(not that I'd have any sympathy for Bannon if it was true ...)

Maybe he has seen Ivanka, Kellyanne or Jared do it
and since it worked for them, he gave it a try. I highly doubt it though, Bannon does seem dangerously manipulative though, so who knows.

He probably was the one who cried, knowing Bannon knows too much against him and his family, and will easily be flipped to protect himself first.

Getting fired is an upsetting experience. Trump is the sort to capitalize on and denigrate somebody for their reaction. It's a sign of weakness in Trump.

It's the nature of high stress jobs to bring out the character flaws in people. Trump, having many flaws, shows this.

I'm sure the Kim Jong un's of the world notice it too.