Examine individual changes

'{{Short description|American media executive and political strategist}} {{Use American English|date=August 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Steve Bannon | image = Steve Bannon by Gage Skidmore.jpg | office1 = [[Counselor to the President|White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the President]] | president1 = [[Donald Trump]] | term_start1 = January 20, 2017 | term_end1 = August 18, 2017 | predecessor1 = ''Position established'' | successor1 = ''Position abolished'' | birth_name = Stephen Kevin Bannon | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|11|27}} | birth_place = [[Norfolk, Virginia]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | spouse = Cathleen Houff Jordan<br />(divorced)<br />Mary Piccard (1995–1997)<br />Diane Clohesy (2006–2009) | children = 3 | education = [[Virginia Tech]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[Georgetown University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br />[[Harvard Business School|Harvard University]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]]) | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = {{flag|United States Navy}} | serviceyears = 1976–1983 | rank = [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]]<ref name="Navy Rank" />{{efn|name=fn1}} }} {{Conservatism in the United States}} '''Stephen Kevin Bannon''' (born November 27, 1953) is an American media executive, [[political strategist]], and former [[investment banker]], who served as the [[White House]]'s chief strategist in the administration of U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] during the first seven months of Trump's term.<ref name="NYT-20170225">{{cite news |last=Caldwell |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Caldwell (journalist) |title=What Does Steve Bannon Want? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/25/opinion/what-does-steve-bannon-want.html |date=February 25, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 26, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[Politico]]|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/18/bannon-out-as-white-house-chief-strategist-241786|title=Bannon out as White House chief strategist|first=Josh |last=Dawsey|date=August 18, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref> He is a former executive chairman of [[Breitbart News]], and previously served on the board of the now-defunct data-analytics firm [[Cambridge Analytica]].<ref name="Politico">{{cite news|title=Megadonor urged Bannon not to resign Bannon had only attended one NSC meeting|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/bannon-resign-mercer-trump-236939|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref> Bannon was an officer in the [[United States Navy]] for seven years in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After his military service, he worked for two years at [[Goldman Sachs]] as an investment banker. In 1993, he became acting director of the research project [[Biosphere 2]]. He became an [[executive producer]] in [[Hollywood]], and produced 18 films between 1991 and 2016. In 2007, he co-founded Breitbart News, a [[far-right]]{{efn-lr|<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Davis |first1=Mark |title=A new, online culture war? The communication world of Breitbart.com |journal=Communication Research and Practice |date=3 July 2019 |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=241–254 |doi=10.1080/22041451.2018.1558790 |publisher=[[Routledge]]|s2cid=159033173 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Freelon |first1=Deen |last2=Marwick |first2=Alice |last3=Kreiss |first3=Daniel |title=False equivalencies: Online activism from left to right |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |date=4 September 2020 |volume=369 |issue=6508 |pages=1197–1201 |doi=10.1126/science.abb2428|pmid=32883863 |s2cid=221471947 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mudde |first1=Cas |author-link=Cas Mudde |title=The Far Right Today |year=2019 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |isbn=978-1-5095-3685-6 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/aD25DwAAQBAJ |access-date=10 October 2020 |via=[[Google Books]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Worth |first1=Owen |title=Globalisation and the 'Far-right' Turn in International Affairs |journal=[[Irish Studies in International Affairs]] |date=2017 |volume=28 |page=22 |doi=10.3318/isia.2017.28.8|publisher=[[Royal Irish Academy]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/is-trumps-new-chief-strategist-a-racist-critics-say-so/2016/11/14/b72e2ab0-aa9d-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html|title=Is Trump's new chief strategist a racist? Critics say so.|last=Weigel|first=David|date=November 14, 2016|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=December 3, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161222074100/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/is-trumps-new-chief-strategist-a-racist-critics-say-so/2016/11/14/b72e2ab0-aa9d-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html?utm_term=.b1c2f07fcdd0|archive-date=December 22, 2016|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/barack-obama-donald-trump-white-nationalism-stephen-bannon-521680|title=President Barack Obama Warns Against 'Us and Them' Nationalism|last=Gidda|first=Mirren|date=November 16, 2016|work=[[Newsweek]]|access-date=December 3, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427151806/https://www.newsweek.com/barack-obama-donald-trump-white-nationalism-stephen-bannon-521680|archive-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2015/0620/Beyond-Rhodesia-Dylann-Roof-s-manifesto-and-the-website-that-radicalized-him|title=Beyond Rhodesia, Dylann Roof's manifesto and the website that radicalized him|last=Murphy|first=Dan|date=June 20, 2015|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|access-date=December 3, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404230049/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2015/0620/Beyond-Rhodesia-Dylann-Roof-s-manifesto-and-the-website-that-radicalized-him|archive-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/6a4338387e6847eeb6f59db3b8d1fb0a/donald-trumps-cabinet-picks-so-far|title=Donald Trump's Cabinet picks, so far|date=November 19, 2016|access-date=May 28, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191030204935/https://apnews.com/6a4338387e6847eeb6f59db3b8d1fb0a|archive-date=October 30, 2019|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/11/24/world/politics-diplomacy-world/appnexus-bans-breitbart-ad-exchange-citing-hate-speech/|title=AppNexus bans Breitbart from ad exchange, citing hate speech|date=November 24, 2016|work=[[The Japan Times]]|access-date=December 3, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211173507/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/11/24/world/politics-diplomacy-world/appnexus-bans-breitbart-ad-exchange-citing-hate-speech/|archive-date=December 11, 2018|agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/hate-crimes-surge-in-donald-trumps-america-20161117-gsrjpx.html|title=Make America hate again: how Donald Trump's victory has emboldened bigotry|last=McGeough|first=Paul|date=November 19, 2016|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=December 3, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191030205444/https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/hate-crimes-surge-in-donald-trumps-america-20161117-gsrjpx.html|archive-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=Jamieson>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/22/donald-trump-steve-bannon-alt-right-white-nationalist-disavow|title=Trump disavows the white nationalist 'alt-right' but defends Steve Bannon hire|first=Amber|last=Jamieson|date=November 23, 2016|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=Todd>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-breitbart-idUSKBN13I074|title=AppNexus bans Breitbart from ad exchange, citing hate speech|first= Deborah|last=Todd|date=November 23, 2016|work=Reuters}}</ref><ref name=IndNews1>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/breitbart-dreams-big-donald-trump-white-house-a7420711.html|title=Breitbart plans global domination after helping send Donald Trump to White House|date=November 16, 2016|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref name=Memoli>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-house-leader-defends-steve-bannon-s-1479143418-htmlstory.html|title=Top House Republican says skeptics should give Bannon a chance in the White House|first=Michael|last=Memoli|date=November 14, 2016|work=[[LA Times]]}}</ref><ref name=MacLellan>{{cite web|url=http://qz.com/840267/what-is-the-alt-right/|title=The trouble with using the term "alt-right"|first=Lila|last=MacLellan|date=November 18, 2016|website=Quartz}}</ref><ref name=Bartolotta>{{cite news|url=http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/26/umd-censors-far-right-journalist-he-says/|title=UMD Censors Far-Right Journalist; He Says|first=Devin|last=Bartolotta|date=October 26, 2016|work=CBS|location= Baltimore}}</ref><ref name=DMorris>{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2016/10/30/trump-voter-supression-operations/|title=Trump's Digital Team Orchestrating "Three Major Voter Suppression Operations"|first=David|last=Morris|date=October 30, 2016|magazine=Fortune}}</ref><ref name=JColvin>{{cite news|url=http://elections.ap.org/content/trump-puts-flame-throwing-outsider-inside|title=Trump puts flame-throwing outsider on the inside|first=Jill|last=Colvin|date=November 13, 2016|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>|name=BreitbartCalledFarRight|group=Breitbart Called Far Right}} website which he described in 2016 as "the platform for the [[alt-right]]".{{efn-ur|<ref name=Elliott/><ref name="Posner2016">{{cite news|last1=Posner|first1=Sarah|title=How Donald Trump's New Campaign Chief Created an Online Haven for White Nationalists|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/stephen-bannon-donald-trump-alt-right-breitbart-news|access-date=November 20, 2016|work=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]|quote="'We're [i.e., Breitbart News is] the platform for the alt-right,' Bannon told me proudly when I interviewed him at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July."|date=August 22, 2016}}</ref><ref name = "alt-right" >See, e.g.: * {{cite news|author=Eli Stokols|title= Trump fires up the alt-right|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-full-breitbart-229767|newspaper=Politico|date=October 13, 2016|quote=... the unmistakable imprint of Breitbart News, the 'alt-right' website{{nbsp}}...}} * {{cite magazine|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=The rise of the alt-right|url=https://theweek.com/articles/651929/rise-altright|date=October 1, 2016|magazine=The Week|quote=Another major alt-right platform is Breitbart.com, a right-wing news site{{nbsp}}...}} * {{cite news|author=Rahn, Will |title=Steve Bannon and the alt-right: a primer|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-bannon-and-the-alt-right-a-primer/|work=CBS News|date=August 19, 2016|quote=Bannon's Breitbart distinguished itself from the rest of the conservative media in two significant ways this cycle... The second was through their embrace of the alt-right{{nbsp}}...}}</ref><ref name="Josh Hafner">{{cite news|author=Hafner, Josh|title=For the Record: For Trump, everything's going to be alt-right|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/08/26/record-trump-everythings-going-alt-right/89376208/|date=August 26, 2016|magazine=USA Today|quote= Breitbart News, declared 'the platform for the alt-right' last month by then-chair, Steve Bannon.}}</ref><ref name="Callum Borchers">{{cite news|author=Callum Borchers|title='Can you name one white nationalist article at Breitbart?' Challenge accepted!|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/15/can-you-name-one-white-nationalist-article-at-breitbart-challenge-accepted/|date=November 15, 2016|work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="Jessica Taylor">{{cite news|author=Jessica Taylor|title=Energized By Trump's Win, White Nationalists Gather To 'Change The World'|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/20/502719871/energized-by-trumps-win-white-nationalists-gather-to-change-the-world|date=November 20, 2016|magazine=National Public Radio}}</ref><ref name="Joe Sterling">{{cite news|author=Sterling, Joe|title=White nationalism, a term once on the fringes, now front and center|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/16/politics/what-is-white-nationalism-trnd/|date=November 17, 2016|magazine=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Corn, David & Vicens, AJ |title=Here's Evidence Steve Bannon Joined a Facebook Group That Posts Racist Rants and Obama Death Threats|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/11/stephen-bannon-facebook-group-racist-material-obama-death-threats|date=November 18, 2016|magazine=Mother Jones|quote=This Facebook group is for an outfit called Vigilant Patriots, which claims its goals are defending and upholding the Constitution and preserving "our history and culture." As of Friday morning, it listed nearly 3,600 members, including Stephen Bannon, who apparently joined the group seven years ago.}}</ref>|name=BreitbartAssociatedWithAltRight|group=Breitbart Associated With Alt Right}} In 2016, Bannon became the chief executive officer of [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|Trump's 2016 presidential campaign]]<ref name=":2">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/13/politics/donald-trump-reince-priebus-white-house-chief-of-staff/index.html|title=Trump picks Priebus as White House chief of staff, Bannon as top adviser|work=CNN}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-bannon-and-the-alt-right-a-primer/|title=Steve Bannon and the alt-right: a primer|work=CBS News}}</ref> and was appointed Chief Strategist and [[Counselor to the President|Senior Counselor to the President]] following Trump's election. He left the position eight months later, and rejoined Breitbart. In January 2018, Bannon was disavowed by Trump for critical comments reported in the book ''[[Fire and Fury]]'',<ref name = dumb/> and left Breitbart. After leaving the White House, Bannon opposed the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] establishment and supported insurgent candidates in Republican [[primary election]]s. Bannon's reputation as a political strategist was questioned when former Alabama state Supreme Court Chief Justice [[Roy Moore]], despite Bannon's support, lost the [[United States Senate election in Alabama, 2017|2017 United States Senate election in Alabama]] to Democrat [[Doug Jones (politician)|Doug Jones]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/12/12/16770678/roy-moore-loses-steve-bannon|title=Steve Bannon's Republican critics are gleefully dunking on him for Roy Moore's shocking loss|work=Vox|access-date=December 17, 2017|first=Andrew|last=Prokop|date=December 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/01/trump-excommunicates-bannon-and-the-base-follows-suit|title='He Reaped What He Sowed': Trump Excommunicates Bannon and the Base Follows Suit|last=Nguyen|first=Tina|work=The Hive|access-date=January 4, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Bannon had declared his intention to become "the infrastructure, globally, for the global populist movement."<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Steve Bannon Is Done Wrecking the American Establishment. Now He Wants to Destroy Europe's.|date=March 9, 2018|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/09/world/europe/horowitz-europe-populism.html}}</ref> Accordingly, he has supported many [[national populist]] [[conservative]] political movements around the world, including creating a [[The Movement (populist group)|network of far-right groups in Europe]]. In August 2020, Bannon and three others were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit [[mail fraud]] and [[money laundering]] in connection to the [[We Build the Wall]] campaign. The defendants allegedly enriched themselves, despite promising that all contributions would go to building a wall. Bannon pleaded not guilty and was pardoned by Trump before his trial date.<ref name="auto8">{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Shayna|title=Steve Bannon's trial set for May in border wall conspiracy case|language=en-US|work=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/steve-bannon-trial-date/2020/08/31/a4c61e7c-eb90-11ea-ab4e-581edb849379_story.html|access-date=2020-09-01|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name="pardon"/> In November 2020, Bannon's [[Twitter]] account was permanently suspended after he suggested that top government infectious disease expert [[Anthony Fauci]] and [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] Director [[Christopher A. Wray|Christopher Wray]] should be beheaded.<ref>Curt Devine and Donie O'Sullivan (November 6, 2020). [https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/05/tech/steve-bannon-twitter-permanent-suspension/index.html Twitter permanently suspends Steve Bannon account after talk of beheading.] ''CNN.'' Retrieved: November 6, 2020.</ref> == Early life and education == Stephen Kevin Bannon<!-- full name removed until secondary RS covers, links removed have violated [[WP:DOB]] and [[WP:BLPPRIMARY]] a government newsroom press release is not secondary RS --> was born November 27, 1953<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-23|title=Steve Bannon interview: 'You're insane! You're the party of Davos propaganda machine!'|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200823142552/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/steve-bannon-interview-you-re-insane-you-re-the-party-of-davos-propaganda-machine-x5mxkd67s|archive-date=August 23, 2020|website=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/steve-bannon-interview-you-re-insane-you-re-the-party-of-davos-propaganda-machine-x5mxkd67s|access-date=March 25, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=An Astrologer Predicts the Fate of Everyone in the White House|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/newbjd/an-astrologer-predicts-the-fate-of-everyone-in-the-white-house|access-date=2020-08-23|website=www.vice.com|language=en}}</ref> in [[Norfolk, Virginia]], to Doris (née Herr), a homemaker, and Martin J. Bannon Jr.,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/local/article_aecebf1d-9fa1-589a-8c85-b315c05bc6de.amp.html|title="I assumed he was a Democrat": A look at Steve Bannon's journey from Norfolk to Washington|newspaper=The Virginian-Pilot|last=Pierceall|first=Kimberly|date=December 3, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2018}}</ref> who worked as an [[AT&T]] telephone [[lineman (technician)|lineman]] and as a middle manager.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/27/us/politics/steve-bannon-white-house.html|title=Combative, Populist Steve Bannon Found His Man in Donald Trump|date=November 27, 2016|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="auto4">{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/steve-bannon-films-movies-documentaries-trump-hollywood-214495|title=What I Learned Binge-Watching Steve Bannon's Documentaries|publisher=[[Politico]]}}</ref> He grew up in a working class family which was pro-[[Kennedy family|Kennedy]] and pro-[[trade union|union]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/14/steve-bannon-who-is-the-donald-trumps-chief-strategist-and-why-i/ |title=Steve Bannon: Who is Donald Trump's chief strategist and why is he so feared? |work=The Telegraph |date=November 14, 2016 |access-date=December 22, 2016}}</ref> He is of Irish, and some German, descent. Much of his mother's side of the family settled in the Baltimore area, a hotspot for German arrivals to America throughout the 19th Century.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2018-05/steve-bannon-interview-english/seite-3 |title='I have tremendous faith in the new, young leadership of AfD' (Interview with Steve Bannon) |date=May 29, 2018 |newspaper=Die Zeit |first=Paul |last=Middelhoff |access-date=July 6, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimoremd.com/charm/pointofentry.html |title=Point of Entry: Baltimore, the Other Ellis Island |first=William |last=Connery |website=baltimoremd.com |access-date=July 6, 2020 }}</ref> Bannon graduated from [[Benedictine College Preparatory]], a private, Catholic, military high school in [[Richmond, Virginia]], in 1971,<ref name="connie" /> and then attended [[Virginia Tech]], where he served as the president of the student government association.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Von Drehle, David|date=February 13, 2017|title=The second most powerful man in the world?|magazine=Time|page=29|url=http://time.com/4657665/steve-bannon-donald-trump/}}</ref> During the summers he worked at a local junk yard.<ref name="Viser">{{cite news |last=Viser |first=Matt |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/11/26/look-steven-bannon-and-his-years-harvard-business-school/B2m0j85jh5jRKzKbMastzK/story.html |title=Harvard classmates barely recognize the Bannon of today |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=November 26, 2016 |access-date=April 24, 2017 }}</ref> He graduated from [[Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies]] in 1976, with a [[bachelor's degree]] in urban planning. While serving in the navy, he earned a master's degree in national security studies in 1983 from [[Georgetown University]] [[School of Foreign Service]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Keane |first=James |date=November 17, 2017 |title=Steve Bannon: St. Ignatius helped me get sober |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/11/17/steve-bannon-st-ignatius-helped-me-get-sober |magazine=[[America Magazine]] |language=en}}</ref> In 1985,{{refn|Per a ''Harvard Crimson'' article,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/11/29/protests-bannon-iop-harvard/ |date=November 29, 2016 |access-date=March 29, 2017 |title=Harvard Affiliates, Boston Residents to Protest Bannon's Visit |newspaper=The Harvard Crimson |first=Claire E. |last=Parker |quote=Bannon graduated from the Harvard Business School in 1985. }}</ref> but note that some places mistakenly claim Bannon graduated in 1983, which was his *first* year at Harvard,<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2016/11/26/a-look-at-steve-bannon-and-his-years-at-harvard-business-school |title=A look at Steve Bannon and his years at Harvard Business School |date=November 26, 2016 |access-date=December 22, 2016}}</ref> according to the ''Boston Globe''.}} Bannon earned a [[Master of Business Administration]] degree with honors from [[Harvard Business School]].<ref name=Bloomberg_Bannon>{{cite news|title=Stephen K. Bannon |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=772098&privcapId=10184476|work=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg 2015">{{cite news|last1=Green|first1=Joshua|title=This Man Is the Most Dangerous Political Operative in America|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2015-steve-bannon/|work=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|access-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008104410/http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2015-steve-bannon/|archive-date=October 8, 2015|language=en|date=October 8, 2015}}</ref> == Service as naval officer == Bannon was an officer in the [[United States Navy]] for seven years in the late 1970s and early 1980s; he served on the [[destroyer]] {{USS|Paul F. Foster}} as a [[Surface warfare|surface warfare officer]] in the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]], and afterwards stateside as a special assistant to the [[Chief of Naval Operations]] at [[the Pentagon]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/trumps-controversial-new-adviser-promoted-conservatism-even-in-the-navy|title=Trump's controversial new adviser promoted conservatism even in the Navy|work=Military Times}}</ref> Bannon's job at the Pentagon was, among other things, handling messages between senior officers and writing reports about the state of the Navy fleet worldwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/30/fox-news-exclusive-making-steve-bannon-from-young-navy-man-to-white-house-power-player.html|title=Fox News Exclusive: The making of Steve Bannon, from young Navy man to White House power player|first=Douglas|last=Kennedy|date=March 30, 2017|work=Fox News}}</ref> While at the Pentagon, Bannon attended Georgetown University at night and obtained his master's degree in national security studies.<ref name="Viser" /> In 1980, Bannon was deployed to the [[Persian Gulf]] to assist with [[Operation Eagle Claw]] during the [[Iran hostage crisis]]. The mission's failure marked a turning point in his political world-view from largely apolitical to strongly [[wikt:Reaganite|Reaganite]], which was further reinforced by the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-bannons-navy-service-during-the-iran-hostage-crisis-shaped-his-views/2017/02/09/99f1e58a-e991-11e6-bf6f-301b6b443624_story.html|title=How Bannon's Navy service during the Iran hostage crisis shaped his views|last1=Kranish|first1=Michael|last2=Whitlock|first2=Craig|date=February 10, 2017|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/bannons-war/|title=Bannon's War|date=May 23, 2017|work=Frontline|publisher=PBS}}</ref> Bannon has stated, "I wasn't political until I got into the service and saw how badly [[Jimmy Carter]] fucked things up. I became a huge Reagan admirer. Still am. But what turned me against the whole establishment was coming back from running companies in Asia in 2008 and seeing that [[George W. Bush|Bush]] had fucked up as badly as Carter. The whole country was a disaster."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2015-steve-bannon/|title=This Man Is the Most Dangerous Political Operative in America|author=Green, Joshua|date=October 8, 2015|work=Bloomberg}}</ref> At the time of his separation from the Navy, Bannon held the rank of [[Lieutenant (navy)|lieutenant (O-3)]].<ref name="Navy Rank">{{cite book|author1=98th United States Congress|title=''Congressional Record''|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]]|page=S1796|language=en|author1-link=98th United States Congress|title-link=Congressional Record}}{{verification needed|date=February 2017}}</ref>{{efn|name=fn1|Bannon was erroneously referred to as a captain, but a correction was given.<ref name="Vice President Pence on the Supreme Court fight, the travel ban and Bannon's sway">{{cite news|title=Vice President Pence on the Supreme Court fight, the travel ban and Bannon's sway|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/vice-president-pence-supreme-court-fight-travel-ban-bannons-sway/|publisher=PBS |work=NewsHour|access-date=February 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203084601/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/vice-president-pence-supreme-court-fight-travel-ban-bannons-sway/|archive-date=February 3, 2017|language=en|format=Interview}}</ref>}} == Business career == === Investment banking === After his military service, Bannon worked at [[Goldman Sachs]] as an [[investment banker]] in the Mergers and Acquisitions Department.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2016/08/17/donald-trump-bannon-mnuchin-goldman/|title=Another Goldman Sachs Alum Joins Donald Trump's Campaign|last=Primack|first=Dan|date=August 17, 2016|work=Fortune|access-date=August 22, 2016}}</ref> In 1987, he relocated from New York to Los Angeles, to assist Goldman in expanding their presence in the entertainment industry.<ref name="connie">{{cite news |last=Bruck |first=Connie |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/01/how-hollywood-remembers-steve-bannon |title=How Hollywood Remembers Steve Bannon |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=May 1, 2017 |access-date=April 24, 2017 }}</ref> He stayed at this position with Goldman in Los Angeles for two years, and left with the title of vice president.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Primack|first1=Dan|title=Steve Bannon Wasn't a 'Managing Partner' at Goldman Sachs|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/steve-bannon-wasnt-managing-partner-goldman-sachs-dan-primack|access-date=February 8, 2017|language=en|date=November 14, 2016|website=LinkedIn}}</ref>{{efn|name=fn2|Bannon was erroneously referred to as a "managing partner."<ref>{{cite news|title=Donald Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon not anti-Semitic as he worked for Goldman Sachs, says Newt Gingrich|author=Sims, Alexandra|date=November 14, 2016|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=February 20, 2017|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-steve-bannon-newt-gingrich-not-antisemitic-goldman-sachs-hollywood-chief-strategist-a7416436.html}}</ref>}} In 1990, Bannon and several colleagues from Goldman Sachs launched their own company Bannon & Co., a [[boutique investment bank]] specializing in media. In one of Bannon & Co.'s transactions, the firm represented [[Westinghouse Electric]] which wanted to sell [[Castle Rock Entertainment]].<ref name="Bloomberg 2015"/> Bannon negotiated a sale of Castle Rock to [[Turner Broadcasting System]], which was owned by [[Ted Turner]] at the time.<ref name="NYPostCraw02082017">{{cite news |last=Craw |first=Victoria |date=February 8, 2017 |title=Steve Bannon is still making money from 'Seinfeld' reruns |url=https://nypost.com/2017/02/08/steve-bannon-is-still-making-money-from-seinfeld-reruns/ |work=New York Post |location=New York |access-date=April 5, 2017 }}</ref> Instead of a full adviser's fee, Bannon & Co. accepted a financial stake in five television shows, including ''[[Seinfeld]]'', which was in its third season. Bannon still receives cash residuals each time ''Seinfeld'' is aired.<ref name="NYPostCraw02082017"/> [[Société Générale]] purchased Bannon & Co. in 1998.<ref name="Bloomberg 2015"/> === Earth science === In 1993, while still managing Bannon & Co., Bannon became acting director of the earth science research project [[Biosphere 2]] in [[Oracle, Arizona]]. Under Bannon, the closed-system experiment project shifted emphasis from researching human space exploration and colonization toward the scientific study of earth's environment, pollution, and climate change. He left the project in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Murphy|first1=Tim|title=Trump's Campaign CEO Ran a Secretive Sci-Fi Project in the Arizona Desert|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/stephen-bannon-donald-trump-biosphere-2-arizona|access-date=August 28, 2016|work=Mother Jones|date=August 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Kennedy|first1=Bud|title=Long before Breitbart, Trump CEO Bannon ran Ed Bass' Biosphere 2|url=http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/bud-kennedy/article97952922.html|access-date=August 28, 2016|work=Star-Telegram|date=August 25, 2016}}</ref> === Entertainment and media === [[File:Steve Bannon 2010.jpg|thumb|upright|Bannon in 2010]] In the 1990s, Bannon ventured into entertainment and media, and became an executive producer in the Hollywood film and media industry. Bannon produced 18 films,<ref name="auto4"/> from [[Sean Penn]]'s drama ''[[The Indian Runner]]'' (1991) to [[Julie Taymor]]'s film ''[[Titus (film)|Titus]]'' (1999). Bannon became a partner with entertainment industry executive [[Jeff Kwatinetz]] at film and television management company [[The Firm, Inc.]], 2002–2003.<ref name="Bloomberg 2015" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannons-hollywood-partner-breaks-silence-defends-hes-not-a-racist-q-a-1001006 |title=Steve Bannon's Former Hollywood Partner Breaks Silence: "He's Not a Racist" (Q&A) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> In 2004, Bannon made a documentary about [[Ronald Reagan]] titled ''[[Reagan's War|In the Face of Evil]]''. Through the making and screening of this film, Bannon was introduced to ''Reagan's War'' author [[Peter Schweizer]] and publisher [[Andrew Breitbart]], who would later describe him as the [[Leni Riefenstahl]] of the [[Tea Party movement]].<ref name="Bloomberg 2015" /> Bannon was involved in the financing and production of a number of films, including ''[[Fire from the Heartland|Fire from the Heartland: The Awakening of the Conservative Woman]]'' (2010), ''[[The Undefeated (2011 film)|The Undefeated]]'' (2011), and ''[[Occupy Unmasked]]'' (2012). Bannon persuaded Goldman Sachs to invest, in 2006, in a company known as [[IGE|Internet Gaming Entertainment]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/11/ff-ige |title=The Decline and Fall of an Ultra Rich Online Gaming Empire|last=Dibbell|first=Julian|date=November 24, 2008|newspaper=WIRED|language=en-US|access-date=January 25, 2017}}</ref> Following a lawsuit, the company rebranded as Affinity Media, and Bannon took over as CEO. From 2007 through 2011, Bannon was the chair and CEO of Affinity Media.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/09/trumps-campaign-ceos-little-known-world-warcraft-career/|title=Trump's Campaign CEO's Little Known World of Warcraft Career|last=Lapowsky|first=Issie|newspaper=WIRED|language=en-US|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNY230aBfVA&list=PLVoyhs16ZVkgNghyqIrERK8G7Bcbt3kLs&index=35|title=25 October 2011 presentation to the Liberty Restoration Foundation|location= Orlando, Florida|work=Youtube}}</ref> In 2007, Bannon wrote an eight-page [[Film treatment|treatment]] for a new documentary called ''Destroying the Great Satan: The Rise of Islamic Facism'' (sic)'' in America''. The outline states that "although driven by the 'best intentions,' institutions such as the media, the Jewish community and government agencies were appeasing jihadists aiming to create an Islamic republic."<ref>{{cite news|author=Gold, Matea|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bannon-film-outline-warned-us-could-turn-into-islamic-states-of-america/2017/02/03/f73832f4-e8be-11e6-b82f-687d6e6a3e7c_story.html |title=Bannon film outline warned U.S. could turn into 'Islamic States of America'|work=The Washington Post|date= February 3, 2017|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 2011, Bannon spoke at the Liberty Restoration Foundation in Orlando, Florida, about the Economic Crisis of 2008, the [[Troubled Assets Relief Program]], and their impact in the origins of the Tea Party movement, while also discussing his films ''[[Generation Zero]]'' (2010) and ''The Undefeated''.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Bannon, Steve |date=November 20, 2011 |publisher=VictorySessions |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BSrJv0IpHY |via=YouTube |access-date=September 25, 2018 |title=Stephen K. Bannon at The Liberty Restoration Foundation }}</ref> Bannon was executive chair and co-founder of the [[Government Accountability Institute]], a tax-exempt [[501(c)(3) organization]] (where he helped orchestrate the publication of Breitbart News senior [[editor-at-large]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/fbi-investigation-clinton-foundation-peter-schweizer-breitbart|work=Vanity Fair|title=Why an anti-Clinton book from Breitbart got the FBI's attention|last=Borchers|first=Callum}}</ref> Peter Schweizer's book ''[[Clinton Cash]]),''<ref name="Bloomberg 2015" /><ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.g-a-i.org/team/|title=Team|website=g-a-i.org|publisher=[[Government Accountability Institute]]|access-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> from its founding in 2012 until his departure in August 2016.<ref name=":6">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/trump-adviser-received-salary-from-charity-while-steering-breitbart-news/2016/11/22/75340778-af8a-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html|title=Trump adviser received salary from charity while steering Breitbart News|last=O'Harrow Jr.|first=Robert|date=November 23, 2016|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 25, 2017}}</ref> For the years 2012 through 2015, he received between $81,000 and $100,000 each year; the organization reported that he worked an average of 30 hours per week for the organization.<ref name=":6" /> He has also worked as vice president of the board of [[Cambridge Analytica]], a data-analytics firm which allegedly used illegal tactics to target American voters in the 2016 election and is owned largely by the [[Mercer Family Foundation|Mercer family]],<ref name="Politico"/> the family that also co-owns Breitbart News.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.eu/blogs/on-media/2017/02/breitbart-reveals-owners-ceo-larry-solov-the-mercer-family-and-susie-breitbart-donald-trump-media/|title= Breitbart reveals owners: CEO Larry Solov, the Mercer family and Susie Breitbart|last=Gold|first=Hadas|date= February 25, 2017}}</ref> In 2015, Bannon was ranked No. 19 on [[Mediaite]]'s list of the "25 Most Influential in Political News Media 2015".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/mediaites-25-most-influential-in-political-news-media-of-2015/2/|title=Mediaite's 25 Most Influential in Political News Media 2015|date=December 29, 2015|work=Mediaite|access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref> Bannon also hosted a radio show (''Breitbart News Daily'') on the [[SiriusXM Patriot]] satellite radio channel.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/05/8568508/conservative-nonprofit-plans-expand-statewide-presence#|title=Conservative nonprofit plans to expand statewide presence|date=May 21, 2015|work=Politico|last1=Mahoney|first1=Bill|access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref> ==== Breitbart News ==== Bannon was a founding member of the board of Breitbart News,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/andrew-breitbart-news-executives-death-301754|title=Breitbart News Names Executives Who Will Run Company in Wake of Founder's Death|last=Bond|first=Paul|date=March 19, 2012|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref> a [[far-right]]{{efn-lr|name=BreitbartCalledFarRight}} news, opinion and commentary website. Philip Elliott and Zeke J. Miller of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' have said that the site has "pushed racist, sexist, xenophobic and [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] material into the vein of the alternative right".<ref name="Elliott">{{cite news | url=http://time.com/4574493/donald-trump-chaotic-transition/ | title=Inside Donald Trump's Chaotic Transition | work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=November 18, 2016 | access-date=November 20, 2016 | last1=Elliott | first1=Philip | last2=Miller | first2=Zeke}}</ref> Bannon said that Breitbart's ideological mix included libertarians, Zionists, the conservative gay community, same-sex marriage opponents, economic nationalists, populists, as well as alt-right, the alt-right comprising a very small proportion overall. Conceding the alt-right holds views with "racial and anti-Semitic overtones," Bannon said he has zero tolerance for such views.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/11/24/alt-right-white-supremacist-donald-trump/94355492/ |title=Defining alt-right is tricky in the wake of Trump's victory |date=November 24, 2016 |newspaper=USA Today |first=Rick |last=Jervis |access-date=September 25, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-bannon-on-politics-as-war-1479513161 |title=Steve Bannon on Politics as War |journal=Wall Street Journal |date=November 18, 2016 |first=Kimberly A. |last=Strassel |access-date=September 25, 2018 |quote=But he says Breitbart is also a platform for 'libertarians,' Zionists, 'the conservative gay community,' ... |url-access=subscription }}</ref> In March 2012, after founder Andrew Breitbart's death, Bannon became executive chair of Breitbart News LLC, the parent company of Breitbart News.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/08/17/trump-reshuffles-staff-in-his-own-image/ |title=Trump shakes up campaign, demotes top adviser|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 17, 2016|first1=Robert|last1=Costa|first2=Jose A.|last2=DelReal|first3=Jenna|last3=Johnson|date=August 17, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/03/breitbart-to-announce-new-management-117836.html|title=Breitbart to announce new management|date=March 19, 2012|work=Politico|last1=Hagey|first1=Keach|access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-steve-bannon-taxes_us_57b4b93be4b034dc73254691|title=Trump Campaign CEO Steve Bannon Failed to Properly Pay Taxes For Several Years|last=Bobic|first=Igor|date=August 18, 2016|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> Under his leadership, Breitbart took a more alt-right and nationalistic approach toward its agenda.<ref>{{cite news|author=Colvin, Jill & Hennessey, Kathleen|title=Trump puts flame-throwing outsider on the inside|url=http://www.apnewsarchive.com/2016/Trump_puts_flame-throwing_outsider_on_the_inside/id-f476183e30664524a534f5c0b997f98c|agency=Associated Press|date=November 13, 2016|access-date=September 18, 2017}}</ref> In 2016, Bannon declared the website "the platform for the alt-right".<ref name="Posner2016"/> Speaking about his role at Breitbart, Bannon said: "We think of ourselves as virulently anti-establishment, particularly 'anti-' the permanent political class."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Farhi|first1=Paul|title=How Breitbart has become a dominant voice in conservative media |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-breitbart-has-become-a-dominant-voice-in-conservative-media/2016/01/27/a705cb88-befe-11e5-9443-7074c3645405_story.html |access-date=February 15, 2016|work=The Washington Post|date=January 27, 2016}}</ref> On August 18, 2017, Breitbart announced that Bannon would return as executive chairman following his period of employment at the White House.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|last1=Horsley|first1=Scott|last2=Parks|first2=Miles|work=[[NPR]]|title=Steve Bannon, Out As Chief White House Strategist, Heads Back To Breitbart|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/08/18/523778912/reports-steve-bannon-out-as-chief-white-house-strategist|date=August 18, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref> On January 9, 2018, he stepped down as executive chairman.<ref name=stepdown>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-book-bannon/bannon-steps-down-from-breitbart-news-after-drawing-fire-from-trump-idUSKBN1EY2LY |title=Bannon steps down from Breitbart News after drawing fire from Trump |date=January 9, 2018 |work=Reuters |access-date=September 25, 2018 |first1=Eric |last1=Beech |first2=Steve |last2=Holland }}</ref> [[Ben Shapiro]], a former Breitbart editor and colleague of Bannon, called Bannon a "bully" who "sold out [Breitbart founder] Andrew's mission in order to back another bully, Donald Trump."<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Shapiro: Who is he and why is he so controversial? |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/ben-shapiro-who-is-he-and-why-is-he-so-controversial |publisher=Fox News |date=September 18, 2017}}</ref> == Political career == === Donald Trump campaign === On August 17, 2016, with 88 days until the 2016 presidential election, Bannon was appointed chief executive of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.<ref>Martin, Jonathan; Rutenberg, Jim; Haberman, Maggie (August 17, 2016). [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/us/politics/donald-trump-stephen-bannon-paul-manafort.html?_r=0 "Donald Trump Appoints Media Firebrand to Run Campaign"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref> Bannon left Breitbart, as well as the Government Accountability Institute<ref name=":6"/> and Cambridge Analytica,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Data Firm Says 'Secret Sauce' Aided Trump; Many Scoff|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/cambridge-analytica.html|work=The New York Times}}</ref> to take the job. Shortly after he assumed the chief executive role, the chairman of the Trump campaign, [[Paul Manafort]], was dismissed.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name="NYT1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/movies/on-the-right-side-of-the-theater-aisle.html?_r=0|title=On the Right Side of the Theater Aisle|date=June 26, 2005|work=The New York Times|quote=If established Hollywood conservatives welcome the energy of this new group, some nonetheless fear that it is heading down the wrong path ... Even the outspoken Mr. Bannon thinks that little will be gained if conservative ideology moves too far in front of conservative art. 'We have the money, we have the ideas,' he said. 'What we don't have – and what the left has in spades – are great filmmakers.'|last1=Ulmer|first1=James|access-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref><ref name="New York Times">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/us/politics/donald-trump-stephen-bannon-paul-manafort.html|title=Donald Trump Appoints Media Firebrand to Run Campaign|date=August 17, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|last2=Rutenberg|first2=Jim|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|last1=Martin|first1=Jonathan|access-date=August 18, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/17/business/media/breitbart-news-network-plans-global-expansion.html?_r=0|title=Breitbart News Network Plans Global Expansion|date=February 16, 2014|work=The New York Times|last1=Kaufman|first1=Leslie|access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref> [[File:Trump protest (30297762504).jpg|thumb|A placard criticizing Bannon at an anti-Trump protest]] On November 13, following Donald Trump's election to the presidency, Bannon was appointed chief strategist and senior counselor to the President-elect.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/us/politics/reince-priebus-chief-of-staff-donald-trump.html|title=Donald Trump Picks Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as Strategist|last1=Haberman|first1=Michael D. Shear, Maggie|date=November 13, 2016|last2=Rappeport|first2=Alan|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> His appointment drew opposition from the [[Anti-Defamation League]] (ADL), the [[Council on American–Islamic Relations]], the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]], Democratic [[Senate Minority Leader]] [[Harry Reid]], and some Republican strategists because of statements in Breitbart News that were alleged to be racist or antisemitic.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/reid-spokesman-white-supremacist-bannon-snags-white-house-post/article/2607296?custom_click=rss|title=Reid spokesman: 'White supremacist' Bannon snags White House post|last=Ferrechio|first=Susan|website=[[The Washington Examiner]]|access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/13/trump-draws-sharp-rebuke-concerns-over-newly-appointed-chief-white-house-strategist/|title=Trump draws sharp rebuke, concerns over newly appointed chief White House strategist Stephen Bannon|first=Jose A. Del|last=Real|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite news|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|title=Critics See Stephen Bannon, Trump's Pick for Strategist, as Voice of Racism|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/15/us/politics/donald-trump-presidency.html|access-date=November 15, 2016|work=The New York Times|date=November 14, 2016}}</ref> A number of prominent conservative Jews, however, defended Bannon against the allegations of anti-Semitism, including Ben Shapiro,<ref name="auto1" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis: Breitbart's Steve Bannon leads the 'alt right' to the White House|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/analysis-breitbart-s-steve-bannon-leads-alt-right-white-house-n683316|access-date=November 15, 2016|work=NBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442189/steve-bannon-trump-administration-alt-right-breitbart-chief-strategist|title=Steve Bannon Is Not a Nazi—But Let's Be Honest about What He Represents|newspaper=National Review|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> [[David Horowitz]],<ref>[http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/jewish-writer-says-trumps-appointee-bannon-doesnt-have-an-anti-semitic-bone-in-his-body/2016/11/15 Jewish Writer Says Trump's Appointee, Bannon 'Doesn't Have An Anti-Semitic Bone in His Body'] By Hana Levi Julian, Jewish Press, November 15, 2016</ref> [[Pamela Geller]],<ref>[https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/11/15/amid-antisemitism-controversy-senior-trump-adviser-stephen-bannon-to-attend-major-pro-israel-groups-gala-dinner Amid Antisemitism Controversy, Senior Trump Adviser Stephen Bannon to Attend Major Pro-Israel Group's Gala Dinner] November 15, 2016, Algemeiner</ref> [[Bernard Marcus]] of the [[Republican Jewish Coalition]],<ref name="auto3">[https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/republican-jewish-coalition-backs-steve-bannon-trump-white-house Republican Jewish Coalition Defends Trump's Appointment Of Bannon] By Allegra Kirkland, [[Talking Points Memo]], November 15, 2016,</ref> [[Morton Klein]]<ref>[http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/bannon-and-breitbart-friends-of-israel-not-anti-semites Bannon and Breitbart: Friends of Israel, not anti-Semites] November 16, 2016, Times of Israel</ref> and the [[Zionist Organization of America]],<ref name="auto3"/> and [[Rabbi]] [[Shmuley Boteach]].<ref>[http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/306035-letter-to-anti-defamation-leagues-jonathan 'America's rabbi' rises to defend Steve ′Bannon] Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Contributor, The Hill, 11/15/16</ref> [[Alan Dershowitz]] at first defended Bannon, saying there was no evidence he was antisemitic,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/alan-dershowitz-no-evidence-bannon-is-anti-semitic-809710147844|title=Alan Dershowitz: 'No evidence' Bannon is anti-Semitic|website=MSNBC.com}}</ref><ref>[http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=38071 Dershowitz defends Steve Bannon against anti-Semitism claims] Yoni Hersch, [[Yisrael Hayom]], Thursday November 17, 2016</ref> but then in a later piece stated that Bannon had made bigoted statements against Muslims, women, and others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.753694?=&ts=_1479410849560|title=Opinion: Bannon's not an Anti-Semite. But he is an anti-Muslim, anti-women bigot|author=Alan M. Dershowitz|newspaper=Haaretz|date=November 17, 2016|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref> The ADL stated "We are not aware of any anti-Semitic statements from Bannon."<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4881100,00.html ADL states Trump appt. Bannon not known anti-Semite, while ADL CEO pledges to register as Muslim] [[Ynet]], Gahl Becker and Reuters, 19.11.16</ref> Shapiro, who previously worked as an editor-at-large at Breitbart, said he had no evidence of Bannon being racist or an antisemite, but that Bannon was "happy to pander to those people and make common cause with them in order to transform conservatism into European far-right nationalist populism".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-thoughts-steve-bannon-white-house-chief-ben-shapiro|title=3 Thoughts on Steve Bannon As White House 'Chief Strategist'|last=Shapiro|first=Ben|work=[[The Daily Wire]]}}</ref> Bannon had referred to French National Front (now [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]) politician [[Marion Maréchal|Marion Maréchal-Le Pen]] as "the new rising star".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/11/13/trump-s-man-stephen-bannon-flirts-with-a-le-pen|title=Steve Bannon's Dream: A Worldwide Ultra-Right|first=Asawin Suebsaeng|last=Dickey|date=November 13, 2016|website=The Daily Beast}}</ref> On November 15, 2016, U.S. Representative [[David Cicilline]] of Rhode Island released a letter to Trump signed by 169 Democratic House Representatives urging the President-Elect to rescind his appointment of Bannon. The letter stated that appointing Bannon "sends a disturbing message about what kind of president Donald Trump wants to be",<ref name="Prignano">{{cite news|last1=Prignano|first1=Christina|title=More than 150 House members urge Trump to rescind Bannon appointment|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/11/16/more-than-house-members-urge-trump-rescind-bannon-appointment/57MFSBYKGNI0RcP0nVwIWL/story.html|access-date=November 16, 2016|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=November 16, 2016}}</ref><ref name="McCaskill">{{cite news|last1=McCaskill|first1=Nolan D.|title=Democrats demand that Trump rescind Bannon appointment|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/democrats-demand-trump-rescind-steve-bannon-231422|access-date=November 16, 2016|publisher=Politico|date=November 15, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Tempera">{{cite news|last1=Tempera|first1=Jacqueline|title=R.I. delegation taking lead in holding Trump accountable|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20161115/ri-delegation-taking-lead-in-holding-trump-accountable|access-date=November 16, 2016|newspaper=Providence Journal|date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> because his "ties to the White Nationalist movement have been well documented"; it went on to present several examples of Breitbart News's alleged xenophobia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cicilline.house.gov/sites/cicilline.house.gov/files/images/letter.pdf|title=Cicilline's letter to Donald Trump}}</ref> Bannon denied being a white nationalist and claimed, rather, that he was an "economic nationalist."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/21/politics/steve-bannon-donald-trump-nationalist/index.html|title=Bannon rejects white nationalism: 'I'm an economic nationalist'|first=Eric |last=Bradner|publisher=CNN}}</ref> On November 18, during his first interview not conducted by Breitbart Media since the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]], Bannon remarked on some criticisms made about him, saying, "Darkness is good: [[Dick Cheney]]. [[Darth Vader]]. [[Satan]]. That's power. It only helps us when they get it wrong. When they're blind to who we are and what we're doing."<ref name="CNN-darkness">{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/18/politics/steve-bannon-donald-trump-hollywood-reporter-interview/index.html|title=Steve Bannon: Darkness is Good|access-date=November 24, 2016|date=November 19, 2016|publisher=[[CNN|CNN Politics]]}}</ref><ref name="hwr">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747|title=Ringside With Steve Bannon at Trump Tower as the President-Elect's Strategist Plots "An Entirely New Political Movement" (Exclusive)|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=November 24, 2016|date=November 18, 2016|author=Michael Wolff}}</ref> The quote was published widely in the media.<ref name="CNN-darkness"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2016/11/18/dick-cheney-darth-vader-satan-that-is-power-steve-bannon-speaks-out-for-first-time-since-being-named-donald-trumps-top-white-house-adviser/|title="Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That's power": Steve Bannon speaks out for first time since being named Donald Trump's top White House adviser|access-date=November 26, 2016|date=November 19, 2016|work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://fortune.com/2016/11/20/steve-bannon-interview-darkness/|title=Steve Bannon Thinks "Darkness Is Good"|access-date=November 26, 2016|date=November 20, 2016|magazine=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]}}</ref><ref name="independent">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-steve-bannon-dick-cheney-darth-vader-satan-a7425816.html|title=Steve Bannon compares himself to Dick Cheney, Darth Vader and Satan|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=November 26, 2016|date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'' in late November, Trump responded to the controversy over Bannon's appointment, saying, "I've known Steve Bannon a long time. If I thought he was a racist, or alt-right, or any of the things that we can, you know, the terms we can use, I wouldn't even think about hiring him."<ref>{{cite news|title=Donald Trump's New York Times Interview: Full Transcript|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/trump-new-york-times-interview-transcript.html?_r=1|access-date=February 21, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=November 23, 2016}}</ref> In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Bannon said that his role was to "recalibrate" the campaign which had at that point lost its message. He "stepped in and got the campaign refocused", but he rebuffed the idea that he was the reason Trump won the presidency, saying "Trump is unique in American political history, he's his own closer". But that his role was to make sure that Hilary Clinton was held up as a "guardian of a corrupt and incompetent establishment" and this that was key to winning votes in states that Trump needed to win.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGJZQPARAIc|title=BBC Newssnight Aired 24/05/2018}}</ref> [[Reuters]] reported on October 31, 2018, that the [[Senate Intelligence Committee]] is conducting a "wide-ranging" investigation of Bannon's activities during the campaign, including knowledge he may have had about any contacts between Russia and two campaign advisors, [[George Papadopoulos]] and [[Carter Page]], as well as his role with [[Cambridge Analytica]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-bannon/u-s-senate-panel-investigates-former-trump-aide-bannon-sources-idUSKCN1N52RU|title=U.S. Senate panel investigates former Trump aide Bannon: sources|first=Mark|last=Hosenball|access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> === Trump administration === ==== National Security Council ==== [[File:President Donald Trump receives a briefing on a military strike.jpg|thumb|Bannon during the April 2017 [[2017 Shayrat missile strike|Syrian missile strike]] operation]] At the end of January 2017, in a departure from the previous format of the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] (NSC), the holder of Bannon's position, along with that of the [[White House Chief of Staff|Chief of Staff]], were designated by presidential memorandum as regular attendees to the NSC's Principals Committee, a Cabinet-level senior inter-agency forum for considering national security issues.<ref name=Phippen>{{cite magazine |last=Phippen |first=J. Weston |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/liveblogs/2017/01/todays-news-jan-28-2017/514826/14243/ |title=Trump Gives Stephen Bannon Access to the National Security Council |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |date=January 29, 2017 |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name="BBC-170129">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38787241 |title=Trump puts Bannon on security council, dropping joint chiefs |work=BBC News |date=January 29, 2017 |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> The enacted arrangement was criticized by several members of previous administrations and was called "stone cold crazy" by [[Susan Rice|Susan E. Rice]], Barack Obama's last national security adviser.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/stephen-bannon-donald-trump-national-security-council.html|title=Bannon Is Given Security Role Usually Held for Generals|first1=Glenn|last1=Thrush|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|date=January 29, 2017|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In response, White House spokesman [[Sean Spicer]] pointed to Bannon's seven years experience as a Navy officer in justifying his presence on the Committee.<ref>Slack, Donovan (January 30, 2017). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/30/white-house-defends-national-security-reorganization-steve-bannon/97242792/ "White House defends Steve Bannon's role on National Security Council"]. ''[[USA Today]]''.</ref> [[File:Donald Trump signs Executive Orders January 2017.jpg|thumb|left|Bannon and other advisors watching Trump sign an executive order]] [[File:White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and WH Chief Strategist Steve Bannon shake hands at 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).jpg|thumb|White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon shakes hands with WH Chief of Staff [[Reince Priebus]] at 2017 [[Conservative Political Action Conference|CPAC]]]] ====Presidency of Donald Trump==== Upon his inauguration, Trump appointed Bannon to be his [[Strategist#Types of strategists by field|Chief Strategist]], a newly created position. The title made him a [[Counselor to the President|counselor to the president]], nearly equivalent in authority to the Chief of Staff.<ref name="NYTIMES">{{cite news|last1=Michael|first1=Shear|title=Donald Trump Picks Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as Strategist|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/us/politics/reince-priebus-chief-of-staff-donald-trump.html|work=The New York Times|date=November 13, 2016|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref> As a staff member in the [[Executive Office of the President]], the position did not require [[Senate confirmation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2016/12/12/transition-in-three-easy-charts/|title=Everything you need to know about a presidential transition in three easy charts|publisher=The Brookings Institution|date=December 12, 2016|first=Elaine|last=Kamarck|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref> Breitbart News editor [[Julia Hahn]] followed Bannon to the White House, where she was appointed as Bannon's aide, as well as Special Assistant to President Trump.<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news|last1=Costa|first1=Robert|title=Trump's latest hire alarms allies of Ryan — and bolsters Bannon|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-latest-hire-alarms-allies-of-ryan--and-bolsters-bannon/2017/01/23/2c4b94fa-e18e-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Bannon analogized his influence with Trump to that of "[[Thomas Cromwell]] in the [[court (royal)|court]] of the [[Tudors]]".<ref>{{cite news|last=Allen|first=Nick|title=Steve Bannon claims to be the 'Thomas Cromwell in the court of Donald Trump'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/18/steve-bannon-claims-to-be-the-thomas-cromwell-in-the-court-of-do/|access-date=March 5, 2017|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=November 18, 2016|location=Washington}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Heer|first1=Jeet|title=Steve Bannon Is Turning Trump Into an Ethno-Nationalist Ideologue|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/140344/steve-bannon-turning-trump-ethno-nationalist-ideologue|magazine=[[The New Republic]]|access-date=March 5, 2017|date=February 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kilgore|first=Ed|title=Steve Bannon Sees Himself As Thomas Cromwell. Will His Head End Up on a Spike?|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/02/what-it-means-that-bannon-sees-himself-as-thomas-cromwell.html|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|access-date=March 5, 2017|date=February 1, 2017}}</ref> Several days after [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|Trump's inauguration]], Bannon told ''The New York Times'', "The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while. I want you to quote this: the media here is the opposition party. They don't understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/business/media/stephen-bannon-trump-news-media.html|title=Trump Strategist Stephen Bannon Says Media Should 'Keep Its Mouth Shut'|first=Michael M.|last=Grynbaum|date=January 26, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Bannon, along with [[Stephen Miller (political advisor)|Stephen Miller]], was involved in the creation of [[Executive Order 13769]], which resulted in restricted U.S. travel and immigration by individuals from seven countries, suspension of the [[United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)]] for 120 days, and indefinite suspension of the entry of [[Syrians]] to the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-immigration-20170129-story.html|title=Travel ban is the clearest sign yet of Trump advisors' intent to reshape the country|first=Brian|last=Bennett|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 29, 2017|access-date=January 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|authors=Evan Perez, Pamela Brown & Kevin Liptak|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/28/politics/donald-trump-travel-ban/|title=Inside the confusion of the Trump executive order and travel ban|publisher=CNN|date=January 30, 2017}}</ref> According to ''[[The Economist]]'', a British news magazine, Bannon and Miller "see Mr [Vladimir] Putin as a fellow nationalist and crusader against cosmopolitanism."<ref>{{cite news|title=Donald Trump's G20 speech owed a lot to Putin|url=https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21725024-russian-hopes-american-realignment-are-misplaced-donald-trumps-g20-speech-owed-lot|newspaper=The Economist|date=July 13, 2017|access-date=August 5, 2017}}</ref> [[File:Bannon Says Corporatist Global Media Opposed to Economic Nationalist Agenda.webmhd.webm|thumb|'Bannon Says Corporatist Global Media Opposed to Economic Nationalist Agenda' video from [[Voice of America]], recorded at the [[Conservative Political Action Conference]] 2017]] In February 2017, Bannon appeared on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', on which he was labeled "the Great Manipulator".<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Von Drehle, David|date=February 13, 2017|title=The second most powerful man in the world?|magazine=Time|pages=24–31|url=http://time.com/4657665/steve-bannon-donald-trump/}}</ref> The headline used for the associated article was "Is Steve Bannon the Second Most Powerful Man in the World?", alluding to Bannon's perceived influence in the White House.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/media/317599-time-cover-labels-bannon-the-great-manipulator|title=Time cover labels Bannon 'The Great Manipulator'|last=Concha|first=Joe|website=The Hill|date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> In 2018, [[Michael Lewis]] published a quote ascribed to Bannon, made while the transition team for Trump was supposed to be preparing for the next administration, and [[The Guardian]] has used it twice in the title of an excerpt from the 2018 Lewis book entitled, ''[[The Fifth Risk]]''.<ref>''[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/sep/27/this-guy-doesnt-know-anything-the-inside-story-of-trumps-shambolic-transition-team This guy doesn't know anything: the inside story of Trump's shambolic transition team]'', The Guardian, September 27, 2018</ref> The book examined the difference between the transition preparations provided by the administration that was exiting and what did or did not occur, and it revealed a profound lack of preparedness and concern, as expressed in the quote. In a March 14, 2019 hearing of the House [[Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]], [[Commerce Department]] Secretary [[Wilbur Ross]] was questioned about his conversations regarding the adding of a citizenship question to the 2020 census surveys, which he had with Bannon, who in turn had referred him to immigration hardliners [[Kris Kobach]] and [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[Jeff Sessions]]. Missouri Democratic Representative [[Lacy Clay]] accused Ross of being "complicit" regarding his efforts to weaken minority group voting rights, additionally accusing him of committing perjury with respect to those contacts. Clay called for Ross to tender his resignation, saying, "You lied to Congress. You misled the American people and you are complicit in the Trump administration's intent to suppress the growing political power of the non-white population." Ross said the change was in response to a request by the Justice Department for statistics to protect voting rights.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/wilbur-ross-census-citizenship-question-testimony-live-stream-updates-hearing-today-2019-03-14/ Democrats accuse Wilbur Ross of voter suppression in hearing on 2020 census citizenship question], ''[[CBS News]]'', Camilo Montoya-Galvez, March 14, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.</ref> On April 23, 2019, the [[United States Supreme Court]] heard arguments regarding appeals of rejections by three circuit courts of the proposed inclusion of the survey question.<ref>[https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060199915 Census case could sway environmental litigation] ''[[E&E News]]'', Niina Heikkinen, April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.</ref> It was reported that he intentionally published stories to undermine [[H. R. McMaster]]. Bannon allegedly did this by leaking information to the alternative media, including alt-right writer [[Mike Cernovich]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/09/the-knives-are-out-for-hr-mcmaster-trump-bannon-nsc/|title=The Knives Are Out for Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster|website=Foreign Policy|access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/332639-white-house-leakers-have-new-target-h-r-mcmaster|title=White House leakers have new target: H. R. McMaster|last=Evans|first=Garrett|date=May 10, 2017|work=TheHill|access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> It was also reported that the Trump administration retroactively granted Bannon a blanket exemption from federal ethics rules that allowed him to communicate with editors at Breitbart News,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/us/politics/stephen-bannon-white-house-ethics-waivers.html?_r=0|title=White House Waivers May Have Violated Ethics Rules|work=The New York Times}}</ref> which according to former Breitbart consultant Kurt Bardella would be proof of the administration's intent to allow him to continue being "the ''de facto'' editorial director of Breitbart".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/ex-breitbart-employee-theres-now-a-concrete-paper-trail-showing-steve-bannon-still-runs-breitbart/|title=Ex-Breitbart employee: There's now a 'concrete paper trail' showing Steve Bannon still runs Breitbart|website=[[The Raw Story]]}}</ref> In the final hours of [[Donald Trump]]'s administration Steve Bannon was issued a presidential pardon for being a "... important leader in the conservative movement and is known for his political acumen"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/steve-bannon-pardoned-by-trump/index.html|title=Trump pardons Steve Bannon as one of his final acts in office|work=CNN|date=January 19, 2021|access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref> Bannon was removed from his NSC role in early April 2017 in a reorganization by [[National Security Advisor (United States)|U.S. National Security Advisor]] [[H. R. McMaster]], whom Bannon had helped select.<ref name="outNSC" /> Some White House officials said Bannon's main purpose in serving on the committee was as a check against former National Security Advisor [[Michael Flynn|Michael T. Flynn]], who had resigned in February 2017 for misleading the vice president about a conversation with the Russian ambassador to the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/us/politics/donald-trump-national-security-adviser-michael-flynn.html|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=Pramuck>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/05/steve-bannon-reportedly-removed-from-national-security-council-in-reorganization.html|title=Steve Bannon removed from National Security Council in reorganization|date=April 5, 2017|work=CNBC}}</ref> Hence, with Flynn gone, Bannon was no longer needed.<ref name=outNSC>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/05/politics/steve-bannon-white-house-national-security-council/index.html|title=Bannon bumped from National Security Council|publisher=CNN|date=April 5, 2017|first=Jeremy|last=Diamond|access-date=April 5, 2017}}</ref> Bannon reportedly opposed his removal from the council and threatened to quit if president Trump went forward with it, although Republican megadonor [[Rebekah Mercer (donor)|Rebekah Mercer]] urged him to stay.<ref name="Politico" /> The White House said Bannon had not attempted to leave, and Bannon said any indication that he threatened resignation was "total nonsense".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/06/bannon-reportedly-threatened-to-leave-white-house-after-nsc-shakeup.html|title=Bannon reportedly threatened to leave White House after NSC shakeup|date=April 6, 2017|access-date=April 8, 2017|publisher=Fox News}}</ref> Bannon only attended one NSC meeting.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bannon removed from key National Security Council post|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-house-chief-strategist-steve-bannon-removed-national-security-council-172843948.html|publisher=Yahoo|date=April 5, 2017|first=Hunter|last=Walker|access-date=April 8, 2017}}</ref> ====Departure from the White House==== Bannon's employment in the White House ended on August 18, 2017, less than a week after the Charlottesville [[Unite the Right rally]] which degenerated into violence and acrimony. Whereas members of both political parties condemned the hatred and violence of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and alt-right activists, ''The New York Times'' noted that Trump "was the only national political figure to spread blame for the 'hatred, bigotry and violence' that resulted in the death of one person to 'many sides'".<ref name="NYTimes20170812">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/us/trump-charlottesville-protest-nationalist-riot.html|title=Trump's Remarks on Charlottesville Violence Are Criticized as Insufficient|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|date=August 12, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 13, 2017|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|issn=0362-4331|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813063414/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/us/trump-charlottesville-protest-nationalist-riot.html|archive-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> The decision to blame "many sides" was reported to have come from Bannon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/14/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-white-house.html|title=Bannon in Limbo as Trump Faces Growing Calls for the Strategist's Ouster|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|date=August 14, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 14, 2017|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|issn=0362-4331|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815032653/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/14/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-white-house.html|archive-date=August 15, 2017}}</ref> The [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|NAACP]] released a statement saying that while they "acknowledge and appreciate President Trump's disavowment of the hatred which has resulted in a loss of life today", they called on Trump "to take the tangible step to remove Steve Bannon&nbsp;– a well-known white supremacist leader&nbsp;– from his team of advisers". The statement further described Bannon as a "symbol of white nationalism" who "energized that sentiment" through his current position within the White House.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|NAACP]]|url=http://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-condemns-unite-the-right-hate-rally-in-charlottesville-virginia/|title=NAACP Condemns 'Unite The Right' Hate Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia|date=August 12, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814025101/http://www.naacp.org/latest/naacp-condemns-unite-the-right-hate-rally-in-charlottesville-virginia/|archive-date=August 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2017/aug/13/black-leaders-speak-charlottesville-violence|title=Black leaders speak on Charlottesville violence|publisher=amsterdamnews.com|access-date=August 14, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814022230/http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2017/aug/13/black-leaders-speak-charlottesville-violence|archive-date=August 14, 2017}}</ref> Some sources stated that White House Chief of Staff [[John F. Kelly]] asked Bannon on August 18, 2017, to submit his immediate resignation in lieu of being fired.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/18/politics/steve-bannon-white-house/index.html|title=Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon fired|date=August 19, 2017|work=CNN|access-date=April 18, 2018}}</ref> Bannon, however, stated he was not fired but rather submitted his two-week resignation notice on August 4, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.circa.com/story/2017/08/18/nation/trump-reportedly-tells-aides-he-has-decided-to-remove-bannon |title=Bannon said he has resigned from Trump's White House |publisher=circa.com |access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref> He reminded ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' that he had joined then-presidential candidate Trump's campaign on August 14, 2016, and said he'd "always planned on spending one year," but that he stayed a few more days due to the [[Unite the Right rally]] in Charlottesville, Virginia.<ref name="weeklystandardboyerthetrumppresidency">{{cite news|last1=Boyer|first1=Peter J.|title=Bannon: 'The Trump Presidency That We Fought For, and Won, Is Over.'|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/bannon-the-trump-presidency-that-we-fought-for-and-won-is-over./article/2009355#.WZdoMDO-RME.twitter|access-date=August 18, 2017|work=The Weekly Standard|date=August 18, 2017|archive-date=September 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918190134/http://www.weeklystandard.com/bannon-the-trump-presidency-that-we-fought-for-and-won-is-over./article/2009355#.WZdoMDO-RME.twitter|url-status=dead}}</ref> In an official statement, White House Press Secretary [[Sarah Huckabee Sanders]] said: "John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve's last day. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best."<ref>{{cite news|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|work=The New York Times|title=Trump Tells Aides He Has Decided to Remove Stephen Bannon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-white-house.html|date=August 18, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Collins|first1=Kaitlan|last2=Diamond|first2=Jeremy|last3=Landers|first3=Elizabeth|work=[[CNN]]|title=Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon fired|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/18/politics/steve-bannon-white-house/index.html|date=August 18, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Parker|first1=Ashley|last2=Rucker|first2=Philip|last3=Costa|first3=Robert|last4=Paletta|first4=Damian|work=[[Washington Post]]|title=Trump gets rid of White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-decides-to-get-rid-of-white-house-chief-strategist-stephen-bannon/2017/08/18/98cd5c40-8430-11e7-902a-2a9f2d808496_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_bannon-109pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory|date=August 18, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref> The same day, Breitbart News announced that Bannon would return to the site as executive chairman.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Several weeks after his departure it was reported that Trump still called Bannon using his personal cell phone, and was only calling when chief of staff Kelly was not around.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-calling-steve-bannon-2017-8|title=Trump reportedly calls Steve Bannon on his personal phone when John Kelly isn't around|last=Choi|first=David|date=September 2, 2017|work=Business Insider|access-date=September 2, 2017}}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' reported in October 2017 that Trump and Bannon remained in regular contact.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |last2=Rucker |first2=Philip |title='The President's Wingman': Absent in the West Wing, Bannon Stays Close to Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-presidents-wingman-absent-in-the-west-wing-bannon-stays-close-to-trump/2017/10/20/85c45c3a-b4e0-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html |date=October 21, 2017 |work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> === Post-Trump administration activities=== ====Work abroad==== After leaving the White House, Bannon declared his intention to become "the infrastructure, globally, for the global populist movement."<ref name="The New York Times"/> He toured Europe to speak at events with various [[far-right]] political parties there, in a bid to build a network of right-wing populist-nationalist parties aspiring to government.<ref name="Nossiter">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/world/europe/steve-bannon-france-national-front.html|title='Let Them Call You Racists': Bannon's Pep Talk to National Front|last=Nossiter|first=Adam|date=March 10, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Bannon visited France's National Front (now the [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]),<ref name="Nossiter"/> Hungary's [[Fidesz]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/world/europe/viktor-orban-hungary.html|title=How Viktor Orban Bends Hungarian Society to His Will|last=Kingsley|first=Patrick|date=March 27, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> the Italian [[Lega Nord|League]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/steve-bannon-frozen-out-us-forming-ties-european-far-right-839609|title=Steve Bannon, frozen out in the U.S., wants to foment a European populist uprising|date=March 10, 2018|work=Newsweek|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en}}</ref> the [[Five Star Movement]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/story/italy-five-star-movement-techno-utopians/|title=What Happens When Techno-Utopians Actually Run a Country|date=February 14, 2019|work=Wired|access-date=February 15, 2019|language=en}}</ref> the [[Brothers of Italy]],<ref name="fdi">{{Cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/world/europe/italy-steve-bannon-matteo-salvini.html|date=September 7, 2018|title=Steve Bannon's 'Movement' Enlists Italy's Most Powerful Politician}}</ref> [[Alternative for Germany]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/german-afd-party-seeks-steve-bannons-help-to-fight-fake-news-cznjpbbq6|title=German AfD party seeks Steve Bannon's help to fight 'fake news'|last=Berlin|first=David Charter|date=March 7, 2018|work=The Times|access-date=March 29, 2018|language=en|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> the Polish [[Law and Justice]],<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|title=Trumps früherer Chefstratege will Europas Rechten zum Sieg verhelfen|date=September 22, 2018|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/steve-bannon-trumps-frueherer-chefstratege-will-europas-rechten-zum-sieg-verhelfen/22830322.html|access-date=February 3, 2019|language=de}}</ref> the [[Sweden Democrats]],<ref name="Dagens Nyheter">{{cite news|work=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|title=Bannon: "We've studied the Sweden Democrats for a while"|date=March 28, 2018|url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/bannon-weve-studied-the-sweden-democrats-for-a-while/}}</ref> the Dutch [[Party for Freedom]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/04/when-steve-bannon-dug-the-radical-left|title=Steve Bannon's Shout-Out to a Left-Wing Terror Group|last=Radosh|first=Ronald|date=February 4, 2017|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en}}</ref> the [[Freedom Party of Austria]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/opinion/republicans-trump.html|title=Opinion {{!}} The Party of Lincoln Is Now the Party of Trump|last=Edsall|first=Thomas B.|date=October 26, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> the [[Swiss People's Party]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/former-trump-strategist_steve-bannon-comes-to-zurich/43940860|title=Why is Steve Bannon coming to Zurich?|last=swissinfo.ch|first=Daniel Warner in Geneva|work=SWI swissinfo.ch|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en}}</ref> the [[UK Independence Party]],<ref name="worldwide"/> the Flemish [[Vlaams Belang]],<ref name="europeplan"/> the Belgian [[People's Party (Belgium)|People's Party]],<ref name="europeplan"/> Spain's [[Vox (Spanish political party)|Vox]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/vox-party-in-spain-could-bring-right-wing-populist-wave-with-help-from-steve-bannon.html|title=Spain Has Resisted the Right-Wing Populist Wave. A New Party Is Trying to Change That With Help From Steve Bannon.|first=Darren|last=Loucaides|access-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> the [[Finns Party]],<ref name="europeplan"/> the UK [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/elections/2018/07/boris-johnson-s-meeting-steve-bannon-sign-his-true-character|title=Boris Johnson's meeting with Steve Bannon is a sign of his true character|website=www.newstatesman.com|language=en|access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/22/video-reveals-steve-bannon-links-to-boris-johnson|title=Video reveals Steve Bannon links to Boris Johnson|last=Cadwalladr|first=Carole|date=June 22, 2019|work=The Observer|access-date=December 15, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jacob-rees-mogg-steve-bannon-meeting-politics-london-hotel-breitbart-tory-a8088001.html|title=Jacob Rees-Mogg 'met with Steve Bannon to discuss US-UK politics'|date=December 2, 2017|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/22/boris-johnson-steve-bannon-texts-foreign-secretary-resignation-speech|title=Steve Bannon: 'We went back and forth' on the themes of Johnson's big speech|last=Cadwalladr|first=Carole|date=June 22, 2019|work=The Observer|access-date=December 15, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/16380961.boris-johnson-met-with-steve-bannon-during-uk-visit/|title=Boris met with alt-right figure during UK visit|website=The National|language=en|access-date=December 15, 2019}}</ref> the pan-European [[identitarian movement]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/03/28/breitbart%E2%80%99s-european-coverage-gives-identitarians-full-embrace|title=Breitbart's European coverage gives Identitarians the full embrace|work=Southern Poverty Law Center|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en}}</ref> [[Republika Srpska]]'s [[Alliance of Independent Social Democrats]],<ref>{{cite news|date=August 3, 2018|work=[[The Times]]|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bannon-courts-serb-nationalists-to-build-far-right-bloc-l55hd6fcf|title=Steve Bannon courts Serb nationalists to build far-right bloc}}</ref> and the Israeli [[Likud]].<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The New Yorker]]|date=December 12, 2016|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/12/12/is-steve-bannon-good-for-the-jews|title=Is Steve Bannon Good for the Jews?}}</ref> Bannon believes that these movements&nbsp;– along with Japan's [[Shinzo Abe]], India's [[Narendra Modi]], Russia's [[Vladimir Putin]], Saudi Arabia's [[Mohammad bin Salman]], China's [[Xi Jinping]], Turkey's [[Recep Tayyip Erdogan]], and America's [[Donald Trump]], as well as similar leaders in Egypt, the Philippines, Poland, and South Korea&nbsp;– are part of a global shift towards nationalism.<ref name="vf2">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/07/the-strange-origins-of-steve-bannons-nationalist-fantasia|title=Inside the Secret, Strange Origins of Steve Bannon's Nationalist Fantasia|last=Green|first=Joshua|date=July 17, 2017|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=Ahval News|url=https://ahvalnews.com/recep-tayyip-erdogan/erdogan-most-dangerous-guy-world-former-trump-advisor-bannon|title=Erdoğan "most dangerous guy in the world" – former Trump advisor Bannon|date=July 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[The New Yorker]]|title=A Saudi Prince's Quest to Remake the Middle East|date=April 9, 2018|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/09/a-saudi-princes-quest-to-remake-the-middle-east}}</ref> Bannon's attempt to build a network of far-right parties in Europe had only limited success;<ref>{{cite web | last1=Hosenball | first1=Mark | title=Steve Bannon's effort to export his fiery popularism to Europe is failing | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-bannon-europe/steve-bannons-effort-to-export-his-fiery-popularism-to-europe-is-failing-idUSKBN25T1NZ | date=September 2, 2020 | work=[[Reuters]] | access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> while he appeared at events with the French National Rally's [[Marine Le Pen]] and the Italian League's [[Matteo Salvini]], the Sweden Democrats said that had "no interest" in Bannon's initiative, the Flemish [[Vlaams Belang]] called it "poorly organized", and the Alternative for Germany cited divergent views among the parties.<ref name=Serhan>{{Cite news|title=Why Doesn't Steve Bannon Matter in Europe?|date=October 12, 2019|author=Yasmeen Serhan|magazine=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/10/why-doesnt-steve-bannon-matter-in-europe/599917/}}</ref> Right-wing populist parties did not achieve a surge in support in the [[2019 European Parliament election]]s.<ref name=Serhan/> The ''Atlantic'' cited a number of factors inhibiting Bannon's project, including differing national and ideological views among the European far right and U.S.-skeptical views held by some parties of the European extreme right.<ref name=Serhan/> Bannon supports the [[Dignitatis Humanae Institute]], a right-wing Catholic organization in Italy formerly based in what was previously [[Trisulti Charterhouse]]; Bannon drafted a leadership course curriculum for the group to train conservative Catholic political activists.<ref name="Curric">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-politics-bannon-catholics-idUSKCN1LU176|title=Steve Bannon drafting curriculum for right-wing Catholic institute in Italy| date = September 14, 2018 | work= [[Reuters]] | access-date = April 17, 2019 | language = en | first = Mark | last = Hosenball}}</ref> In 2018, Bannon announced that he planned to establish a right-wing academy on the site,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/stop-bannon-free-europe-italian-protestors-fight-to-reclaim-holy-ground-far-right/|title=The fight to reclaim holy ground from Steve Bannon|date=March 17, 2019|access-date=April 17, 2019|author=Zampano, Giada|publisher=[[Politico Europe]]}}</ref><ref name=Harlan>{{cite news|last=Harlan|first=Chico|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/italy-disrupts-steve-bannons-plan-for-a-right-wing-academy-in-an-italian-monastery/2019/05/31/0f804838-83d1-11e9-b585-e36b16a531aa_story.html|title=Italy disrupts Steve Bannon's plan for a right-wing academy in a monastery|work=The Washington Post|date=May 31, 2019|access-date=June 9, 2019}}</ref> with the support of Benjamin Harnwell, a British associate of Bannon's who underwrote the project and aimed to create a "gladiator school for culture warriors."<ref>{{cite news|author=Chico Harlan|title=With support from Steve Bannon, a medieval monastery could become a populist training ground|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/with-support-from-steve-bannon-a-medieval-monastery-could-become-a-populist-training-ground/2018/12/25/86dac38a-d3c4-11e8-a4db-184311d27129_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|date=December 25, 2018}}</ref> However, in 2019, the group's rights to use the former monastery were revoked by the Italian government due to failure to pay rent and conduct maintenance work.<ref name=Harlan/> In August 2018, Bannon met with [[Eduardo Bolsonaro]], the son of far-right candidate [[Jair Bolsonaro]], and served as informal advisor to the [[Jair Bolsonaro presidential campaign, 2018|Bolsonaro campaign]] in the [[2018 Brazilian general election|Brazilian presidential elections]] that year.<ref name="Caetano">{{cite news |url=https://www.dn.pt/mundo/interior/depois-de-trump-bannon-ajuda-na-campanha-de-bolsonaro-9972152.html |title=Depois de Trump, Bannon ajuda na campanha de Bolsonaro |date=October 9, 2018 |access-date=October 9, 2018 |first=Maria Joao |last=Caetano |newspaper=Diario de Noticias }}</ref> In February 2019, the younger Bolsonaro joined Bannon's organization The Movement as its representative in South America.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-02/jair-bolsonaro-s-son-joins-steve-bannon-s-nationalist-alliance |title=Jair Bolsonaro's Son Joins Steve Bannon's Nationalist Alliance |work=Bloomberg |first=Daniel |last=Zuidijk |date=February 2, 2019 |access-date=February 3, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190202-son-brazil-president-bolsonaro-joins-steve-bannon-group |title=Son of Brazil President Bolsonaro joins Steve Bannon group |work=France24 |date=February 2, 2019 |access-date=February 3, 2019 }}</ref> In March 2019, Bannon met with both Bolsonaros in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Ordoñez | first1=Franco | title=Steve Bannon flexes influence during Brazilian president visit with Trump | url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article228008904.html | date=March 15, 2019 | publisher=[[McClatchy]] | access-date=March 27, 2019}}</ref> ====Roger Stone trial==== In November 2019, Bannon gave evidence in the federal criminal trial of [[Roger Stone]]. Bannon did not voluntarily testify; rather, he was compelled to give evidence under [[subpoena]].<ref>Darren Samuelsohn & Josh Gerstein, [https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/08/steve-bannon-roger-stone-wikileaks-068104 Steve Bannon: Roger Stone was our unused WikiLeaks ‘access point’], ''Politico'' (November 8, 2019).</ref> Bannon testified that Stone was [[WikiLeaks]]' access point for the [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2020|Trump campaign]]; the testimony helped establish that Stone lied to Congress. Stone was subsequently convicted on all charges (lying to Congress and [[witness tampering]]),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-stone-trial-day-4-steve-bannon-testifies-against-former-trump-campaign-adviser-2019-11-08/|title=Steve Bannon, under oath, says Roger Stone was WikiLeaks' "access point" to Trump campaign|publisher=CBS News|language=en-US|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/trump-friend-roger-stone-found-guilty-of-lying-to-congress.html|title=Trump ally Roger Stone found guilty of lying to Congress, witness tampering|last=Mangan|first=Kevin Breuninger,Dan|date=November 15, 2019|publisher=CNBC|language=en|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref> but on July 10, 2020, his federal prison sentence was commuted by President Trump.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|last3=LaFraniere|first3=Sharon|date=July 10, 2020|title=Trump Commutes Sentence of Roger Stone in Case He Long Denounced|language=en-US|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/us/politics/trump-roger-stone-clemency.html |access-date=August 21, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Asked for a comment after Bannon himself was arrested on August 20, 2020, Stone replied, "Karma is a bitch. But I am praying for him."<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/roger-stone-steve-bannon-arrest-donald-trump-karma-a9680951.html ‘Karma is a b****’: Roger Stone responds to Steve Bannon’s arrest], ''[[The Independent]]'', James Crump. Retrieved August 21, 2020.</ref> ====Work with Guo Wengui==== In October 2017, after leaving the [[White House]], Bannon met exiled Chinese billionaire businessman [[Guo Wengui]] (also known as Miles Kwok), and the pair cultivated a partnership, frequently meeting in Dallas, at Guo's apartment at [[The Sherry-Netherland]] in New York, and on Guo's yacht.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/business/stephen-bannon-guo-wengui-china.html|title=Steve Bannon and a Fugitive Billionaire Target a Common Enemy: China|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 4, 2018|author=David Barboza}}</ref> In 2017, Guo reportedly gave a $150,000 loan to Bannon shortly after he left the White House, and a Guo-linked company entered into a $1 million consulting contract with Bannon, beginning in August 2018.<ref name=ElliotJet>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/steve-bannon-guo-wengui-private-jet-campaign-finance-law|title=Steve Bannon's Use of Private Jet Linked to Chinese Businessman Could Violate Campaign Finance Law|work=ProPublica|date=February 26, 2020|author=Justin Elliott}}</ref> In early 2020, Bannon and Guo raised hundreds of millions of dollars in a [[Private placement|private offering]] for a company called [[GTV Media Group]]. In August 2020, the ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that the fundraising for the company was under investigation of federal and state authorities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fundraising at Company Tied to Steve Bannon and Guo Wengui Faces Probe|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=August 19, 2020|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/fundraising-at-company-tied-to-steve-bannon-and-guo-wengui-faces-probe-11597857467|authors=Brian Spegele, Sha Hua and Aruna Viswanatha}}</ref> Guo has allowed Bannon to use one of his two private jets, and during the 2018 election campaign, Bannon flew on Guo's [[Bombardier Global Express]] to events in support of Republican congressional candidates in New Mexico and Arizona.<ref name=ElliotJet/> The flights were revealed in February 2020 by ''[[ProPublica]]''.<ref name=ElliotJet/> Bannon made the flights under the auspices of his [[dark money]] group, [[Citizens of the American Republic]].<ref name=ElliotJet/> Several campaign finance experts who spoke with ''ProPublica'' said the trips could violate federal campaign finance law, which prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions to candidates in U.S. political campaigns (including [[in-kind]] contributions such as payment for campaign-related travel).<ref name=ElliotJet/> Guo and Bannon denied that the travel was for campaign activity; an attorney for Bannon's group stated that the trips on the private jet were to promote Bannon's film, ''Trump@War''.<ref name=ElliotJet/> On June 3, 2020, Bannon and Guo participated in declaring a "[[New Federal State of China]]" (also called "Federal State of New China"). It was proclaimed that they would overthrow the Chinese government. In New York City, planes were seen carrying banners which said "Congratulations to Federal State of New China!".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/mysterious-new-federal-state-of-china-banners-seen-over-nyc/ |title=Mysterious 'Federal State of New China' banners seen on planes over NYC |date=June 3, 2020 |newspaper=New York Post |first=Vincent |last=Barone |access-date=June 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/fortlee/news/public-puzzled-by-planes-circling-state-of-liberty-welcome-to-federal-state-of-new-china/788875/ |title=Public Puzzled By Planes Circling State Of Liberty: 'Welcome To Federal State Of New China' |date=June 3, 2020 |work=Daily Voice |first=Jerry |last=DeMarco |access-date=June 4, 2020 }}</ref> ====Republican Senate primaries==== Bannon has made efforts to unseat incumbent Republican members of Congress he deemed to be insufficiently supportive of Trump's agenda.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tapper |first1=Jake |title=Source: Bannon and Allies Preparing Primary Challenges Against GOP Senators |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/10/politics/steven-bannon-gop-senators-primary-challenges/index.html |date=September 11, 2017 |publisher=CNN |access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bolton |first1=Alexander |title=Senate GOP Prepares for a War with Bannon |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/355940-senate-gop-prepares-for-a-war-with-bannon |date=October 18, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title= Why Steve Bannon's threat to primary almost every GOP senator should frighten Republicans|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/10/10/why-steve-bannons-targeting-of-incumbent-senators-is-a-serious-threat-to-the-gop/ |date=October 10, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> In October 2017, Bannon said he planned to sponsor primary challenges against six of the seven incumbent Republican senators in the 2018 elections. He said he had two requirements for a candidate to earn his support: they must pledge to vote against [[Mitch McConnell]] as [[Senate Majority Leader]] and to end the [[Senate filibuster]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Relman |first1=Eliza |title=Steve Bannon is Orchestrating a 'Bloody Civil War' in the GOP in 2018 |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bannon-gop-senate-candidates-2018-2017-10 |date=October 15, 2017 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> Bannon received credit for helping [[Roy Moore]] defeat incumbent Senator [[Luther Strange]] in the September Republican primary for the [[United States Senate special election in Alabama, 2017|2017 special Alabama Senate election]], despite Trump's having endorsed Strange.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Desiderio |first1=Andrew |title=Bannon Defeats Trump as Roy Moore Cruises to Victory in Alabama |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/bannon-defeats-trump-as-roy-moore-cruises-to-victory-in-alabama |date=September 26, 2017 |work=[[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> After nine women [[Roy Moore sexual misconduct allegations|alleged sexual misconduct]], Bannon doubled down on his support for the candidate, raising doubt about the veracity of the accusations.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Joshua |title=How Steve Bannon Rescued Roy Moore's Campaign Against All Odds |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-11/how-steve-bannon-rescued-roy-moore-s-campaign-against-all-odds |date=December 11, 2017 |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]}}</ref> When [[Ivanka Trump]] condemned Moore's campaign in Alabama, saying "there's a special place in hell for people who prey on children", Bannon responded, "What about the allegations about her dad and that 13-year-old?", in reference to a woman who accused Trump and sex offender [[Jeffrey Epstein]] of raping her at that age. (In August 2018, the ''[[New York Post]]'' alleged that Bannon was then trying to restore Epstein's favor for financial gain.)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Emily |title=Steve Bannon trying to get on disgraced Jeffrey Epstein's good side |url=https://pagesix.com/2018/08/11/steve-bannon-trying-to-get-on-disgraced-jeffrey-epsteins-good-side/ |access-date=August 15, 2019 |work=Page Six |date=August 11, 2018}} Quoted in {{cite news |author=The Editors |title=The High Society That Surrounded Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-high-society-contacts.html |access-date=August 15, 2019 |work=Intelligencer |date=July 22, 2019}}</ref> In what had been considered a safe Republican seat, Moore lost the election on December 12, 2017. Bannon's reputation as a political strategist was questioned by Republican commentators.<ref name=":7" /> ====Quotes in Michael Wolff books==== In January 2018, upon the publication of [[Michael Wolff (journalist)|Michael Wolff]]'s book ''[[Fire and Fury|Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House]]'', which attributed many controversial and inflammatory statements to Bannon, Bannon and Trump became estranged and were widely seen as enemies.<ref name="enemies">{{Cite news|url=http://www.euronews.com/2018/01/03/from-allies-to-enemies-trump-slams-bannon-over-treason-claims|title=From allies to enemies - Trump slams Bannon over treason claims|date=January 3, 2018|work=Euronews|access-date=January 4, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/the-president-vs-steve-bannon/549617/|title=Trump: When Bannon 'Was Fired, He Not Only Lost His Job, He Lost His Mind'|last=Graham|first=David A.|work=The Atlantic|access-date=January 4, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The book quoted Bannon as saying that [[Ivanka Trump]] was "as dumb as a brick";<ref name="dumb">{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bannon-says-ivanka-trump-is-dumb-as-a-brick-2018-1|title=Steve Bannon says Ivanka Trump is 'dumb as a brick'|work=Business Insider|access-date=January 4, 2018|language=en}}</ref> that the [[Trump campaign–Russian meetings|meeting]] among Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, and agents of Russia was "treasonous";<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/03/politics/bannon-wolff-fire-and-fury/index.html|title=Bannon: 2016 Trump Tower meeting was 'treasonous'|work=CNN|author=Maegan Vazquez|access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> and that Special Prosecutor [[Robert Mueller]] would cause [[Donald Trump Jr.]] to "crack like an egg on live television".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/03/steve-bannon-says-a-june-2016-trump-tower-meeting-was-treasonous.html|title=Bannon says Trump Tower meeting was 'treasonous,' Russia probe will 'crack Don Junior like an egg'|last=Higgins|first=Tucker|date=January 3, 2018|work=CNBC|access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> Bannon also warned that investigators would likely uncover [[money laundering]] involving [[Jared Kushner]] and his family business loans from [[Deutsche Bank]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehill.com/homenews/administration/367189-bannon-warned-the-russia-probe-would-focus-on-money-laundering-report |title=Bannon warned Russia probe would focus on money laundering: report |last=Anapol|first=Avery |date=January 3, 2018 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> In his 2019 book ''Siege'', Wolff wrote, "Trump was vulnerable because for 40 years he had run what increasingly seemed to resemble a semi-criminal enterprise," then quoted Bannon as saying, "I think we can drop the 'semi' part." Wolff wrote that Bannon predicted investigations into Trump's finances would be his political downfall, quoting Bannon as saying "This is where it isn't a witch hunt – even for the hard core, this is where he turns into just a crooked business guy, and one worth $50 million instead of $10 billion. Not the billionaire he said he was, just another scumbag."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/28/bannon-trump-organization-criminal-enterprise-comments-michael-wolff-book|title=Bannon described Trump Organization as 'criminal enterprise', Michael Wolff book claims|first=Edward|last=Helmore|date=May 29, 2019|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> ====Ouster from Breitbart, relationship with Trump, and media ventures==== In January 2018, after excerpts from ''Fire and Fury'' were published, Trump promptly disavowed Bannon, saying that Bannon "lost his mind" when he left the White House, and attacking him in multiple angry statements.<ref>{{Cite news|authors=Alex Wayne and Jennifer Jacobs|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-03/trump-says-bannon-lost-his-mind-after-leaving-white-house|title=Trump Says Bannon 'Lost His Mind' After Leaving White House|date=January 3, 2018|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Baker, Peter & Haberman, Maggie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-bannon.html |title=Trump Breaks With Bannon, Saying He Has 'Lost His Mind'|work=The New York Times|date=January 3, 2018}}</ref> Trump asserted in a tweet that Bannon had "cried when he got fired and begged for his job"<ref name=Tenbarge>{{cite web|author=Kat Tenbarge|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-changes-tune-sloppy-steve-bannon-now-one-best-pupils-2019-8|title=Trump says Steve Bannon was one of his 'best pupils' 19 months after calling him 'Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job'|date=August 3, 2019|work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/politics/trump-calls-author-a-total-loser-claims-steve-bannon-cried-when-he-got-fired-in-twitter-rant/|title=Trump Calls Author 'a Total Loser' & Claims Steve Bannon 'Cried When He Got Fired' In Twitter Rant|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> and publicly referred to Bannon with an [[List of nicknames used by Donald Trump|unflattering nickname]] ("Sloppy Steve") in reference to Bannon's disheveled appearance.<ref name=HabermanRelevant>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/us/politics/stephen-bannon-arrest.html|title=Arrest Disrupts Bannon's Efforts to Stay Relevant After Leaving White House|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 20, 2020|author=Maggie Haberman, Michael S. Schmidt and Jeremy W. Peters}}</ref> On January 7, 2018, Bannon expressed regret over his delayed response, declared his "unwavering" support for Trump and his agenda, and praised Donald Trump Jr.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/bannon-backpedals-on-book-comments-claims-unwavering-support-for-trump-2018-01-07 |title=Bannon apologizes over 'Fire and Fury,' claims 'unwavering' support for Trump |date=January 8, 2018 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |via=MarketWatch |first1=Harriet |last1=Torry |first2=Rebecca |last2=Ballhaus |access-date=January 9, 2018 }}</ref> Bannon said his remarks about the campaign meeting were aimed at Manafort instead of Trump Jr., a claim which Wolff contested.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-book/bannons-treasonous-comment-directed-at-trump-jr-not-manafort-author-idUSKBN1EX2BX |title=Bannon's 'treasonous' comment directed at Trump Jr., not Manafort: author |work=Reuters |date=January 8, 2018 |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> Because of the break with Trump, Bannon's position as head of [[Breitbart News]] was called into question by Breitbart's owners,<ref name=":8" /><ref name=DebateOuster>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/breitbart-owners-debate-ousting-bannon-amid-trump-feud-1515100110|title=Breitbart Owners Debate Ousting Bannon Amid Trump Feud|last1=Bykowicz|first1=Julie|date=January 4, 2018|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=January 4, 2018|last2=Hook|first2=Janet|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660|last3=Ballhaus|first3=Rebecca}}</ref> and on January 9, 2018, he stepped down as executive chairman.<ref name = stepdown/> The billionaire funders of Breitbart, [[Robert Mercer|Robert]] and [[Rebekah Mercer]],<ref name=DebateOuster/> reportedly decided to push out Bannon from Breitbart in part because of his break with Trump, and in part because they had become weary of Bannon's "impulsive and attention-seeking antics" and Bannon's expenditures on "travel and private security."<ref name=HabermanRelevant/> After being ousted from Breitbart, Bannon established Citizens of the American Republic as a new vehicle for his political activities; in 2018, Bannon focused on group on an attempt to keep Republican control of the [[United States House of Representatives elections, 2018|House of Representatives in the 2018 election]].<ref name=MisterPlea>Maggie Haberman and Jeremy W. Peters, [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/us/politics/steve-bannon-midterms-trump.html Bannon's New Group Issues a Midterm Plea: Save Trump], ''New York Times'' (August 15, 2018).</ref> The group is a [[dark money]] organization;<ref name=ElliotJet/> Bannon declined to "describe his donors or how much money the group has raised."<ref name=MisterPlea/> Despite Trump's disparagement of him, Bannon retained ties with Trump.<ref name=HabermanRelevant/><ref name=Tenbarge/> In an appearance in August 2019 on [[CNBC]], Bannon praised Trump as a "great leader as president" and "amazing campaigner"; in response, Trump called Bannon "one of my best pupils" and "still a giant Trump fan" and said he "loved working with" Bannon.<ref name=Tenbarge/> In 2018, Bannon released a pro-Trump documentary, ''Trump @ War'' through his production company, Victory Films; the film aimed to galvanize Trump supporters ahead of the 2018 elections in a bid to keep a Republican majority in the House.<ref>Mike Allen & Jonathan Swan, [https://www.axios.com/trump-at-war-steve-bannon-2018-midterm-elections-43ab32b3-3944-4f52-8bf7-ceaf18a15c4e.html Exclusive: Steve Bannon's new film, "Trump @ War"], ''Axios'' (August 16, 2018).</ref><ref>Alex Isenstadt & Annie Karni, [https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/15/bannon-comeback-midterms-trump-impeachment-779225 Bannon mounts last-ditch effort to save the House for Trump], ''Politico'' (August 15, 2018).</ref> In October 2019, Bannon began co-hosting ''War Room: Impeachment'', a daily radio show and podcast in which he offered advice to the Trump administration and its allies on how to counter the [[impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite news| title = Steve Bannon Has Some Impeachment Advice for Trump| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/23/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-war-room-radio.html| date = October 23, 2019| work = [[New York Times]]| access-date = November 22, 2019}}</ref> In 2020, Bannon began a podcast ''War Room: Pandemic'', broadcast from his Capitol Hill townhouse; Bannon told friends that Trump had "told others that he watches the program and that the president was familiar enough with it to cite specific interviews he had seen when the two men spoke this summer."<ref name=HabermanRelevant/> ==== Social media suspension ==== {{In use}} ''War Room'' has been suspended from Twitter and YouTube. * On November 5, 2020, after an episode of ''War Room: Pandemic'' called for beheading U.S. government officials, [[Twitter]] permanently suspended Bannon's War Room account for "glorifying violence"<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 5, 2020|last=Crowley|first=James|title=Twitter bans Steve Bannon as YouTube removes 'beheading' video|url=https://www.newsweek.com/steve-bannon-kicked-off-twitter-beheading-fauci-video-1545301|access-date=November 6, 2020|work=Newsweek}}</ref> while [[Facebook]] and [[YouTube]] removed the episode from their platforms.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Devine|first1=Curt|last2=O'Sullivan|first2=Donie|date=November 6, 2020|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/05/tech/steve-bannon-twitter-permanent-suspension/index.html|title=Twitter permanently suspends Steve Bannon account after talk of beheading|work=CNN Business|access-date=November 6, 2020}}</ref> * On January 9, 2021, Rudy Giuliani appeared on ''War Room'' and said he blamed Democrats for the [[2021 storming of the United States Capitol|storming of the Capitol]]. Hours later, YouTube removed the podcast channel, citing a "violation of YouTube's Terms of Service."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zitser|first=Joshua|date=9 January 2021|title=YouTube bans Steve Bannon's podcast channel hours after Rudy Giuliani appeared on an episode and blamed the Capitol siege on Democrats|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-bans-steve-bannon-war-room-podcast-rudy-giuliani-comments-2021-1|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=11 January 2021|website=Business Insider}}</ref> ===Involvement in discovering Hunter Bidens laptop=== [[Rudy Giuliani]] had received a phone call from a man named Marc Isaac who worked at a laptop repair store. The man said he had a [[MacBook Pro]] that he suspected belonged to [[Hunter Biden]] due to a sticker from the [[Beau Biden]] Foundation being found on the laptop. Soon after Giuliani collected the laptop and hard drive from the repair shop. He then contacted Bannon who then informed the <nowiki>[[New York Post]]</nowiki> of the laptop. Giuliani and Bannon made a copy of the hard drive and gave it to the New York Post for publication.[https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-post-hunter-joe-biden-giuliani-red-flags-disinformation-2020-10] ===Federal fraud indictment=== On August 20, 2020, a [[federal grand jury]] indictment was unsealed against Bannon and three others, charging them with conspiracy to commit [[wire fraud]] and [[money laundering]]. Each charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction.<ref name=-200820>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/20/former-trump-aide-bannon-charged-with-swindling-donors-in-private-border-wall-effort-399215 |title=Former Trump aide Bannon charged with swindling donors in private border wall effort |work=[[Politico]] |date=August 20, 2020 |access-date=August 20, 2020 |author=Josh Gerstein}}</ref><ref name=FeuerRashbaum>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyregion/steve-bannon-indicted.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 20, 2020|title=Steve Bannon Is Charged With Fraud in 'We Build the Wall' Campaign|author1=Alan Feuer|author2=William K. Rashbaum|author3=Maggie Haberman|access-date=August 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Zapotosky>Matt Zapotosky, Josh Dawsey & Rosalind S. Helderman, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/stephen-bannon-arrested-charged/2020/08/20/6d46847c-e2ea-11ea-b69b-64f7b0477ed4_story.html Steve Bannon charged with defrauding donors in private effort to raise money for Trump’s border wall], ''Washington Post'' (August 20, 2020).</ref> Federal prosecutors of the [[U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]] allege that Bannon, [[United States Air Force]] [[veteran]] [[Brian Kolfage]] and the two other defendants used funds received from the [[We Build the Wall]] fundraising campaign, marketed to support the building of a [[Trump wall|border wall between the U.S. and Mexico]], in a way which was "inconsistent" with how they were advertised for use to the public.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former Trump Campaign Boss Steve Bannon Indicted for Fraud in NY |url=https://www.nbcboston.com/news/national-international/former-trump-campaign-manager-steve-bannon-indicted-for-fraud-in-ny/2180744/ |work=NBC Boston}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Former Trump adviser Bannon charged with fraud by federal prosecutors |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-bannon-idUSKBN25G1J4 |work=Reuters |date=August 20, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=Berman>{{Cite web|author=Russell Berman|title=The United States Versus Steve Bannon|date=August 20, 2020|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/08/steve-bannon-fraud-trump/615523/|newspaper=The Atlantic}}</ref> According to the indictment, donations were collected through a [[GoFundMe]] campaign that was launched in December 2018.<ref name=Cassidy-200821>{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/from-paul-manafort-to-steve-bannon-a-brief-history-of-maga-money-grubbing |title=From Paul Manafort to Steve Bannon, a Brief History of MAGA Money-Grubbing |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=August 21, 2020 |access-date=August 24, 2020 |first=John |last=Cassidy}}</ref><ref name="Tolan -200821">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/politics/kolfage-badolato-bannon-shea/index.html |title=The three people indicted along with Steve Bannon: Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea |work=[[CNN]] |date=August 21, 2020 |access-date=August 27, 2020 |first1=Casey |last1=Tolan |first2=Curt |last2=Devine}}</ref> Bannon promoted the project until the day before the indictment, saying "You've been the leader of this, assisting President Trump in building this wall in these tough areas" in his ''War Room: Pandemic'' podcast.<ref name=TexasTribune-200824>{{cite news |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/24/steve-bannon-nonprofit-border-wall/ |title=In an investigation tied to private border wall, federal prosecutors have Steve Bannon's murky nonprofit in their sights |work=[[The Texas Tribune]] |date=August 24, 2020 |access-date=August 25, 2020 |first=Yeganeh |last=Torbati}}</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7hvhjM65-w</ref><!--Content does not depend on this YouTube source for verification--> Federal prosecutors allege that Bannon and the three other men conspired to use a non-profit group run by Bannon, and a [[shell company]] controlled by one of the other defendants, to make payments to themselves, despite promises to donors that their contributions would go to build a wall. Prosecutors also alleged that Bannon received more than $1 million in connection with the plan, some of which was paid to Kolfage in secret<ref name=Cassidy-200821 /><ref name=FeuerRashbaum/><ref name=Zapotosky/> and some of which Bannon and two other defendants allegedly used for personal expenses ranging from paying off credit cards to personal travel.<ref name=Barrett-200820>{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/story/steve-bannon-charged-border-wall-gofundme-gone-bad/ |title=Steve Bannon, a $25M Border Wall Campaign, and a GoFundMe Gone Bad |work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=August 20, 2020 |access-date=August 28, 2020 |first=Brian |last=Barrett}}</ref> Prosecutors stated that they plan to seize the assets of Bannon's non-profit Citizens of the American Republic, as well as other organizations "politically aligned with [Donald] Trump".<ref name=Torbati-200824>{{cite news |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/federal-prosecutors-have-steve-bannons-murky-nonprofit-in-their-sights |title=Federal Prosecutors Have Steve Bannon's Murky Nonprofit in Their Sights |work=[[ProPublica]] |date=August 24, 2020 |access-date=August 25, 2020 |first=Yeganeh |last=Torbati}}</ref> Bannon was arrested by [[United States Postal Inspection Service|U.S. Postal Inspectors]] on [[Long Island Sound]], off the coast of Connecticut,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/08/20/postal-service-police-bannon/|newspaper=Washington Post|date=August 20, 2020|title=The surprising mission of the Postal Service police who arrested Stephen Bannon|author=Alex Horton}}</ref> on board [[People's Republic of China]] [[expatriate]] [[Guo Wengui]]'s [[Superyacht|luxury yacht]]. Later that day, Bannon pleaded not guilty to the charges.<ref name=FeuerRashbaum/><ref name=PanettaBI>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bannon-was-arrested-by-us-postal-service-agents-2020-8|title=Steve Bannon was arrested by US Postal Service agents|first=Grace|last=Panetta|website=Business Insider|date=August 20, 2020|access-date=August 20, 2020}}</ref> Bannon was released pending trial on a $5 million bond, of which Bannon was required to [[Bail in the United States|put up]] $1.7 million.<ref name=Berman/> He was required to surrender his passport and his domestic travel was restricted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/20/former-trump-advisor-steve-bannon-arrested-on-charges-of-defrauding-donors-in-fundraising-scheme.html|title=Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon pleads not guilty in alleged border wall fundraising scheme|first=Brian|last=Schwartz|date=August 20, 2020|website=CNBC}}</ref> Following the indictment, Donald Trump<ref name=Lipton-200824>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/trump-bannon-we-build-the-wall.html |title=Social Media Offered Bannon's Group a Tool to Promote Ties to Trump and Raise Millions |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 24, 2020 |access-date=August 27, 2020 |first=Eric |last=Lipton}}</ref> and his son, [[Donald Trump Jr.]] distanced themselves from Bannon. Trump Jr. had originally been supportive of Bannon's fundraising efforts for the [[Trump wall]].<ref name=Zeffman-200822>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/donald-trump-jr-builds-a-wall-between-himself-and-steve-bannon-zmvnrcwcg |title=Donald Trump Jr builds a wall between himself and Steve Bannon |work=[[The Times]] |date=August 22, 2020 |access-date=August 24, 2020 |first=Henry |last=Zeffman}}</ref><ref name=Crump-200821>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-jr-steve-bannon-video-crowdfunding-arrest-build-the-wall-a9680631.html |title='This is private enterprise at its finest': Video shows Trump Jr backing Bannon's crowdfunding campaign as father scrambles to distance himself |work=[[The Independent]] |date=August 21, 2020 |access-date=August 24, 2020 |first=James |last=Crump}}</ref><ref name=Katersky-200820>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-strategist-steve-bannon-indicted-part-crowdfunding-campaign/story?id=72494405 |title=Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon indicted for fraud as part of crowdfunding campaign to build border wall |work=[[ABC News]] |date=August 20, 2020 |access-date=August 26, 2020 |first1=Aaron |last1=Katersky |first2=Alexander |last2=Mallin |quote="Reacting to news of Bannon's arrest Thursday, President Trump said it was "very sad news" and "surprising," while seeking to distance himself from Bannon's alleged activities."}}</ref><ref name="Tolan -200821" /> At a [[preliminary hearing]] on August 31, U.S. District Judge [[Analisa Torres]] set a trial date for May 24, 2021.<ref name="auto8"/> Prosecutors revealed that they had collected a large number of emails found on various devices and online storage accounts after search warrants were executed{{emdash}}some earlier in the year.<ref name=Weiser-200831>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/nyregion/steve-bannon-build-the-wall-fraud.html|title=In Steve Bannon Case, Prosecutors Have 'Voluminous' Emails|first1=Benjamin|last1=Weiser|first2=William K.|last2=Rashbaum|date=August 31, 2020|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> On January 20, 2021, Trump granted Bannon a pardon from the federal charges.<ref name="pardon">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-pardons-former-chief-strategist-steve-bannon-11611120199|title=Trump Pardons Former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon|last=Ballhaus|first=Rebecca|website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 20, 2021}}</ref> CNN reported in February 2021 that since the pardon the [[New York County District Attorney|Manhattan district attorney]] had issued subpoenas to [[Wells Fargo Bank]] and [[GoFundMe]], which had provided accounts for the venture, signaling that a criminal investigation on state charges was advancing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/24/politics/bannon-investigation-gains-steam/index.html|title=Steve Bannon investigation gains steam as Manhattan prosecutors subpoena financial records|first=Kara |last=Scannell |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/pardon-control-manhattan-da-issues-subpoenas-aimed-at-steve-bannons-role-in-we-build-the-wall-scheme/|title=Pardon Control: Manhattan DA Issues Subpoenas Aimed at Steve Bannon's Role in 'We Build the Wall' Scheme|date=February 24, 2021}}</ref> === Ban from Twitter after call for beheadings === During the November 5, 2020 edition of his webcast, Bannon called for the beheadings of [[Anthony Fauci]], the government’s top infectious diseases expert, and FBI Director [[Christopher A. Wray|Christopher Wray]]. Bannon said that if it were up to him, after beheading Fauci and Wray, "I'd put the heads on [[pike (weapon)|pikes]]" and display them outside the White House "as a warning to bureaucrats" who dared oppose Trump. By the end of the day, [[Facebook]] and [[YouTube]] had deleted the video from their platforms, and [[Twitter]] had permanently banned his account. [[Mailchimp]] also disabled Bannon's email newsletter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/05/tech/steve-bannon-twitter-permanent-suspension/index.html|title=Twitter permanently suspends Steve Bannon account after talk of beheading|author1=Curt Devine|author2=Donie O'Sullivan|author3=Kara Scannellaccess-date=2020-11-08|publisher=[[CNN]]|language=en}}</ref> The next day, Bannon was dropped by a lawyer who had been defending him against federal charges of fraud.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Weiser|first1=Benjamin|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S.|last3=Rashbaum|first3=William K.|date=2020-11-06|title=Steve Bannon Loses Lawyer After Suggesting Beheading of Fauci|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/06/nyregion/bannon-lawyer-beheading.html|access-date=2020-11-06|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> == Political beliefs == Bannon told journalist [[Michael Lewis]] in February 2018, "We got elected on Drain the Swamp, Lock Her Up, Build a Wall. This was pure anger. Anger and fear is what gets people to the polls." He added, "The Democrats don't matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to [[wikt:flood the zone|flood the zone]] with shit."<ref>{{cite news |title=Has Anyone Seen the President? |first=Michael |last=Lewis |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-09/has-anyone-seen-the-president |date=February 9, 2018 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=September 25, 2018 }}</ref> === Individual issues === A self-described [[Economic nationalism|economic nationalist]], Bannon advocates for [[Immigration reduction|reductions in immigration]]<ref name="auto5">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-bannon-idUSKBN15E2TG|title=Trump's go-to man Bannon takes hardline view on immigration|date=January 31, 2017|website=Reuters}}</ref> and restrictions on free trade with China and Mexico.<ref name="wn">{{cite news|author=Levin, Sam|url= https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/17/steve-bannon-calls-far-right-losers-trump-warns-china-trade-war-american-prospect |title=Steve Bannon brands far right 'losers' and contradicts Trump in surprise interview|work=The Guardian|date= August 17, 2017}}</ref><ref name="auto6">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/trump-backtracks-steve-bannons-plan-ditch-nafta-590705|title=Trump decides against Steve Bannon's plan to rip up long-standing NAFTA free-trade deal|date=April 27, 2017|work=Newsweek}}</ref> He has referred to himself as a "proud [[Christian Zionist]]" in reference to his support of Israel. He has been described as a [[white nationalist]], but rejects the description.<ref name="politicown">{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/steve-bannon-trump-hollywood-reporter-interview-231624|title=Steve Bannon hails Trump's 'economic nationalist' agenda|last=Nelson|first=Louis|date=November 18, 2016|work=Politico}}</ref> Bannon favors raising federal income taxes to 44 percent for those earning incomes over $5 million a year as a way to pay for middle class tax cuts.<ref name="auto7">{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-26/bannon-is-said-to-call-for-44-tax-on-incomes-above-5-million|title=Bannon Calls for 44% Tax on Incomes Above $5 Million|date=July 26, 2017|work=Bloomberg}}</ref> He also supports significantly increasing spending on infrastructure, describing himself as "the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan".<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|title=Ringside With Steve Bannon at Trump Tower as the President-Elect's Strategist Plots "An Entirely New Political Movement" |date=November 18, 2016|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747}}</ref> He generally believes in reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy, declaring at the [[Conservative Political Action Conference]] he favored the "deconstruction of the administrative state".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/top-wh-strategist-vows-a-daily-fight-for-deconstruction-of-the-administrative-state/2017/02/23/03f6b8da-f9ea-11e6-bf01-d47f8cf9b643_story.html |title=Bannon vows a daily fight for 'deconstruction of the administrative state' |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 23, 2017 |access-date=September 5, 2017 |first1=Philip |last1=Rucker |first2=Robert |last2=Costa }}</ref> He was a strong opponent of the [[Paris climate agreement]] within the administration, successfully persuading the President to withdraw from it.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/31/trump-paris-climate-agreement-239008 |title=How Bannon and Pruitt boxed in Trump on climate pact |newspaper=Politico |date=May 31, 2017 |first1=Andrew |last1=Restuccia |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |access-date=September 5, 2017 }}</ref> ==== Immigration ==== Bannon favors [[reducing immigration]], both [[Legal immigration|legal]] and [[illegal immigration]], to the U.S. and asserts that immigration threatens national sovereignty.<ref name=SellersFahrenthold>Frances Stead Sellers & David A. Fahrenthold, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bannon-explained-his-worldview-well-before-it-became-official-us-policy/2017/01/31/2f4102ac-e7ca-11e6-80c2-30e57e57e05d_story.html 'Why even let 'em in?' Understanding Bannon's worldview and the policies that follow.], ''Washington Post'' (January 31, 2017).</ref> Bannon has suggested that too many [[Silicon Valley]] chief executives are Asian or South Asian,<ref name=SellersFahrenthold/><ref name="Verge">{{cite news|work=[[The Verge]]|title=Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon suggests having too many Asian tech CEOs undermines 'civic society'|date=November 16, 2016|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/16/13653490/steve-bannon-trump-presidency-chief-strategist-breitbart-tech-visa}}</ref> and that this undermines "civic society."<ref name="Verge"/> In a 2015 radio appearance, Bannon expressed opposition to resettling any [[refugees of the Syrian Civil War]] in the U.S.<ref name=SellersFahrenthold/> In a 2016 radio appearance, Bannon asserted that illegal immigration was "horrific" but that legal immigration was "the beating heart of this problem"; that levels of legal immigration to the U.S. were "scary"; and that legal immigrants had "kinda overwhelmed the country."<ref>Tara Golshan, [https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/2/14472404/steve-bannon-legal-immigration-problem Steve Bannon in 2016: legal immigration is the real "problem"], ''Vox'' (February 2, 2017).</ref> Bannon is the chairman of [[We Build The Wall]], an organization involved in the construction of the [[proposed expansion of Mexico–United States barrier]].<ref>{{cite news|date=May 28, 2019|title=A private group chaired by Steve Bannon has started to build its own border wall after receiving millions from GoFundMe|work=[[Business Insider]]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/private-group-steve-bannon-build-border-wall-millions-gofundme-2019-5?r=US&IR=T}}</ref> ==== Overseas military intervention ==== He is generally skeptical of military intervention abroad, opposing proposals for the expansion of U.S. involvement in the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]],<ref name=Politico-170413>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/03/mcmaster-winning-west-wing-fight-trump-241309|work=[[Politico]]|title=Kelly gives McMaster cover in West Wing battles|date=August 3, 2017}}</ref> the [[Syrian Civil War]],<ref name=Bloomberg-170413>{{cite news|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]|title=Trump Said No to Troops in Syria. His Aides Aren't So Sure.|date=April 13, 2017|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-04-13/trump-said-no-to-troops-in-syria-his-aides-aren-t-so-sure}}</ref> and the [[Crisis in Venezuela (2012–present)|crisis in Venezuela]].<ref name=Landler-120817>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/politics/steve-bannon-nationalism-trump.html|title=Bannon's Dovish Side Emerges as He Contradicts Trump on North Korea|first=Mark|last=Landler|date=August 17, 2017|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In Afghanistan, he supported a proposal by [[Erik Prince]] for the deployment of [[private military contractors]] instead of the U.S. military.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Atlantic]]|title=Erik Prince's Plan to Privatize the War in Afghanistan|date=August 18, 2017|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/afghanistan-camp-david/537324/}}</ref> He believes "there is no military solution" to the [[2017 North Korea crisis]].<ref name="wn" /> Bannon has described U.S. allies in Europe, the [[Persian Gulf]], the [[South China Sea]], the [[Strait of Malacca]], as well as South Korea and Japan, as having become "protectorates of the United States" that do not "make an effort to defend [themselves]", and believes [[NATO]] members should pay a minimum of 2% of GDP on defense.<ref name="CAGOP">{{cite news|title=This is what Steve Bannon told the California Republican Party convention|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 21, 2017|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-steve-bannon-california-republicans-transcript-20171021-htmlstory.html}}</ref> Bannon opposes upgrading the U.S. nuclear arsenal.<ref name=NYBannon>{{cite news|work=New York|title=Bannon: Trump Sucks Up to Putin So He Can Help the Inner Cities|date=September 11, 2017|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/09/bannon-trump-sucks-up-to-putin-so-he-can-help-inner-cities.html}}</ref> ==== The Middle East ==== Bannon strongly favors U.S. withdrawal from the [[Iran nuclear deal]],<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Washington Examiner]]|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-considers-ending-iran-deal-ahead-of-key-deadline/article/2634268|date=September 18, 2017|title=Trump considers ending Iran deal ahead of key deadline}}</ref> and was supportive of the approach taken by Saudi Crown Prince [[Mohammed bin Salman]] during the [[2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bannon Backs Isolation of Qatar, Comparing Threat to North Korea|date=October 23, 2017|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-23/bannon-backs-isolation-of-qatar-comparing-threat-to-north-korea|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]}}</ref> During his tenure as White House Chief Strategist, Bannon opposed the [[2017 Shayrat missile strike]], but lost the internal debate on the matter to Kushner.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/04/trumps-syria-strike-is-sign-of-bannons-waning-influence.html?mid=twitter-share-di |title=Trump's Syria Strike Is Latest Sign of Steve Bannon's Waning Influence |date=April 7, 2017 |magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] magazine |department=Intelligencer |first=Gabriel |last=Sherman |access-date=July 6, 2020 }}</ref> He also expressed skepticism about the 2020 [[assassination of Qasem Soleimani]], questioning whether it was "necessary to kill this guy and to kill him now and to exacerbate the military issues", and warned that an escalation with Iran could undermine Trump's support with "working-class, middle-class people, particularly people whose sons and daughters actually fight in these wars."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/business/media/tucker-carlson-iran-trump-media.html |title=Tucker Carlson Dissents as Right-Wing Media Weighs Trump's Iran Strike |date=January 7, 2020 |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Michael M. |last=Grynbaum |access-date=July 6, 2020 }}</ref> Bannon reportedly speaks often with Trump donor [[Sheldon Adelson]], and has been alarmed at a push for a renewed Middle East peace process.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/world/middleeast/palestine-israel-trump-abbas-adelson.html |title=Mixed Signals From Trump Worry Pro-Israel Hard-Liners |first1=Mark |last1=Landler |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |date=May 5, 2017 |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 5, 2017 }}</ref> He has described Palestinian President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] as a "terrorist".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bannon-boycotted-trumps-meeting-with-terrorist-abbas-report/|title=Bannon boycotted Trump meet with 'terrorist' Abbas — report|last=Pileggi|first=Tamar|date=August 21, 2017|work=[[Times of Israel]]}}</ref> He has advocated giving the land in the [[West Bank]] to Jordan and in [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]] to Egypt.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/fire-and-fury-bannon-wanted-kill-palestinian-statehood-give-land-egypt-and-773909 |title='Fire and Fury': Steve Bannon Wanted to Kill Palestinian Statehood, Give Land to Egypt and Jordan |first=Callum |last=Paton |date=January 8, 2018 |website=Newsweek |access-date=July 28, 2018 }}</ref> ==== The UK ==== Although Bannon initially favored the [[British National Party]] (BNP) and the [[English Defence League]] (EDL) in the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Financial Times]]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/307ce1b0-9d21-11e7-8cd4-932067fbf946?mhq5j=e5|date=September 19, 2017|title=Breitbart's culture wars could yet come to Britain}}</ref> he later backed the [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP).<ref name="worldwide">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/11/13/trump-s-man-stephen-bannon-flirts-with-a-le-pen|title=Steve Bannon's Dream: A Worldwide Ultra-Right|first1=Asawin|last1=Suebsaeng |first2=Christopher|last2=Dickey|date=November 13, 2016|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref> Bannon urged [[Boris Johnson]], who Bannon said in July 2018 that he had known "over the last year" and was "very impressed" with, to challenge Prime Minister [[Theresa May]].<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Reuters]]|title=Steve Bannon says: now is the moment for Boris Johnson to challenge UK PM May|date=July 14, 2018|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-johnson/steve-bannon-says-now-is-the-moment-for-boris-johnson-to-challenge-uk-pm-may-idUSKBN1K40U9}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[Daily Express]]|title=This is Boris' defining moment to offer alternative to May's Brexit, ex-Trump advisor says|date=July 15, 2018|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/989115/Brexit-news-latest-Boris-Johnson-Steven-Bannon-LBC-Nigel-Farage-May-leadership-contest}}</ref> According to a ''[[Buzzfeed News]]'' report, Bannon was in private contact with Johnson during his visit to Britain that month, and the two men were previously in text communication during their respective tenures as White House Chief Strategist and British Foreign Secretary.<ref>{{Cite news|website=[[Buzzfeed News]]|title=Boris Johnson Has Been Privately Talking To Steve Bannon As They Plot Their Next Moves|date=July 25, 2018|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lesterfeder/boris-johnson-steve-bannon|access-date=July 25, 2018|first1=J. Lester|last1=Feder|first2=Mark|last2=Di Stefano|first3=Alex|last3=Spencer}}</ref> ==== Europe ==== [[File:Eötvös József Lecture - Steve Bannon.jpg|thumb|Steve Bannon on the future of Europe]] Bannon has defended Trump's ties to and praise for Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref name=NYBannon/><ref name="Thompson">{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Isobel|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/07/sinister-history-behind-the-rights-putin-mania-steve-bannon-china|title=The Sinister History Behind the Right's Putin-Mania|work=Vanity Fair|date=July 20, 2018|access-date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> He expressed a belief that Traditionalists see Russia as an ally. Bannon said they "believe that at least Putin is standing up for traditional institutions, and he's trying to do it in a form of nationalism—and I think that people, particularly in certain countries, want to see the sovereignty for their country. They want to see nationalism for their country" rather than a "pan-European Union".<ref name="Thompson"/> According to the book ''War for Eternity'' Bannon met notorious Russian ideologue [[Aleksandr Dugin]] in [[Rome]] in 2018 to advocate closer relations between the United States and Russia, as well as [[Traditionalist conservatism|Traditionalist]] philosophy.<ref name="Teitelbaum 1–2">{{Cite book|last=Teitelbaum|first=Benjamin R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QdHADwAAQBAJ&q=war+for+eternity|title=War for Eternity: The Return of Traditionalism and the Rise of the Populist Right|date=2020-04-21|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-0-14-199204-4|pages=1–2|language=en}}</ref> In 2018, Bannon announced plans to launch a new political operation beginning with an attempt to unite populist parties across Europe before the [[2019 European Parliament election]]. With the project to be based in [[Brussels]], he indicated he would spend 50 percent of his time in Europe from the following November working at locations throughout the continent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hines|first=Nico|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-bannons-plan-to-hijack-europe-for-the-far-right |title=Inside Bannon's Plan to Hijack Europe for the Far-Right|work=Daily Beast|date=July 20, 2018|access-date=July 25, 2018|quote=Bannon plans to spend 50 percent of his time in Europe—mostly in the field rather than the Brussels office—once the midterm elections in the U.S. are over in November.}}</ref> Later that year, Bannon formed a foundation called [[The Movement (populist group)|The Movement]] to connect far-right groups throughout Europe.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/italys-matteo-salvini-links-with-bannons-far-right-movement-ahead-of-eu-vote/a-45417657 |title=Italy's Matteo Salvini links with Bannon's far-right 'Movement' ahead of EU vote|publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=September 9, 2018 |access-date=September 9, 2018}}</ref> Bannon is supportive of European [[right-wing populist]] [[national conservative]] movements such as the Hungarian [[Fidesz]], the French National Front (now [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]), the Spanish [[Vox (political party)|Vox]], the Dutch [[Party for Freedom]], [[Alternative for Germany]], the Italian [[Lega Nord|Northern League]], the [[Brothers of Italy]], the [[Freedom Party of Austria]], the [[Sweden Democrats]], the [[Finns Party]], the Flemish [[Vlaams Belang]], the Belgian [[People's Party (Belgium)|People's Party]], the Polish [[National Movement (Poland)|National Movement]], and the [[Swiss People's Party]].<ref name="fdi"/><ref name="Dagens Nyheter"/><ref name="worldwide" /><ref name="europeplan">{{cite news|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|title=Inside Bannon's Plan to Hijack Europe for the Far-Right|date=July 20, 2018|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-bannons-plan-to-hijack-europe-for-the-far-right}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Intrigued' Steve Bannon heads to Rome for Italian vote|date=March 1, 2018|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/intrigued-steve-bannon-heads-to-rome-for-italian-vote/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thelocal.ch/20180307/trump-before-there-was-trump-steve-bannon-praises-swiss-right-wing-leader-christoph-blocher |title='Trump before there was a Trump': Steve Bannon praises Swiss right-wing leader |date=March 7, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2018 |website=The Local }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/vox-party-in-spain-could-bring-right-wing-populist-wave-with-help-from-steve-bannon.html |title=Will Bannonism Play in Spain? |first=Darren |last=Loucaides |date=July 2, 2018 |website=Slate |access-date=July 28, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[Wiadomości]]|title=Steve Bannon chce zjednoczyć europejską skrajną prawicę. Ale Europejczycy się do tego nie palą|date=July 23, 2018|url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/steve-bannon-chce-zjednoczyc-europejska-skrajna-prawice-ale-europejczycy-sie-do-tego-nie-pala-6276501731379329a|access-date=July 28, 2018|language=pl|first=Oskar|last=Górzyński}}</ref> ====Islam==== In his talk delivered to a small conference in the Vatican during 2014, Bannon said: "If you look back at the long history of the Judeo-Christian West struggle against Islam, I believe that our forefathers kept their stance, and I think they did the right thing. I think they kept it out of the world, whether it was at [[Siege of Vienna (1529)|Vienna]], or [[Battle of Tours|Tours]], or other places ... it bequeathed to us the great institution that is the church of the West".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shane |first1=Scott |title=Stephen Bannon in 2014: We Are at War With Radical Islam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/01/us/stephen-bannon-war-with-radical-islam.html |access-date=April 15, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=February 1, 2017}}</ref> He is reputed to believe Putin's Russia and Trump's America are Christian allies against the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] and "radical Islamic terrorism".<ref>{{cite news |title=The Trump team is dogmatic on Islam, but Russia is more pragmatic |url=https://www.economist.com/erasmus/2017/02/23/the-trump-team-is-dogmatic-on-islam-but-russia-is-more-pragmatic |work=The Economist |date=February 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=It Started With a Call |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2017/01/30/the-new-bromance-a56982 |work=The Moscow Times |date=January 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Dreyfuss|first=Bob|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/is-steve-bannon-trumps-link-to-putin-and-the-european-far-right/|title=Is Steve Bannon Trump's Link to Putin and the European Far Right?|work=The Nation|date=March 19, 2018|access-date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> ===Overview and influences=== Bannon's ideology was the subject of the book ''War for Eternity'' by [[Benjamin R. Teitelbaum]], where his thinking is described as combining elements of a radical version of the [[Traditionalist school]] with [[paleoconservatism]] and other more standard American conservative beliefs.<ref name="Teitelbaum 1–2"/> Bannon's political and economic views have been described by others as [[American nationalism|nationalist]],<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|title=Trump pressured to dump nationalist wing|date=August 15, 2017|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/346538-trump-pressured-to-dump-nationalist-wing}}</ref> and right-wing populist.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sources: Trump dismisses Bannon|work=[[The Mercury News]]|date=August 18, 2017|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/18/sources-bannon-is-leaving-white-house/}}</ref> He self-identifies as a [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]].<ref name="NYT1"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/05/24/rage-machine |title=Rage Machine |last=Mead |first=Rebecca |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=May 24, 2010 |access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/conservatives-cpac-2014/story?id=22792609#7 |title=Conservatives to know at CPAC 2014 |last=Phillip |first=Abby |date=March 6, 2014 |publisher=[[ABC News]] |access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref> He rejects allegations that he is a [[white nationalist]].<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Devil's Bargain|Devil's Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency]]|first=Joshua|last=Green|page=146|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]}}</ref> At a party congress in March 2018, Bannon gave members of the French [[right-wing populist]] [[National Front (France)|National Front]] (NF) what has been described as a "populist pep talk".<ref name="Nossiter"/> He advised party members to "Let them call you racist, let them call you xenophobes, let them call you nativists. Wear it like a badge of honor. Because every day, we get stronger and they get weaker. ... History is on our side and will bring us victory." Bannon's remarks brought the members to their feet.<ref>{{citation|website=France 24|language=en|date=March 11, 2018|access-date=August 11, 2019|title=Wear 'racist' like a badge of honour, Bannon tells French far-right summit|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180311-france-usa-bannon-le-pen-national-front-racist-badge-honour-populist-pep-talk-lille-trump?ref=tw|author=McNicholl, Tracy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Willsher |first=Kim |date=March 10, 2018 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/10/steve-bannon-tells-french-far-right-history-is-on-our-side |title=Steve Bannon tells French far-right 'history is on our side' |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=July 6, 2020 }}</ref><ref>Ganley, Elaine (March 10, 2018) [https://www.businessinsider.com/bannon-racist-label-is-badge-of-honor-france-far-right-party-speech-2018-3-2 "Steve Bannon told a French far-right party to wear the 'racist' label 'as a badge of honor'"] [[Associated Press]] via ''[[Business Insider]]''</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[CNN]]|title=Bannon: 'Let them call you racists'|date=March 11, 2018|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/10/politics/steve-bannon-national-front/index.html}}</ref> Critics expressed concern that Bannon was "normalizing racism."<ref>Cummings, William (March 16, 2018) [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/16/bannon-racist-badge-honor/417286002/ "'Let them call you racist': What Steve Bannon's remarks reveal about the once-powerful label"] ''[[USA Today]]''</ref> Bannon often describes himself as an [[economic nationalist]], criticizing [[crony capitalism]], [[Austrian economics]], and the [[Objectivism (Ayn Rand)|Objectivist]] capitalism of [[Ayn Rand]].<ref name="politicown"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Christopher |last=Caldwell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/25/opinion/what-does-steve-bannon-want.html?mcubz=1 |title=What Does Steve Bannon Want? |work=The New York Times |date=February 25, 2017 |access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sunde |first=Joseph |url=http://blog.acton.org/archives/90139-how-donald-trumps-chief-strategist-thinks-about-capitalism-and-christianity.html |title=How Donald Trump's chief strategist thinks about capitalism and Christianity |publisher=Acton Institute PowerBlog |website=Blog.acton.org |date=November 17, 2016 |access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hains |first=Tim |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/02/01/steve_bannon_in_2011_the_tea_party_isnt_about_racism_it_is_about_stopping_crony_capitalism.html |title=Steve Bannon in 2011: Planning A Revolt Against "Corrupt" And "Compromised Political Class" &#124; Video |publisher=RealClearPolitics |date=February 1, 2017 |access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref> He also generally considers himself a [[free-market capitalist]].<ref name="CAGOP"/> He has referred to himself as a "proud Christian Zionist" in reference to his support of [[Israel]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jta.org/2017/11/13/news-opinion/united-states/stephen-bannon-says-im-proud-to-be-a-christian-zionist |title=Stephen Bannon: 'I'm proud to be a Christian Zionist' |publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |first=Ben |last=Sales |date=November 13, 2017 |access-date=September 18, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://forward.com/news/354384/some-jews-decry-breitbart-editor-as-anti-semite-others-praise-him-as-proud/ |title=Some of Steve Bannon's Friends Are Jewish — and They Love His Zionism |website=Forward |publisher=The Forward Association |date=November 15, 2016 |first=Sam |last=Kestenbaum |access-date=September 18, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalvanguard.org/2016/11/steve-bannon-is-a-proud-zionist/ |title=Steve Bannon Is a 'Proud Zionist' |website=National Vanguard |date=November 15, 2016 |first=Chris |last=Rossetti |access-date=September 18, 2018 }}</ref> Bannon was influenced by [[Fourth Turning theory]], outlined in [[Neil Howe]]'s and [[William Strauss]]'s ''The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy'',<ref name=Howe>{{cite news|last=Howe |first=Neil |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/where-did-steve-bannon-get-his-worldview-from-my-book/2017/02/24/16937f38-f84a-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html |title=Where did Steve Bannon get his worldview? From my book. |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref><ref name="bannonread">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/steve-bannon-books-reading-list-214745|title=What Steve Bannon Wants You to Read|last1=Johnson|first1=Eliana|date=February 7, 2017|work=[[Politico]]|last2=Stokols|first2=Eli}}</ref> one of Bannon's favorite books.<ref name="bannonread"/> The theory proposes that "populism, nationalism and state-run authoritarianism would soon be on the rise, not just in America but around the world. [... Once one strips] away the extraneous accidents and technology, you are left with only a limited number of social moods, which tend to recur in a fixed order" and cyclically.<ref name=Howe/> The book was major influence on Bannon's film ''Generation Zero''.<ref name=Howe/><ref name="bannonread"/> Bannon's political beliefs have been influenced by [[René Guénon]]'s [[Traditionalist School|Traditionalism]], a form of anti-modernist thought that views "certain ancient religions, including the Hindu [[Vedanta]], [[Sufism]], and medieval Catholicism" as being repositories of spiritual truth under attack by Western secularism; he synthesizes Traditionalist beliefs with Catholic social doctrine, particularly the idea of [[Subsidiarity (Catholicism)|subsidiarity]], as expressed in the 1931 [[papal encyclical]], ''[[Quadragesimo anno]]'', defending that political matters ought to be handled by the lowest, least centralized competent authority.<ref name="vf"/> According to Bannon's former friends, he was particularly influenced by the Hindu scripture ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]'' and the ancient Chinese military treatise ''[[The Art of War]]''.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[CNN-News18]]|title=How Bhagavad Gita 'Shaped Views' of Trump's Chief Strategist Steve Bannon|date=February 27, 2018|url=https://www.news18.com/news/world/how-bhagavad-gita-shaped-the-views-of-trumps-chief-strategist-steve-bannon-1353874.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|title=Steve Bannon's Long Love Affair With War|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/steve-bannons-long-love-affair-with-war|date=January 31, 2017}}</ref> Bannon has also cited the Russian [[neo-fascist]] [[Alexander Dugin]],<ref name=Hawk>{{cite news|last=Hawk|first=Brandon W.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/04/16/why-far-right-nationalists-like-steve-bannon-have-embraced-russian-ideologue/|title=Why far-right nationalists like Steve Bannon have embraced a Russian ideologue|work=The Washington Post|date=April 16, 2019|access-date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> who promotes a Russian nationalist variant of Traditionalism called [[Eurasianism]],<ref name=Hawk/><ref name="vf">{{cite web|last=Green |first=Joshua |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/07/the-strange-origins-of-steve-bannons-nationalist-fantasia |title=Inside the Secret, Strange Origins of Steve Bannon's Nationalist Fantasia |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=July 17, 2017 |access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref> and described himself as a fan of Dugin's book, ''[[The Fourth Political Theory]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title= War for Eternity|first=Benjamin|last=Teitelbaum|publisher=Penguin Books|year=2020}}</ref> However, Bannon has urged Dugin to abandon his [[anti-American]] and [[Sinophile]] views.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Nation]]|title=Covid-19 Is the Crisis Radical 'Traditionalists' Have Been Waiting For|date=April 8, 2020|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/covid-traditionalist-bannon-putin/}}</ref> Bannon has also described Brazilian Traditionalist thinker [[Olavo de Carvalho]] as "one of the great conservative intellectuals in the world".<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Atlantic]]|title=Meet the Intellectual Founder of Brazil's Far Right|date=December 28, 2019|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/12/brazil-olavo-de-carvalho-jair-bolsonaro/604117/}}</ref> Lebanese-American author [[Nassim Nicholas Taleb]], [[neoreactionary]] blogger [[Curtis Yarvin]] and conservative intellectual [[Michael Anton]] have been pointed out as three of the main influences in Steve Bannon's political thinking.<ref name="bannonread"/><ref name="vf"/> Bannon is an admirer of paleoconservative commentator [[Pat Buchanan]].<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The National Interest]]|date=May 25, 2018|title=Steve Bannon Is Embracing European Populism|url=http://nationalinterest.org/feature/steve-bannon-embracing-european-populism-25978}}</ref> Bannon's favorite columnist is academic [[Walter Russell Mead]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalinterest.org/feature/iran-hawks-think-it%E2%80%99s-1989-not-2003-26691?page=0%2C1 |title=Iran Hawks Think It's 1989, Not 2003 |newspaper=The National Interest |first=Curt |last=Mills |date=July 24, 2018 |access-date=July 26, 2018 }}</ref> Political theorist and philosopher [[Edmund Burke]] has also been described as a major influence on Bannon's ideological outlook.<ref>{{cite news|title = Under the Banner of Bannon: What Bannon Really Wants|author = Gwynn Guilford & Nikhil Sonnad|date = February 3, 2017|work = [[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|url = https://qz.com/898134/what-steve-bannon-really-wants/}}</ref> In a 2014 speech to a Vatican conference, Bannon made a passing reference to [[Julius Evola]], a twentieth-century, [[Nazism|Nazi]]-linked Italian writer who influenced [[Benito Mussolini]]'s [[Italian Fascism]] and promoted the Traditionalist School, described by a ''New York Times'' writer as "a worldview popular in far-right and alternative religious circles that believes progress and equality are poisonous illusions." Bannon's interest in the ideas of the Traditionalist School was driven by Evola's book ''[[Revolt Against the Modern World]]'', and Guénon's books ''[[Man and His Becoming According to the Vedanta]]'' and ''The Crisis of the Modern World''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Devil's Bargain|publisher=Penguin|year=2017|page=206|first=Joshua|last=Green|title-link=Devil's Bargain}}</ref> In March 2016, Bannon stated he appreciates "any piece that mentions Evola."<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Buzzfeed]]|title=Here's How Breitbart And Milo Smuggled Nazi and White Nationalist Ideas Into The Mainstream|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/heres-how-breitbart-and-milo-smuggled-white-nationalism|date=October 5, 2017}}</ref> In referring to the associated views of [[Vladimir Putin]], who is influenced by Evola follower Dugin, Bannon stated "We, the Judeo-Christian West, really have to look at what he's talking about as far as Traditionalism goes&nbsp;— particularly the sense of where it supports the underpinnings of nationalism."<ref name="Horowitz">{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Horowitz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/10/world/europe/bannon-vatican-julius-evola-fascism.html?_r=0 |title=Steve Bannon Cited Italian Thinker Who Inspired Fascists |work=The New York Times |date=February 10, 2017 |access-date=March 7, 2017 }}</ref> He has likewise quoted French [[anti-Enlightenment]] writer [[Charles Maurras]] approvingly to a French diplomat.<ref name="Charles Maurras">{{cite web |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/stephen-bannon-fan-french-anti-semite-who-sided-nazis |title=Stephen Bannon Is a Fan of a French Philosopher... Who Was an Anti-Semite and a Nazi Supporter: Charles Maurras was sentenced to life in prison for complicity with the Nazis. |last=Levy |first=Pema |date=March 16, 2017 |website=Mother Jones}}</ref><ref name="Anti-Enlightenment">{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/03/16/steve_bannon_is_at_it_again_and_by_it_we_mean_nazism.html |title=Another Day, Another Report About Steve Bannon's Affection for Nazism |date=March 16, 2017 |website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref> Bannon has also repeatedly referenced the controversial French novel ''[[The Camp of the Saints]]'' (1973) by [[Jean Raspail]], which depicts [[Third World]] immigration destroying Western civilization.<ref>{{cite news|last=Burleigh|first=Nina|url=http://www.newsweek.com/bannon-canon-books-trump-adviser-572835|title=The Bannon Canon: Books Favored by the Trump Adviser|work=[[Newsweek]]|date=March 23, 2017|access-date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> He has embraced what [[BBC News]] describes as [[Savitri Devi]]'s "account of history as a cyclical battle between good and evil".<ref>{{cite web|work=[[BBC News]]|date=October 28, 2017|title=Savitri Devi: The mystical fascist being resurrected by the alt-right|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41757047}}</ref> Bannon told an interviewer in 2018 that he is "fascinated by Mussolini", noting: "He was clearly loved by women. He was a guy's guy. He has all that virility. He also had amazing fashion sense, right, that whole thing with the uniforms."<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Spectator]]|title='I'm fascinated by Mussolini': Steve Bannon on fascism, populism and everything in between|date=March 14, 2018|url=https://usa.spectator.co.uk/2018/03/im-fascinated-by-mussolini-steve-bannon-on-fascism-populism-and-everything-in-between/|access-date=March 16, 2018|first=Nicholas|last=Farrell}}</ref> A former Breitbart writer has claimed Bannon stated in 2015 that alt-right publication ''[[American Renaissance (magazine)|American Renaissance]]'' was "fighting the same fight" as him.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Buzzfeed]]|title=A Former Alt-Right Member's Message: Get Out While You Still Can|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/katie-mchugh|date=May 1, 2019}}</ref> Bannon has expressed admiration for German [[Conservative Revolutionary]] philosopher [[Martin Heidegger]], praising his "ideas on the subject of being".<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=October 29, 2018|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/stephen-bannon-tries-rightwing-revolution-in-europe-a-1235297.html|title=Stephen Bannon Tries Rightwing Revolution in Europe}}</ref> German film director [[Leni Riefenstahl]], who produced propaganda films for the regime in [[Nazi Germany]], is said to have influenced Bannon's film-making techniques, with Bannon once describing himself to writing colleague Julia Jones as the "Riefenstahl of George Bush", modifying the ending as "the GOP" when Jones was horrified.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearce|first=Matt|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-bannon-influences-20161209-story.html|title=Stephen Bannon found inspiration in ancient thinkers, Ronald Reagan and Nazi propaganda|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 9, 2016|access-date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> The opening of Bannon's documentary film ''The Hope & The Change'' (2012) consciously imitated Riefenstahl's film ''[[The Triumph of the Will]]'' (1935), which depicted the [[Nuremberg Rally]] held in 1934.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency|title=The Reclusive Hedge Fund Tycoon Behind The Trump Presidency|work=[[The New Yorker]]|date=March 27, 2017}}</ref> According to ''[[The Guardian]]'' (London) in January 2018, Bannon's ideology is substantially similar to that of [[Stephen Miller (political advisor)|Stephen Miller]], [[Tucker Carlson]], [[Benny Johnson (journalist)|Benny Johnson]], [[Raheem Kassam]] and Matthew Boyle, the latter two having been protégés of Bannon at Breitbart.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Jacobs | first1=Ben | title=After Bannon: the New Faces of the Hard Right | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/13/steve-bannon-new-faces-hard-right | work=[[The Guardian]]| date=January 13, 2018| access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> == Personal life == [[File:Steve Bannon -.jpg|thumb|Bannon in 2018]] Bannon has been married and divorced three times. He has three adult daughters. His first marriage was to Cathleen Suzanne Houff.<ref name="NYT_marriage1">{{cite news|last1=Shane|first1=Scott|title=Combative, Populist Steve Bannon Found His Man in Donald Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/27/us/politics/steve-bannon-white-house.html?_r=0|access-date=February 20, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=November 27, 2016}}</ref> Bannon and Houff had a daughter, Maureen, in 1988 and subsequently divorced.<ref name="auto"/><ref name=goarmywestpoint>{{cite news|last1=Nelson|first1=Tracy|title=Set Up For Success|url=http://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2009/10/3/Set_Up_For_Success.aspx|work=Army West Point Athletics|date=October 3, 2009|access-date=November 15, 2016|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052920/http://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2009/10/3/Set_Up_For_Success.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bannon's second marriage was to Mary Louise Piccard, a former investment banker, in April 1995. Their twin daughters were born three days after the wedding. Piccard filed for dissolution of their marriage in 1997.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Finnegan|first1=Michael|last2=Pearce|first2=Matt|last3=Serna|first3=Joseph|title=Domestic violence allegations from 1996 surface against chief of Donald Trump's campaign|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-bannon-abuse-allegations-20160826-snap-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theopporeport.com/2016/12/02/the-bannon-files-divorce-records-reveal-marital-discord-and-questionable-parenting/|title=The Bannon Files: Divorce Records Reveal Marital Discord and Questionable Parenting|date=December 2, 2016|website=the opporeport.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129131629/https://theopporeport.com/2016/12/02/the-bannon-files-divorce-records-reveal-marital-discord-and-questionable-parenting/|archive-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> Bannon was charged with misdemeanor [[domestic violence]], [[Battery (crime)|battery]], and dissuading a witness in early January 1996 after Piccard accused Bannon of domestic abuse. The [[Santa Monica Police Department]] [https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000156-c3f8-dd14-abfe-fbfbbe310001 crime report] states that after Piccard called 911, an officer arrived at their home and observed red marks on Piccard's wrist and neck.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432|title=Trump campaign CEO once charged in domestic violence case|last1=Gold|first1=Hadas|last2=Bresnahan|first2=John|website=POLITICO|language=en|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref> The charges were later dropped when Piccard did not appear in court.<ref name="auto2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/us/politics/stephen-bannon-trump-campaign.html|title=Donald Trump's Campaign Chief, Stephen Bannon, Faced Domestic Violence Charges in 1996|date=August 25, 2016|last2=Eder|first2=Steve|work=The New York Times|last3=Smither|first3=Noah|last1=Twohey|first1=Megan|access-date=August 26, 2016}}</ref> In an article in ''The New York Times'', Piccard stated her absence was due to threats made to her by Bannon and his lawyer: <blockquote>Mr. Bannon, she said, told her that "if I went to court, he and his attorney would make sure that I would be the one who was guilty" ... Mr. Bannon's lawyer, she said, "threatened me," telling her that if Mr. Bannon went to jail, she "would have no money and no way to support the children." ... Mr. Bannon's lawyer ... denied pressuring her not to testify.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/us/politics/stephen-bannon-trump-campaign.html|title=Donald Trump's Campaign Chief, Stephen Bannon, Faced Domestic Violence Charges in 1996|last1=Eder|first1=Megan Twohey, Steve|date=August 25, 2016|last2=Smith|first2=Noah|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=November 22, 2016}}</ref></blockquote> During their divorce proceedings, Piccard alleged that Bannon had made [[antisemitism in the United States|antisemitic]] remarks about her choice of schools, saying he did not want to send his children to [[The Archer School for Girls]] because there were too many Jews at the school, and Jews raise their children to be "whiny brats". Bannon's spokesperson denied the accusation, noting that he had chosen to send both his children to the Archer School.<ref name="auto2"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/steve-bannon-domestic-violence-case-police-report-227432|title=Trump campaign CEO once charged in domestic violence case|newspaper=POLITICO|access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-campaign-ceo-steve-bannon-accused-anti-semitic-remarks-ex-n638731|title=Trump Campaign CEO Steve Bannon Accused of Anti-Semitic Remarks by Ex-Wife|last=Chuck|first=Elizabeth|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=November 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-trump-campaign-chief-faces-scrutiny-over-voter-registration-past-charges/2016/08/26/bf5bc3b2-6b98-11e6-ba32-5a4bf5aad4fa_story.html|title=New Trump campaign chief faces scrutiny over voter registration, anti-Semitism|work=[[Washington Post]]|access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/27/trump-campaign-ceo-stephen-bannon-denies-antisemitic-remarks|title=Trump campaign CEO Stephen Bannon denies anti-Semitic remarks |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|agency=Associated Press|access-date=November 13, 2016}}</ref> Bannon's third marriage was to Diane Clohesy; they married in 2006 and divorced in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/steve-bannons-miami-house-site-of-repeat-domestic-violence-gun-theft-9206151 |newspaper=Miami New Times |title=Police Reports Show Repeat Domestic Violence, Theft at Steve Bannon's Miami Address |date=March 16, 2017 |access-date=January 2, 2018 |first=Jessica |last=Lipscomb |quote=Diane Clohesy was married to Steve Bannon from 2006 to 2009. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/steve-bannon-florida-registered-vote-donald-trump|title=Trump campaign chief Steve Bannon is registered voter at vacant Florida home|last1=Swaine|first1=Jon|date=November 13, 2016|first2=Lauren |last2=Gambino |first3=Richard |last3=Luscombe|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=January 26, 2017}}</ref> == Filmography == Bannon has been a producer, writer, director or actor on the following films and documentaries: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Credited as ! Notes |- | 1991 | ''[[The Indian Runner]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-stephen-bannon-donald-trump-hollywood-20160830-snap-story.html|title=Inside the Hollywood past of Stephen K. Bannon, Donald Trump's campaign chief|last=Miller|first=Daniel|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 30, 2016|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> | executive producer | |- | 1999 | ''[[Titus (film)|Titus]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=McCarthy|first1=Todd|title=Review: 'Titus'|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/titus-1200460005/|access-date=August 12, 2015|magazine=Variety|date=December 21, 1999}}</ref> | co-executive producer | |- | 2004 | ''In the Face of Evil: Reagan's War in Word and Deed''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Martel|first1=Ned|title=Ronald Reagan, in Black and White|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/29/movies/29FACE.html|access-date=August 12, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=October 29, 2004}}</ref> | director, co-producer, writer | based on the 2003 book ''[[Reagan's War]]'' by [[Peter Schweizer]] |- | 2005 | ''[[Cochise County, Arizona|Cochise County]] USA: Cries from the Border''<ref name=Hornaday /> | executive producer | |- | 2006 | ''Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration''<ref name=Hornaday /> | executive producer | |- | 2007 | ''Tradition Never Graduates: A Season Inside [[Notre Dame Football]]'' | executive producer | |- | rowspan="3" | 2010 | ''[[Generation Zero]]''<ref name=slate>{{cite magazine|last1=Weigel|first1=David|title=Blowing Up Stuff|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2010/10/blowing_up_stuff.html|access-date=August 12, 2015|magazine=Slate|date=October 1, 2010}}</ref> | director, producer, writer | based on the 1997 book ''[[The Fourth Turning]]'' by William Strauss and Neil Howe<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-bannon-apocalypse_us_5898f02ee4b040613138a951 |title=Steve Bannon Believes The Apocalypse Is Coming And War Is Inevitable |date=February 8, 2018 |first1=Paul |last1=Blumenthal |first2=JM |last2=Rieger |newspaper=HuffPost |access-date=September 25, 2018 }}</ref> |- | ''Battle for America''<ref name=creative/> | director, producer, writer | |- | ''[[Fire from the Heartland: The Awakening of the Conservative Woman]]''<ref name=creative/> | director, producer, writer | |- | rowspan="2" | 2011 | ''Still Point in a Turning World: Ronald Reagan and His Ranch''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yaf.org/about/history/ |title=History: 2011 |publisher=Young America's Foundation |website=yaf.org |access-date=March 13, 2017 |quote=Written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon }}</ref> | director, writer | |- | ''[[The Undefeated (2011 film)|The Undefeated]]''<ref name=creative>{{cite news|last1=Wardell|first1=Gabe|title=Director Stephen Bannon talks Sarah Palin's Undefeated|url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-214265-director-stephen-bannon-talks-sarah-palin-s |access-date=August 12, 2015|publisher=Creative Loafing|date=July 15, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Hare|first1=Kate|title=Sarah Palin documentary 'The Undefeated' to roll out to other cities |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/07/sarah-palin-documentary-the-undefeated-opens-will-roll-out-to-other-cities.html |access-date=August 12, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 17, 2011}}</ref> | director, producer, writer | about [[Sarah Palin]] |- | rowspan="3" | 2012 | ''[[Occupy Unmasked]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Whipple|first1=Kelsey|title=The director of Occupy Unmasked talks facts, bias and the future of the movement|url=http://www.westword.com/arts/the-director-of-occupy-unmasked-talks-facts-bias-and-the-future-of-the-movement-5788513 |access-date=August 12, 2015|publisher=Denver Westward|date=September 21, 2012}}</ref> | director, writer | |- | ''The Hope & The Change''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bila|first1=Jedidiah|title=Obama voters reject 'hope and change' in new documentary|url=http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/27/obama-voters-reject-hope-and-change-in-new-documentary.html |access-date=August 12, 2015|publisher=Fox News|date=August 27, 2012}}</ref> | director, producer, writer | |- | ''District of Corruption''<ref name=Hornaday /> | director, producer | |- | 2013 | ''[[Sweetwater (2013 film)|Sweetwater]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hoffman|first1=Bill|title=Newsmax TV's 'Fire From the Heartland' Celebrates Conservative Women|url=http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/Fire-from-the-Heartland-documentary-female-politicians-female-activists/2015/06/03/id/648480/ |access-date=August 12, 2015|work=Newsmax|date=June 3, 2015}}</ref> | executive producer | |- | rowspan="2" | 2016 | ''[[Clinton Cash#Film adaptation|Clinton Cash]]''<ref name="GuardianFilmAdaptation">[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/12/clinton-cash-film-hillary-foundation-finances Clinton Cash film aims to cause likely Democratic nominee maximum damage], ''The Guardian'' (May 12, 2016).</ref> | producer, writer | based on the same-titled [[Peter Schweizer]] book ''[[Clinton Cash]]'' |- | ''Torchbearer'' | director, producer, writer | features ''[[Duck Dynasty]]'' patriarch [[Phil Robertson]]<ref name=Hornaday>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-steve-bannon-films-20170202-story.html|title=You can learn a lot about Steve Bannon by watching the films he made|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|first=Ann|last=Hornaday|date=February 2, 2017|access-date=December 17, 2017}}</ref> |- | 2018 | ''Trump @War''<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.axios.com/trump-at-war-steve-bannon-2018-midterm-elections-43ab32b3-3944-4f52-8bf7-ceaf18a15c4e.html |title= Exclusive: Steve Bannon's new film, "Trump @ War" |first1= Mike |last1= Allen |first2= Jonathan |last2= Swan |website= [[Axios (website)|Axios]] |date= August 16, 2018 |access-date= August 17, 2018}}{{better source needed|date=May 2019}}</ref> | director, writer | Starring [[Corey Lewandowski]], [[Pete Hegseth]], [[Sebastian Gorka]], [[Raheem Kassam]], Sonnie Johnson, [[Raynard Jackson]], [[Job Creators Network|Alfredo Ortiz]], Sasha Gong, [[Erik Prince]], Joe Concha, Lian Chao Han, [[Bill Gertz]], [[Michael Caputo]], [[Rob Wasinger]], John Zmirak |- |2019 |''[[American Dharma]]''<ref>{{Cite web|title=In 'American Dharma,' Filmmaker Errol Morris Sits Down With Steve Bannon|url=https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2020/01/07/american-dharma-steve-bannon-errol-morris|website=www.wbur.org|language=en|date=January 7, 2020|access-date=May 2, 2020}}</ref> |actor | |- | 2019 | ''[[Claws of the Red Dragon]]''<ref>Joe Concha, [https://thehill.com/homenews/media/458564-bannon-to-release-anti-huawei-film-claws-of-the-red-dragon "Bannon to release anti-Huawei film 'Claws of the Red Dragon'"]. ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]'', August 23, 2019.</ref> | executive producer | |- |2019 |''[[The Brink (2019 film)|The Brink]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/movie-review-steve-bannon-documentary-the-brink-2019.html|website=Vulture|access-date=2019-04-08|title=You Need to See the Steve Bannon Documentary The Brink}}</ref> |actor | |} == See also == * ''[[Mueller Report]]'' * [[Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum]] * [[Timeline of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]] * [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]] == Notes == {{notelist}} === Breitbart called far-right === {{notelist-lr}} === Breitbart associated with alt-right === {{notelist-ur}} == References == {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== {{sister project links|wikt=no|c=Category:Steve Bannon|n=no|s=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|species=no}} * {{IMDb name|id=0052442}} * {{C-SPAN|stephenbannon}} * [https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1306611/download Federal fraud and money laundering indictment] {{s-start}} {{s-off}} |- {{s-vac|last=[[John Podesta]]|as=Counselor to the President}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Counselor to the President|Senior Counselor to the President]]|years=2017|alongside=[[Kellyanne Conway]], [[Dina Powell]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Kellyanne Conway]]<br />[[Dina Powell]]}} |- {{s-new|office}} {{s-ttl|title=[[White House Chief Strategist]]|years=2017}} {{s-vac}} {{s-end}} {{Portal bar|Politics}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bannon, Stephen}} [[Category:Steve Bannon]] [[Category:1953 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century American naval officers]] [[Category:20th-century American newspaper publishers (people)]] [[Category:21st-century American male writers]] [[Category:21st-century American newspaper publishers (people)]] [[Category:Alt-right]] [[Category:Alt-right politicians in the United States]] [[Category:Alt-right writers]] [[Category:American businesspeople in the online media industry]] [[Category:American chairpersons of corporations]] [[Category:American chief executives in the media industry]] [[Category:American chief executives of financial services companies]] [[Category:American Christian Zionists]] [[Category:American documentary film directors]] [[Category:American documentary film producers]] [[Category:American financial company founders]] [[Category:American investment bankers]] [[Category:American investors]] [[Category:American male non-fiction writers]] [[Category:American media company founders]] [[Category:American nationalists]] [[Category:American people of German descent]] [[Category:American people of Irish descent]] [[Category:American political activists]] [[Category:American political writers]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Breitbart News people]] [[Category:Businesspeople from California]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Virginia]] [[Category:Counselors to the President]] [[Category:Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign]] [[Category:School of Foreign Service alumni]] [[Category:Far-right politics in the United States]] [[Category:Film directors from California]] [[Category:Film producers from California]] [[Category:Goldman Sachs people]] [[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]] [[Category:Military personnel from Virginia]] [[Category:Newsmax TV people]] [[Category:New York (state) Republicans]] [[Category:People associated with the 2016 United States presidential election]] [[Category:People charged with fraud]] [[Category:People from Laguna Beach, California]] [[Category:Radio personalities from Virginia]] [[Category:Screenwriters from California]] [[Category:Screenwriters from Virginia]] [[Category:Trump administration personnel]] [[Category:Virginia Republicans]] [[Category:Virginia Tech alumni]] [[Category:Writers from Norfolk, Virginia]] [[Category:Recipients of American presidential pardons]] [[Category:Right-wing populism in the United States]]'