In this story we learn that a member of the Trump administration called the New York Times to brag about his election victory, repeatedly berate the news organization as "humiliated" and "wrong," lash out at the cruel stories reporters were generating, and declare the press to be the administration's top enemy. The surprising part was that it wasn't Donald Trump—it was chief strategist Steve Bannon.
“The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for awhile,” Mr. Bannon said during a telephone call. [...]
Asked if he was concerned that Mr. Spicer had lost credibility with the press, Mr. Bannon chortled. “Are you kidding me?” he said. “We think that’s a badge of honor. ‘Questioning his integrity’ — are you kidding me? The media has zero integrity, zero intelligence, and no hard work.”
“You’re the opposition party,” Mr. Bannon said. “Not the Democratic Party. You’re the opposition party. The media’s the opposition party.”
What can we infer from this extended rant? Chiefly, that Donald Trump's obsession with his victory, inauguration numbers and supposedly vicious press coverage isn't happening in a vacuum. He and his chief strategist are egging each other on; it's a shared obsession. And that means it's very unlikely that saner heads in the party are going to talk Trump down, no matter how alarmed Trump's fellow Republicans are about his erratic and obsessive behavior.
All indications suggest Bannon's influence is, at least as of this moment, dominating Trump's behavior. It is Bannon and Steven Miller who are writing the executive orders Trump has been signing this week; that the "alt-right" friendly Breitbart head has been setting Trump’s agenda goes a long way in explaining the content of those orders. From the "border wall" to bizarre claims of nationwide voter fraud (in "urban" areas or by "Latin American"-looking voters) to the odd announcement that the administration will be tracking and publicizing individual incidents of crime by undocumented immigrants, the first week of the Trump administration has been heavy with ideas culled from white nationalists’ own obsessions. Bannon seems quite certain he can push through all those ideas—but is also certain that the free press, not the other party, is his administration's top opponent.
Short version: Trump's vendetta against the press, his obsession with his election victory, and his fury at reporters pointing out things like the size of his inaugural crowds are all being egged on by the "alt-right" chief strategist at his side. Republicans can beg Mike Pence and Reince Priebus for a bit more discipline from Trump all they like; Trump's listening to the other half of his White House, the one urging him to cater to racism and to consider every press story a personal slight against him.
We're in for a hell of a ride.