Steve Bannon, former White House strategist and longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, recently discussed the upcoming midterm elections in an interview, emphasizing their significance for the future of the Republican Party and Trump's political legacy. Bannon warned that a Democratic victory could lead to impeachment efforts against Trump and other Republicans. He advocates for maintaining Republican control by mobilizing the base and getting low-propensity voters to turn out, arguing this is more critical than gaining a majority in Congress.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
They called him "The Great Manipulator."
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They → call → him
He threatened at times to overshadow the president himself – not the best career move – and for a while he visibly fell out of favor.
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he → threaten → favor
To this day, though, Bannon remains a passionate Trump supporter.
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Bannon → remain → day
"When Trump decides to leave the stage actively, he can't be replaced," he said.
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he → decide → stage
"Like Washington or Lincoln, these are people that they name the age of."
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they → name → age
Yes, Bannon mentions Trump in the same breath as Washington and Lincoln.
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Bannon → mention → Washington
"Oh, I am," he said.
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he → say → ?
"I think he's at that level.
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he → think → level
Because I think General Washington was there at the birth of the nation; Lincoln was the rebirth of the nation; and I absolutely believe (and I think 99% of MAGA believes) that Trump was there for the salvation of the nation."
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Trump → think → nation
He did
, for refusing to testify about his role in the events leading up to the (including telling podcast listeners on Jan. 5, 2021, "All hell is going to break loose
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hell → refuse → Jan.
It was in his studio where, on September 29, we sat down for an interview.
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we → sit → interview
Bannon clearly has a taste for the right wing.
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Bannon → have → wing
"Definitely, it's no doubt," he said.
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he → say → ?
But Bannon has no illusions.
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Bannon → have → illusions
If Democrats gain control of the House in a couple of weeks, the "Age of MAGA" is in jeopardy.
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Age → gain → jeopardy
On his podcast he announced, "If we lose the House, it's going to turn the White House into Fort Apache."
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it → announce → Apache
Bannon told us what he sees as the repercussions of a Democratic victory: "I think you'll see Bobby Kennedy impeached, I'll think you see Pete Hegseth impeached.
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Hegseth → tell → victory
I think you'll see subpoenas flying every day.
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subpoenas → think → ?
They will look to destroy President Trump, and we'll be bogged down for two years."
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we → look → years
He believes that is a compelling argument to vote Republican this year – though polls show it
.
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polls → believe → it
"But you don't need the majority," Bannon argues.
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Bannon → need → majority
"Here's my point on the midterm: Remember, midterm elections are always driven by base getting out, and the base's ability to get more of their low-propensity voters out.
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base → remember → voters
"Bannon has few, if any, illusions about the agenda of old-line Republicans who are "all set for getting beyond Trump."
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who → have → Trump
But he disagrees that his own future lies beyond Trumpism.
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future → disagree → Trumpism
"First off, President Trump, I would say I'm the leader of trying to get President Trump to run for a third term," Bannon said.
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Bannon → say → term
"It appears that he's not interested or it just won't happen."
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it → appear → ?
He does not admit that the idea of a third term for Mr. Trump runs counter to the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution limiting a president to two terms.
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idea → admit → terms
"Oh, I think you could drive a truck through that amendment," he said.
uncertain
he → think → amendment
"I talked to constitutional lawyers, and there were, I think, a number of different alternatives.
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I → talk → alternatives
Would it be contested?
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it → contest → ?
Yeah, it'd be contested, because everything [Trump] does is contested in the courts."
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Trump → contest → courts
The war with Iran
The president is also confronting the same nemesis as his predecessor: old age.
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president → confront → predecessor
But Bannon does not see President Trump, who turned 80 this year, as having lost a step or two.
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who → see → step
"Oh, I don't agree with that," he said, claiming that the president works 20 hours a day.
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president → agree → that
Nor does he dismiss the president's rambling speeches (such as
)."I would not call them 'drivel,'" Bannon said.
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Bannon → dismiss → them
"President Trump has been known to go off-script."
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Trump → know → script
Any suggestion that Americans are embarrassed by Mr. Trump leads Bannon to draw accusations of media bias.
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Americans → embarrass → bias
"Ted, if you're part of the media elite, if you're a part of the East Coast elite, if you a Atlanticist, what President Trump has done, yes, you're not going to like it and probably you're going to hate it," he said.
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he → do → it
"I understand this war is a huge issue.
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war → understand → ?
But I think working-class Americans are not embarrassed.
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I → think → ?
…and 40 more, not listed.
The Aporia
