STEPHEN BANNON CRITICIZES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR JOINING THE DEBATE ON DACA, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE ROSE ON SUNDAY'S "60 MINUTES"

In His First Extended Interview since Leaving the White House, President Trump's Former Chief Strategist Calls Himself a "Street Fighter" in "60 Minutes" Excerpts Broadcast Today on "CBS This Morning"

Despite a "deep respect" for the Catholic Church's bishops and its doctrine, Stephen K. Bannon gets tough on the Church's provocative stance against President Trump's reassessment of the DACA immigration initiative. Bannon describes himself as a "street fighter" in a wide-ranging and sometimes combative interview with Charlie Rose, to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Sept. 10 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The former White House chief strategist and Trump campaign architect gave Rose his first extended interview since leaving the Trump administration post that was created for him, on August 18. The interview was conducted yesterday in the Washington, D.C. headquarters of Breitbart, the conservative news organization of which Bannon is the chairman. In the interview, Bannon also describes his worldview and attacked his critics - including the Republican establishment.

Two excerpts of the Bannon interview were broadcast on CBS THIS MORNING today. A transcript is below. Please credit 60 MINUTES.

STEVE BANNON ON CATHOLIC CHURCH/DACA: http://cbsn.ws/2gKahi2

STEVE BANNON: Look what he did on DACA the other day. Okay, I don't agree with that DACA decision, but I understand how he struggled with it, I understand how he's giving the possibility of a legislative thing. And he said even last night in a tweet-- even in a tweet, he would rethink it. Trust me, the guys in the far right, the guys on the conservative side are not happy with this.

CHARLIE ROSE: I remind you, a good Catholic, that Cardinal Dolan is opposed to what's happened with DACA. Cardinal Dolan.

STEVE BANNON: The Catholic Church has been terrible about this.

CHARLIE ROSE: Okay.

STEVE BANNON: The bishops have been terrible about this. By the way, you know why? You know why? Because unable to really - to - come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches. That's - it's obvious on the face of it. That's what - the entire Catholic Bishops condemn him. The entire C - Catholic Bishops -

CHARLIE ROSE: They?

STEVE BANNON: They have - they have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration. And as much as - As much as I respect Cardinal Dolan and the Bishops on doctrine, this is not doctrine. This is not doctrine at all.

CHARLIE ROSE: Let me talk -

STEVE BANNON: As much as I totally respect the Pope and I totally respect the Catholic Bishops and Cardinals on doctrine, this is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion.

STEVE BANNON ON HIS MEDIA IMAGE: http://cbsn.ws/2gJWmbY

CHARLIE ROSE: So how do you want to be perceived, you today? Because you have a media image.

STEVE BANNON: The media image, I think, is pretty accurate. I'm a street fighter. That's what I -

CHARLIE ROSE: You're more than that.

STEVE BANNON: No, I think I'm - I think I'm - I'm a street fighter. I'm a fighter. And by the way, I think that's why Donald Trump and I get along so well. I'm going to be his wing man outside for the entire time, to protect - No, our - our purpose is to support Donald Trump. By the way -

CHARLIE ROSE: His enemies?

STEVE BANNON: To make sure his enemies know that there's no free shot on goal (PH). By the way, after the Charlottesville situation, that's what I told General Kelly, I was the only guy that came out and tried to defend him. I was the only guy that said, "He's talking about something, taking it up to a higher level." Where does it all go? Where does this end?

CHARLIE ROSE: I tell you where many people suggest it should have gone, it should have gone in terms of denouncing specifically from the very beginning neo-Nazis and white supremacists and people of that political view. And it should have gone there because - those were people that Americans in World War II went to fight against and should have instantly have denounced them. And you didn't at first instinct. In fact, you seemed to be doubling down in terms of a moral equivalency.

STEVE BANNON: What he was trying to say is that people that support the monument staying there peacefully and people that oppose that, that's the normal course of - of First Amendment. When he's talking about the neo-Nazis and neo-confederates and the Klan, who, by the way, are absolutely awful - there's no room in American politics for that. There's no room in American society for that. And all Donald Trump was saying is, "Where does it end? Does it end in taking down the Washington Monument? Does it end in taking down Mount Rushmore? Does it end at taking Churchill's bust out of the Oval Office?"

My problem - my problem, and I told General Kelly this, when you side with a man, you side with him. I was proud to come out and try to defend President Trump in the media that day.

CHARLIE ROSE: And no exceptions in terms of siding with someone?

STEVE BANNON: You can tell him, "Hey, maybe you can do it a better way." But if you're going to break, then resign. If you're going to break with him, resign. The stuff that was leaked out that week by certain members of the White House I thought was unacceptable. If you find it unacceptable, you should resign.

CHARLIE ROSE: So who are you talking about?

STEVE BANNON: I'm talking - obviously, about Gary Cohn and some other people. That if you don't like what he's doing and you don't agree with it, you have an obligation to resign.

CHARLIE ROSE: So Gary Cohn - Gary Cohen should have resigned?

STEVE BANNON: Absolutely.

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