity to the White House , Trump and his wife, Melania, and Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, attended a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church . The tradition dates back to James Madison , with every president since then attending
805-530: A front slit, a ruffled accent and a thin red belt to cinch the waist. The Liberty Ball, one of two official balls held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center , was the first stop of the evening for the president and first lady. The Trumps danced to their first song, which was chosen to be " My Way " by Frank Sinatra , and was performed by Erin Boheme , an American jazz singer. In an attempt to allow more access to
920-404: A longer version of her address was reviewed. In April 2016, Stephen Piggott wrote in a Southern Poverty Law Center blog that the "outlet has undergone a noticeable shift toward embracing ideas on the extremist fringe of the conservative right" and was using " racist ", "anti-Muslim" and " anti-immigrant ideas". Piggott wrote that the website was openly promoting, and had become associated with,
1035-481: A movie about him". "And I'm always looking for a different way in. Doesn't matter exactly what that way in, but it has to be different if you expect to get something that you haven't heard before. My way in was through his obsession with the movies, in particular a 1949 movie, 'Twelve O'Clock High,' starring Gregory Peck." Morris interviewed Bannon for five days between February and April in Boston . The Quonset hut used as
1150-461: A number of memorials for him. Editors said they intended to carry on his legacy at the website. Following Andrew Breitbart's death, former board member Steve Bannon became executive chairman and Laurence Solov became CEO. The company also hired Joel Pollak as editor-in-chief and Alex Marlow as managing editor. An October 2012 article in BuzzFeed News suggested there were internal tensions in
1265-473: A painting has served as a backdrop for the head table. For the 2017 inaugural luncheon, the featured painting was George Caleb Bingham 's The Verdict of the People , which depicts a Missouri town and its citizens both celebrating and mourning the election victory of what historians say was a likely proslavery candidate. Following the luncheon, Trump, Pence, and their wives reviewed an honor guard of troops at
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#17328844640911380-644: A political influencer's public persona - and a frustrating missed opportunity to interrogate his actions and stated beliefs." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Breitbart News Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other Breitbart News Network ( / ˈ b r aɪ t b ɑːr t / ; known commonly as Breitbart News , Breitbart , or Breitbart.com )
1495-564: A set for the interview was constructed for American Dharma as a replica of the set in Twelve O'Clock High . The set was constructed on top of an abandoned airfield. Morris first heard about Bannon's love of Twelve O'Clock High in Joshua Green's Devil's Bargain . According to the director, "He [Bannon] loved walking through the set." The film's penultimate shot, wherein the Quonset hut has burned to
1610-698: A source due to its unreliability; Breitbart News can still be cited on Misplaced Pages as an opinion or commentary source. Breitbart News is also on Misplaced Pages's spam blacklist , requiring special permission for links to the website to be used. In 2008, Andrew Breitbart launched the website Big Hollywood , a group blog by individuals working in Hollywood . The site was an outgrowth of Breitbart's "Big Hollywood" column in The Washington Times , which included issues faced by conservatives working in Hollywood. In 2009,
1725-429: A tone that was both nationalist and populist , with suggestions of absolutism and distrust of democracy . The Los Angeles Times described the address as "a truncated version of Trump's campaign rally addresses, absent specific policy and big on a sense of anger at what he defined as a ruling class that has raided America for its own benefit." Historians and speechwriters termed the inaugural address as "one of
1840-565: A video blog, Breitbart.tv . According to co-founder Larry Solov , the two men were in agreement that the site should be "unapologetically pro-freedom and pro-Israel" during their visit to Israel in 2007. In August 2010, Andrew Breitbart told the Associated Press that he was "committed to the destruction of the old media guard." As part of that commitment, he founded Breitbart.com , a website designed to become "the Huffington Post of
1955-483: A video of him making controversial statements in relation to hebephilia surfaced. Allies of Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner complained to Trump in April 2017 after Breitbart published several unflattering articles about Kushner. Shortly afterwards, the site's senior editors asked staffers to stop writing stories critical of Kushner. Bannon was appointed White House Chief Strategist in
2070-442: A virtual rallying spot for supporters of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign . The company's management, together with former staff member Milo Yiannopoulos , solicited ideas for stories from, and worked to advance and market ideas of neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups and individuals. After the election, more than 2,000 organizations removed Breitbart News from ad buys following Internet activism campaigns denouncing
2185-621: Is managing editor , and Joel Pollak and Peter Schweizer are senior editors-at-large . Andrew Breitbart launched Breitbart.com as a news aggregator in 2005. The website featured direct links to wire stories at the Associated Press , Reuters , Fox News , the New York Post , TMZ as well as a number of other outlets. The website's initial growth was largely fueled by links from the Drudge Report . In 2007, Breitbart.com launched
2300-509: Is an American far-right syndicated news, opinion, and commentary website founded in mid-2007 by American conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart . Its content has been described as misogynistic , xenophobic , and racist by various academics and journalists. The site has published a number of conspiracy theories and intentionally misleading stories . Posts originating from the Breitbart News Facebook page are among
2415-831: Is named after the city in Virginia where the Unite the Right rally occurred in 2017. "American Carnage" is named in reference to Trump's 2017 inauguration speech , wherein the phrase "American Carnage" was employed to describe the United States in an apocalyptic frame. Tracks such as "Andrew Breitbart", "Comey", and "Mueller" denote Andrew Breitbart , James Comey , and Robert Mueller respectively as figures that, while not interviewed by Errol Morris , appear prominently in archival footage. Tracks "Falstaff", "Paradise Lost", and "The Bridge" recall Chimes at Midnight , Paradise Lost , and The Bridge on
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#17328844640912530-647: Is segmented into five sections: The Fog of #war, Honey Badgers, Angry Voices, What Have I Done?, and Go F#ck Yourself. Morris's documentary cuts together footage from Twelve O'Clock High , The Searchers , The Bridge on the River Kwai , The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance , Chimes at Midnight , The Candidate , In the Face of Evil: Reagan's War in Word and Deed , Generation Zero , My Darling Clementine , Paths of Glory and audio from The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from
2645-508: The 2016 election , a standing ovation. A luncheon at the U.S. Capitol has been part of the inaugural program since 1953 (before that time, the luncheon was usually held at the White House and hosted by the outgoing president and first lady). The menu for the 2017 inaugural luncheon, which in the past has often featured dishes representative of the home states of the new president and vice president, included more traditional dishes from around
2760-777: The 2017 London Bridge attack . By 2019, Breitbart had lost nearly 75% of its readership, going from 17.3 million at the beginning of 2017 to 4.6 million in May 2019. Breitbart News is a far-right American news, opinion, and commentary website. Some news outlets describe it as a conservative news outlet or as part of the alt-right . One of the site's objectives is to court millennial conservatives. It supported Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, and political scientist Matthew Goodwin described Breitbart News as being "ultra-conservative" in orientation. Breitbart News publishes articles that critique feminism , Islam , and immigration . The site has also been associated with
2875-473: The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University found that Breitbart News was the most shared source by Trump supporters on Twitter during the election. In November 2016, the cereal manufacturer Kellogg's announced they would no longer advertise on Breitbart News , saying the site was not "aligned with [their] values". In response, Breitbart announced plans to boycott
2990-558: The Electoral College on December 19, 2016. The victory was certified by an electoral vote tally by a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2017. The inauguration was planned primarily by two committees: the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and the 2017 Presidential Inaugural Committee. The election was scheduled for November 8, 2016, but the congressional committee began construction of
3105-529: The English Misplaced Pages of having a left-wing and liberal bias. In March 2018, Breitbart News responded negatively to a pop-up on Facebook containing content from the Misplaced Pages article on Breitbart News that described the news website as "intentionally misleading", resulting in several users attempting to change the article's content. In September 2018, Misplaced Pages editors "deprecated" Breitbart News as
3220-737: The Los Angeles Times , web traffic is vital to the company as it supports itself from advertising revenue. Breitbart News strongly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election . In July 2015, Politico reported that Ted Cruz "likely has the Republican presidential field's deepest relationship with the Breitbart machine." In August 2015, an article in BuzzFeed reported that several anonymous Breitbart News staffers claimed that Donald Trump had paid for favorable coverage on
3335-592: The National Mall . Overhead imagery and statistics on public transportation ridership from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metrorail , are therefore used to estimate crowd sizes. The WMATA reported that 193,000 passengers rode the Metro before 11 a.m. on the day of Trump's inauguration, and 570,557 passengers during the entire day, noting that it
3450-530: The New York Jets . The inaugural committee raised an unprecedented $ 107 million "from wealthy donors who gave $ 1 million or more." This was twice the amount raised by any previous inauguration committee. Observers agree that the actual inauguration expenses would have been a fraction of that amount, and the advocacy group Public Citizen has been seeking to know what happened to the remaining funds. Committee officials said they were evaluating charities to give
3565-643: The President's Room at the Capitol, and then signed the guest book for the luncheon. Next, Trump signed orders to officially present the nominations for his Cabinet and several sub‑Cabinet officials to the Senate for confirmation . His first bill that he signed into law was a waiver of the National Security Act of 1947 granted to him that allowed the nomination of retired general James Mattis to be nominated for
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3680-579: The Southern Poverty Law Center 's view that the site embraces "ideas on the extremist fringe of the conservative right. Racist ideas." She also said that the "de facto merger between Breitbart and the Trump campaign represents a landmark achievement for the alt-right". She also condemned the site as "the Democratic Party's media enemy No. 1" and "racist, radical and offensive". A 2017 study by
3795-516: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery , accompanied by his wife and family. Trump and Pence were escorted by Major General Bradley Becker at the ceremony. The Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 400,000, mostly members of the armed forces, Medal of Honor recipients, and high ranking political officials. On the evening of January 19, Trump hosted
3910-493: The Washington National Cathedral for a national day of prayer, a tradition dating back to the first president, George Washington . Among the parishioners were more than two dozen religious leaders from a variety of different faiths. Marlana VanHoose , a 20-year-old vocalist who was born with cytomegalovirus , performed at the ceremony, singing " How Great Thou Art ". Melania Trump was visibly emotional during
4025-414: The White House press corps . The presentation of a gift was a tradition started by Michelle Obama when she presented George W. Bush and Laura Bush with a gift on the day of her husband's inauguration in 2009. Afterward, they held a tea reception inside the White House, along with Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden , and Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence. As per tradition, following
4140-428: The administration of US President Donald Trump and served in that role for seven months; he was dismissed from the White House on August 17, 2017. That same day, he was again appointed executive chairman of Breitbart News . In January 2018, Breitbart News announced that Bannon had stepped down from his position as executive chairman. In October 2019, Facebook announced that Breitbart News would be included as
4255-435: The counter-jihad movement, having employed anti-Muslim writers such as Pamela Geller , Frank Gaffney and Robert Spencer . In August 2017, Joel Pollak, the senior editor-at-large for Breitbart News , described the "mission" of Breitbart News in this way: " #WAR has been our motto since the days of Andrew Breitbart, and we use it whenever we go to war against our three main targets, which are, in order: Hollywood and
4370-848: The mainstream media , number one; the Democratic Party and the institutional left , number two; and the Republican establishment in Washington , number three." Breitbart News has published a number of falsehoods and conspiracy theories , as well as intentionally misleading stories, including a story that the Obama administration had supported ISIS during insurgency against the Syrian regime. It has sometimes published these misleading stories as part of an intentional strategy to manipulate media narratives via disinformation . In July 2010, Shirley Sherrod
4485-565: The "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration," a concert for his supporters that were attending his inauguration the following day. The concert, held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial , featured performances by Lee Greenwood (who performed " God Bless the USA "), Toby Keith , 3 Doors Down , DJ Ravidrums , The Piano Guys , and The Frontmen of Country ( Tim Rushlow , Larry Stewart , and Richie McDonald ). Trump addressed his supporters at
4600-540: The 2016 United States elections and its role in both amplifying stories from Russian media and being amplified by Russian bots in social media. In 2017, a Breitbart News reporter left the company to join Sputnik . In a 2017 survey among US readers, Breitbart News was voted the third least trustworthy source among American readers, with BuzzFeed and Occupy Democrats being lower-ranked. In an October 2018 Simmons Research survey of 38 news organizations, Breitbart News
4715-637: The 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Trump's first term as president and Mike Pence 's only term as vice president . An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony held on Friday, January 20, 2017, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The event was the 58th presidential inauguration. Held in Washington, D.C., from January 17 to 21, 2017, inaugural events included concerts,
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4830-547: The 45th president of the United States , taking the oath of office with Chief Justice John Roberts . Trump was also sworn in using two Bibles, a Bible his mother gifted him and the historic Lincoln Bible . After the swearing-in, the Marine Band performed " Hail to the Chief " and Trump received the traditional 21-gun salute in his honor. President Trump then delivered his 16-minute inaugural address of 1,433 words. The speech
4945-574: The ADL to apologize. An article in The Jewish Daily Forward argued that Bannon and Andrew Breitbart are antisemitic. An article by Shmuley Boteach in The Hill disputed the allegations, arguing that Breitbart defends Israel against antisemitism. Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of Breitbart News , denies that Breitbart is a "hate-site", stating "that we're consistently called anti-Semitic despite
5060-678: The American alt-right , the European populist right , the pan-European nationalist identitarian movement , and the counter-jihad movement. Bannon declared the website "the platform for the alt-right" in 2016, but denied all allegations of racism and later stated that he rejected what he called the " ethno-nationalist " tendencies of the alt-right movement. One of Bannon's coworkers said he wasn't referring to Richard Spencer but instead to "the trolls on Reddit or 4Chan ". The owners of Breitbart News deny that their website has any connection to
5175-614: The Cabinet nominations, and distributed them among the lawmakers and guests that had gathered. The pens are traditionally given as a gift to politicians or individuals touched by the action, or were instrumental in its implementation. Trump also signed a proclamation declaring his inauguration a National Day of Patriotic Devotion. In this he followed Barack Obama, who declared his a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and previous declarations of periods of patriotism by such former presidents as Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan . Trump
5290-537: The East Front of the U.S. Capitol before beginning the parade. The inaugural parade route ran along Pennsylvania Avenue , NW from the U.S. Capitol, ending at the north face of the White House. During most of the parade, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump traveled in the armored limousine used by the president because of potential security threats. The president and first lady exited their limousine twice, walking on Pennsylvania Avenue for portions of
5405-797: The Joint Congressional Inauguration Committee. Each branch of the United States military was also represented. Vice President Mike Pence invited several groups from Indiana to march in the parade in the Indiana section, including the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Drill Team, the Culver Military Academy , and the Columbus North High School marching band from Pence's native Columbus, Indiana . Shortly after
5520-462: The Life of Robert S. McNamara as Bannon addresses these films’ effects on his perceptions and beliefs. The interview takes place on a set replicating the air-strip and Quonset hut from Twelve O'Clock High and they watch clips from these films on a projector out of frame. The documentary juxtaposes interview footage with related filmography, archival footage, and graphics displaying news headlines during
5635-518: The Obamas at the base of the helicopter that would transport them to Joint Base Andrews , and then returned to the steps of the Capitol building where they waved as the Obamas' helicopter took off. Meanwhile, the Bidens took a limousine to Union Station where they boarded a train for Wilmington, Delaware . Before the luncheon and in keeping with tradition, President Trump signed his first presidential orders in
5750-978: The People" public concert was held at the Lincoln Memorial. The concert featured The King's Academy (West Palm Beach, Florida) Honor Choir, the Republican Hindu Coalition, the Montgomery Area High School Marching Band, Marlana VanHoose , the Maury NJROTC Color Guard, the Pride of Madawaska, Webelos Troop 177, the Northern Middle School Honors Choir, the American Tap Company, the Everett High School Viking Marching Band,
5865-399: The River Kwai . Each aforementioned media form appears prominently within the documentary as Steve Bannon discusses his interpretations of these works. American Dharma (2018) by Errol Morris All music is composed by Paul Leonard-Morgan American Dharma premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2018, in the "out of competition" category. Steve Bannon
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#17328844640915980-543: The TwirlTasTix Baton Twirling group, and three bagpipe groups. After returning home to New York City, Trump returned to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, January 19, arriving at Joint Base Andrews on a plane flown by the U.S. Air Force. Trump and Vice President–elect Pence attended a luncheon at Trump's hotel at the Old Post Office Pavilion , and afterwards, the official wreath laying ceremony at
6095-540: The U.S. Capitol before traveling from there to the presidential reviewing stand at the White House to watch the parade. The Trumps and Pences joined several congressional guests for the inaugural luncheon in National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Guests included top Washington lawmakers as well as former presidents and vice presidents. During his formal address at the lunch, Trump asked those in attendance to give Hillary Clinton , one of his opponents during
6210-461: The U.S. Constitution, with the vice presidential oath taken by Pence and administered by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas immediately preceding it. Trump was sworn in with his left hand on a pair of Bibles: his personal copy and the Lincoln Bible . At 70 years, 220 days of age on Inauguration Day, Trump was the oldest person to assume the presidency. Four years later, in 2021 , he
6325-528: The United States in decline "did not always match reality." The fact-checking organizations noted, among other things, that the U.S. violent crime rate was far below its 1991 peak; that the U.S. economy had gained jobs for 75 consecutive months and that unemployment was significantly below its historical average; and participation in U.S. welfare programs had declined. In the speech, Trump repeated his campaign-trail " America First " slogan in reference to economic and foreign policy issues. Trump's use of
6440-705: The Vice-Presidential swearing-in. At 11:54 a.m., Associate Justice Clarence Thomas swore in Mike Pence as the 48th vice president of the United States , with Pence's hand on his personal Bible as well as the Bible of Ronald Reagan , the politician who inspired Pence to join the Republican Party . A performance of " America the Beautiful " by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square followed. At noon, Trump became
6555-470: The alt-right or has ever supported racist or white supremacist views. Anthony R. DiMaggio has described these denials as " gaslighting ". Breitbart News spokesperson Kurt Bardella stated in 2015 that the site "is a for-profit operation". The company's investors include computer scientist and hedge fund CEO Robert Mercer. Editors commented in 2015 that the site is a "private company and we don't comment on who our investors or backers are." According to
6670-455: The article, saying he had done so in an attempt "to make light of a significant company event". The website's spokesperson Kurt Bardella also resigned following the incident, objecting to the company's handling of the incident and its favorable coverage of Trump. By March 14, several top executives and journalists at Breitbart News had resigned, with The New York Times saying that "Breitbart's unabashed embrace of Mr. Trump, particularly at
6785-426: The ball, Trump and his wife, Melania, addressed the crowd of gathered service members, and then spoke via satellite with active duty soldiers in Bagram Airfield , Afghanistan . Trump thanked the active duty soldiers for the congratulations on his inauguration as Commander-in-chief . Tony Orlando and the Josh Weathers Band performed at the Armed Services Ball. It is tradition for the president and first lady, and
6900-562: The beliefs of the alt-right. Breitbart News has published material that has been called misogynist , xenophobic , and racist. The owners of Breitbart News deny their website has any connection to the alt-right. The Anti-Defamation League described Breitbart News as "the premier website of the alt-right" representing "white nationalists and unabashed anti-Semites and racists." The Zionist Organization of America rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying that Breitbart News instead "bravely fights against anti-Semitism" and called for
7015-425: The benedictions. Jackie Evancho concluded the ceremony with a performance of the U.S. national anthem . After the inaugural ceremony, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence escorted former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama to a departure ceremony on the east side of the U.S. Capitol. The Trumps exchanged remarks and bid farewell to
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#17328844640917130-434: The church service the morning of their inauguration. The service was led by Robert Jeffress , a Southern Baptist minister who campaigned for Trump during the election. After the church service, Trump and his wife went to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama . The Obamas greeted the Trumps, and Melania presented the couple with a gift. They then posed for photos in front of
7245-404: The company. Breitbart announced they would be willing to go to "war" with Kellogg's over its decision to remove ads from the site. In January 2017, editor Julia Hahn resigned from Breitbart News to work as special assistant to president Donald Trump. Milo Yiannopoulos , who had served as a senior editor of Breitbart News since 2014, resigned from the company on February 21, 2017 after
7360-450: The country. The first course consisted of Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp with saffron sauce and peanut crumble, accompanied by a J. Lohr 2013 Arroyo Vista Chardonnay . The second dish contained Seven Hills Angus beef in dark chocolate and juniper jus with potato gratin, served with a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon , and dessert included a chocolate soufflé and cherry vanilla ice cream with Korbel California champagne . Since 1985,
7475-407: The crowd "was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe", and accused the media of reporting false crowd estimates to "lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration". Spicer also stated that 420,000 people rode the Metro on the day of Trump's inauguration, and that only 317,000 rode on the day of Obama's. In fact, 570,557 Metro trips were taken on
7590-742: The direction of the president‑elect and vice president–elect of the United States, such as the concerts, parade, balls, and prayer service. The chairman of the committee was Thomas J. Barrack Jr. , a real estate investor and longtime Trump friend and ally, and the founder of Colony Capital . The co-chairs of the committee were Lewis M. Eisenberg and Roy Bailey. Committee members included casino magnates Sheldon Adelson and Miriam Adelson , Steve Wynn , and Phil Ruffin , oil and gas entrepreneur Harold Hamm , businesswoman and film producer Diane Hendricks , coal businessman and philanthropist Joe Craft , Gail Icahn (wife of Carl Icahn ), Dallasites Ray Washburne, Gentry Beach, Roy Bailey, and Woody Johnson , owner of
7705-418: The end of the festivities, saying that the "forgotten man and the forgotten woman will not be forgotten anymore". Actor Jon Voight also spoke at the event, stating, "We have been witness to a barrage of propaganda that left us all breathless with anticipation, not knowing if God could reverse all the negative lies against Mr. Trump, whose only desire was to make America great again." The concert concluded with
7820-437: The estimated 1.1 million to 1.8 million people that attended Obama's 2009 inauguration – which set a record for the total number of people in the National Mall at any one given time, and which marked the inauguration of the nation's first African American president. CNN provided a gigapixel panorama of the area. In a press conference on January 21, Sean Spicer , Trump's White House press secretary , stated that
7935-409: The event out of 500 total guests. During his speech to the group, Trump praised his choices thus far for Cabinet positions as well as his choice of Pence as his vice president. According to The Boston Globe and the Associated Press , the menu included mustard black cod and filet mignon as entrees, and baked Alaska for dessert. On the morning and afternoon of January 19, a day-long "Voices of
8050-451: The fact that we are overwhelmingly staffed with Jews and are pro-Israel and pro-Jewish. That is fake news ." Science magazine called Breitbart "a far-right site that avoids explicit white nationalism." Breitbart News has had staff members associated with white supremacists. An exposé by BuzzFeed News published in October 2017 documented how Breitbart solicited story ideas and copy edits from white supremacists and neo-Nazis via
8165-411: The film was purchased by the distribution company Utopia and slated for a theatrical release on November 1, 2018, at the Film Forum in New York City . The trailer for theatrical release was premiered with outlet IndieWire on September 19. The Film Forum release weekend resulted in a reported $ 7,522 in revenue. After 10 weeks of release, American Dharma had a box-office revenue of $ 50,250, and ended
8280-467: The gathering. The event was held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium . Rex Tillerson , Trump's choice to succeed John Kerry as secretary of state, was in attendance, as well as former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and National Security Advisor -designate Michael T. Flynn , and Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer , according to reporters in attendance at the event. More than 200 foreign diplomats attended
8395-456: The ground, was captured using a drone. Bannon was not dressed by the crew; it was his choice to wear three shirts on set. During the filming, Bannon was reading a book on the Great Wall of China . 15 to 16 hours of footage was recorded during the interviews. Cut footage from the film made use of Morris's interrotron device, which allows for both first person perspective and eye contact between
8510-768: The inaugural balls, the Presidential Inauguration Committee announced that they intended to make the inaugural balls the most affordable in recent history, offering $ 50 tickets to either the Liberty or Freedom Balls. The second ball that the Trumps attended was the Freedom Ball, also held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and also featured a first dance to "My Way", as with the Liberty Ball. The third ball that
8625-500: The inaugural platform on September 21. A number of artists who were approached to perform refused, including Jennifer Holliday , who was originally intended to perform, but withdrew herself from the program after further consideration. The swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural luncheon for President-elect Trump and Vice President–elect Pence were planned by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,
8740-676: The inaugural theme "Uniquely American" to highlight the inaugural ceremony as "a uniquely American expression of our Constitutional system" and stress the peaceful transition of power . The Inauguration Committee released the full schedule of the January 20 inaugural events on December 21, 2016. Military support to the 58th inauguration was coordinated by Joint Task Force National Capital Region , providing musical military units , marching bands , color guards , ushers, firing details, and salute batteries . The 2017 Presidential Inaugural Committee organized several other inauguration-related events at
8855-419: The inauguration, including Hillary Clinton , who had been Trump's main opponent in the general election (Clinton was attending as a former First Lady , not as the losing candidate ). Former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush did not attend the inauguration due to their health issues. Roy Blunt commenced the inauguration ceremony at 11:41 a.m. with welcoming remarks about
8970-454: The intermediation of Milo Yiannopoulos. Yiannopoulos, together with other Breitbart News employees, developed and marketed the values and tactics of these groups and attempted to make them palatable to a broader audience. According to BuzzFeed News , "These new emails and documents ... clearly show that Breitbart does more than tolerate the most hate-filled, racist voices of the alt-right. It thrives on them, fueling and being fueled by some of
9085-664: The interviewer and the subject. Morris decided not to use the interrotron, "very late in the game". During the Lawfare Podcast, Morris cites his fatigue with the use of the interrotron and desire to do something different and more adversarial as reasons for the change. In post-production , Morris showed Bannon 20 minute cuts of the film, but retained decision making on the final cut. The film was nearly titled "American Carnage" after Donald Trump 's inaugural address. Paul Leonard-Morgan 's soundtrack includes tracks with titles in line with key notes from American Dharma . "Charlottesville"
9200-511: The meeting between the president and the president-elect, they shared the presidential motorcade limousine , and made their way to the Capitol for the inaugural ceremony. Outgoing President Barack Obama , outgoing Vice President Joe Biden (who later defeated Trump in 2020 and was inaugurated as the 46th president in 2021 ), former Presidents Jimmy Carter , Bill Clinton , and George W. Bush , and former vice presidents Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney , along with their respective wives, attended
9315-597: The most ominous" in U.S. history, striking an unusually dark and bleak note. Former U.S President George W. Bush reportedly referred to the speech as "some weird shit" after the ceremony concluded. Trump pledged to end what he referred to as "American carnage," depicting the United States in a dystopian light—as a "land of abandoned factories, economic angst, rising crime"—while pledging "a new era in American politics." Fact-checking organizations, such as FactCheck.org , PolitiFact , and The Washington Post ' s Fact Checker claimed that Trump's portrayal of
9430-536: The most toxic beliefs on the political spectrum—and clearing the way for them to enter the American mainstream." In November 2017, British anti-fascism charity Hope Not Hate identified one of the website's writers as an administrator of a far-right Facebook group that serves as a platform for fascists and white supremacists. In 2017, the Mueller investigation examined the role of Breitbart News in Russian interference in
9545-429: The most widely shared political content on Facebook. Initially conceived as "the Huffington Post of the right", Breitbart News later aligned with the alt-right , the European populist right , and the pan-European nationalist identitarian movement under the management of former executive chairman Steve Bannon , who declared the website "the platform for the alt-right" in 2016. Breitbart News became
9660-557: The nation's "commonplace and miraculous" tradition of a peaceful transition of power. Courtney Williams, Senior Chief Musician and concert moderator for the U.S. Navy Concert Band , returned as the platform announcer for his 3rd consecutive inauguration. Three religious figures delivered invocations , followed by the Missouri State University chorale performing an original work, "Now We Belong". After short remarks, Chuck Schumer ended his speech by asking everyone to stand for
9775-521: The opening of Texas and London-based operations. The new offices were the beginning of an expansion plan that included the addition of a new regional site roughly every 90 days, with new locations to include Florida , California , Cairo , and Jerusalem . According to a 2014 Pew Research Center study, 3% of respondents got their news from Breitbart in a typical week, and 79% of its audience reported having political values that are right-of-center. Under Bannon's management, Breitbart News aligned with
9890-532: The organisation in the year after Andrew Breitbart's death as staffers battled for ownership of his legacy. Before his death, Andrew Breitbart had begun a redesign of the Breitbart News website to transform it from a links-aggregator into a more tabloid-style website. The redesign was launched shortly after his death in March 2012. In February 2014, Bannon announced the addition of approximately 12 staff members and
10005-480: The parade, a longstanding custom. Vice President Pence and his wife Karen walked the parade route at several points with their children as well. The parade lasted approximately two hours during the afternoon and early evening following the inaugural ceremony. Parade participants included more than 8,000 people, "representing forty organizations including high school and university marching bands, equestrian corps, first responders, and veterans groups," according to
10120-520: The parade, Trump went to the Oval Office to sign his first executive orders as president, including an order to start the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act . President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended three official inaugural balls during the evening of January 20, 2017, titled "Liberty and Freedom: The Official Presidential Inaugural Balls." Donald Trump wore
10235-671: The past 100 years that troubled veteran foreign policy experts." Nevertheless, Trump's themes on foreign policy appealed "to many Americans as well as to critics of Washington's bipartisan foreign policy establishment." Three religious leaders delivered benedictions following Trump's speech, bringing the total number of prayers during the ceremony to six, a record number. Reverend Franklin Graham ; Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan , Archbishop of New York ; Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez ; Pastor Paula White ; Rabbi Marvin Hier ; and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson gave
10350-647: The performance, and led a standing ovation for her after she finished performing. The service began with call to prayer by the Reverend Rosemarie Duncan, Mikhail Manevich, a Jewish cantor , and Mohamed Magid, a Muslim imam. The clergy spoke of both compassion and diversity. Before the event, federal and local agencies had prepared for turnout of between 700,000 and 900,000 people. Trump predicted that there would be "an unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout" at his inauguration. The National Park Service does not publish crowd estimates about events at
10465-514: The phrase was controversial because of the slogan's association with U.S. isolationists who had opposed American entry in World War II . Trump's decision "not to make a strong case for the role of American power in shaping the outside world was a departure from the inaugural addresses of recent Republican presidents from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush," and represented "a sharp break with the internationalist vision of nearly every U.S. president of
10580-428: The position of United States secretary of defense . The National Security Act of 1947 requires a seven-year waiting period before retired military personnel can assume the role of Secretary of Defense. Mattis became only the second secretary of defense to receive such a waiver, following George Marshall , who served under President Harry S. Truman . Following in tradition, Trump used various commemorative pens to sign
10695-449: The presidency and candidacy of Trump. Errol Morris cites his desire to understand the United States 2016 Presidential Election, "So that we can try to make sure it doesn't happen again", as inspiration for the film. The decision to interview Steve Bannon specifically was brought on by the filmmaker's reading of Michael Wolff 's Fire and Fury . In an interview with WBUR-FM , Morris says that Bannon "was flattered that I wanted to make
10810-552: The president and first lady attended was the Salute To Our Armed Services Ball, which took place at the National Building Museum . The ball was by invitation only, with free tickets being provided to "active duty and reserve military, Medal of Honor recipients, wounded warriors, military families, veterans, and first responders," according to the Presidential Inauguration Committee. At the beginning of
10925-472: The remaining funds to. In September 2017, the committee said it had given $ 3 million to three separate hurricane rescue organizations. An unspecified amount had also been used for redecorating the White House and Vice President Mike Pence's Washington residence. Thomas Barrack, the committee chair, said that further information about charitable donations would be released in November 2017, but no such announcement
11040-695: The right" according to Breitbart News ' s former executive chairman, Steve Bannon . Breitbart News exclusively re-posted the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal , the resignation of Shirley Sherrod , and the ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy . Following Andrew Breitbart's death in 2012, the site was redesigned, bringing the formerly distinct "Big" websites under one umbrella website at Breitbart.com . Billionaire conservative activist Robert Mercer endowed Breitbart.com with at least $ 11 million in 2011. Andrew Breitbart died in March 2012. The website hosted
11155-404: The run with a total revenue of $ 51,891. On January 31, 2019, the film was made available for streaming on Kanopy . Since then, American Dharma has been made available on other streaming and VOD services. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 62%, based on 60 reviews. The website's consensus reads, " American Dharma offers a fascinating glimpse of
11270-588: The seeming expense of its own reporter, struck them as a betrayal of its mission." Former employees accused Bannon of having "turned a website founded on anti-authoritarian grounds into a de facto propaganda outlet for Mr. Trump." On August 17, 2016, Bannon stepped down from his role as executive chairman to join the Trump campaign as its new CEO. On August 25, Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton criticized him for hiring Bannon as his CEO in her rally in Reno, Nevada. She quoted
11385-768: The site used audio from a conference call to accuse the National Endowment of the Arts of encouraging artists to create work in support of President Barack Obama's domestic policy . The Obama Administration and the NEA were accused of potentially violating the Hatch Act . The White House acknowledged regrets, and the story led to the resignation of a White House appointee, and new federal guidelines for how federal agencies should interact with potential grantees. First inauguration of Donald Trump The inauguration of Donald Trump as
11500-562: The site's controversial positions. Breitbart News has promoted climate change denial and COVID-19 misinformation . The company is headquartered in Los Angeles , with bureaus in Texas , London , and Jerusalem . Co-founder Larry Solov is the co-owner (along with Andrew Breitbart's widow Susie Breitbart and the Mercer family ) and CEO, while Alex Marlow is the editor-in-chief , Wynton Hall
11615-636: The site. The site's management strongly denied the charge. In March 2016, Lloyd Grove of The Daily Beast characterized the website as "Trump-friendly", writing that Breitbart News "regularly savages the GOP establishment, the media elite, the Washington consultant class, and the Fox News Channel." On March 11, 2016, Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields filed a battery complaint against Donald Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski , alleging that Lewandowski had grabbed her and bruised her while she
11730-728: The staging of several events. The committee reported nearly $ 15 million in administrative expenses, including $ 9.4 million for travel and $ 4.6 million for salaries and benefits for 208 employees. The committee spent more than $ 1.5 million at the Trump International Hotel. Ivanka Trump helped negotiate a rate of $ 175,000 per day for the committee's use of the hotel's Presidential Ballroom and meeting rooms after Gates and Wolkoff complained that Trump International Hotel managing director Mickael Damelincourt attempted to charge them above-market rates. On Tuesday, January 17, then-President-elect Trump arrived in Washington, D.C., to attend what
11845-480: The swearing-in ceremony, a congressional luncheon , parade , inaugural balls , and the interfaith inaugural prayer service . The inauguration was protested worldwide. Administered by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts , the presidential oath was taken by Trump as his first task after becoming president, in keeping with Article Two, Section 1, Clause 8 and the 20th Amendment to
11960-596: The two months from April to June 2017, the site lost about 90% of its advertisers. The decline coincided with boycotts aimed at getting advertisers to stop running ads on the site. The boycotts were mainly organized by the anonymous online group Sleeping Giants , which said on June 5 that 2,200 organizations had committed to stop advertising on Breitbart News (and similar sites) due to its controversial positions. Soon thereafter, Breitbart News trimmed prominently displayed, overtly racist content and fired contributor Katie McHugh for posting Islamophobic tweets about
12075-532: The vice president and second lady, to dance with military service members during the Armed Services Ball. Sgt. Angel Rodriguez, who danced with Second Lady Karen Pence, drew attention for his dancing style, spinning the Second Lady, which provoked playful laughter from Tiffany and Eric Trump. On January 21, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence gathered at
12190-725: Was accompanied at the signing ceremony by his wife, and children, and several of his grandchildren, as well as the chairs of the Joint Congressional Inauguration Committee, including senators Roy Blunt, Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, and Congressional leaders Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Pelosi. During the ceremony, the lawmakers joked with President Trump, he handed pens to participants (e.g. Elaine Chao 's nomination pen to Nancy Pelosi , Trump stating, because "they were both women") and then traded pens in an offer to give, not as an ask to receive ( Nancy Pelosi gave Elaine Chao's nomination pen to Chao's husband, Mitch McConnell ). The Trumps and Pences then attended an inaugural luncheon at
12305-445: Was attempting to ask a question at an event. After claiming that Breitbart News ' s management was not sufficiently supportive of Fields, Breitbart ' s editor-at-large Ben Shapiro and Fields resigned. A Breitbart News article published on March 14, 2016, accused Shapiro of betraying Breitbart News ' s readers; the article was subsequently removed from the website. Editor-at-large Joel Pollak apologized for writing
12420-649: Was fired from her appointed position as Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture . Her firing was largely in response to coverage in Breitbart News of video excerpts from her address to an event of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in March 2010, though it was later picked up by Fox News . Both NAACP and White House officials apologized for their statements after
12535-489: Was lower than the average weekday ridership of 639,000 passengers. USA Today reported on a "notable number" of empty seats along the parade route. Crowd counting experts cited by The New York Times estimated that about 160,000 people were in the National Mall areas in the hour leading up to Trump's speech. Crowd science professor Keith Still estimated the total attendance at 300,000 to 600,000 people, or one-third
12650-639: Was made. The inauguration committee reported having $ 2.8 million in the bank as of October 2017 . According to a tax filing released on February 15, 2018, the committee donated $ 5 million to charity in 2017 – namely, the previously announced donations to hurricane relief, the White House Historical Association, and the Vice President's Residence Foundation. The majority of the committee's outlay – $ 57 million – went to four event-planning companies. The largest amount, $ 26 million, went to
12765-686: Was not present at the premier event in Venice. The film premiered in Canada at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 9. The United States premiere occurred on September 29, 2018, at the New York Film Festival (NYFF). American Dharma was subsequently screened alongside a talk given by Errol Morris at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) on November 18. In August 2019,
12880-563: Was ranked the sixth least trusted news organization by Americans in a tie with the Daily Kos , with the Palmer Report , Occupy Democrats, InfoWars and The Daily Caller being lower-ranked. An August 2019 internal Facebook study found that Breitbart News was the least trusted news source, and also ranked as low-quality, in the sources it looked at across the U.S. and Great Britain. Breitbart News has published several articles accusing
12995-410: Was surpassed by Joe Biden at 78 years, 61 days, and four years later by himself again at 78 years, 220 days. The inauguration marked the formal culmination of the presidential transition of Donald Trump that began when he won the U.S. presidential election on November 9, 2016 , and became the president-elect . Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, were formally elected by
13110-495: Was the shortest inaugural address since Jimmy Carter 's in 1977 . In late December 2016, Trump told visitors that he was writing the first draft of his inaugural address, citing previous inauguration speeches by John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan as inspirations. Trump "insisted publicly that he wrote his own speech," although The Wall Street Journal and others reported that it had been written by Trump senior aides Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon . The speech struck
13225-419: Was titled the "Chairman's Global Dinner," a high-profile dinner that was intended to serve as an introduction between foreign diplomats and the incoming Trump administration officials and appointees. The dinner was black tie and invitation-only, and was described by The Wall Street Journal as the most high-profile event preceding the inauguration, with both Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence addressing
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