Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Steve Bannon
A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Steve Bannon.
Stephen Bannon is an American media executive, political strategist, and former investment banker. He is known for his role as White House chief strategist in the Trump administration's early months and his prior position as executive chairman of Breitbart News. Bannon also served on the board of Cambridge Analytica. He is a controversial figure associated with right-wing populism and has been involved in various political and media ventures.
January 1996: Bannon Charged with Domestic Violence
In early January 1996, Steve Bannon was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, battery, and dissuading a witness after his then-wife, Mary Piccard, accused him of domestic abuse. The charges were later dropped when Piccard did not appear in court.
2005: Secured Funding for Internet Gaming Entertainment
In 2005, Bannon secured $60 million in funding for Internet Gaming Entertainment (IGE), a company employing low-wage workers to earn virtual items in World of Warcraft.
2007: Founding Board Member of Breitbart News
In 2007, Bannon became a founding board member of Breitbart News, a far-right news website known for its controversial content.
2008: Wall Street's Role in the Financial Crisis
In 2008, Bannon criticized Wall Street for its role in the financial crisis.
2010: Bannon's Comments on Islam
In 2010, Steve Bannon stated that "Islam is not a religion of peace. Islam is a religion of submission." He criticized George W. Bush for calling Islam a religion of peace and claimed Islam today is "something much darker" than Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
2012: Release of The Hope & The Change
In 2012, Steve Bannon's documentary film 'The Hope & The Change' was released. The opening of this documentary consciously imitated Leni Riefenstahl's film 'The Triumph of the Will'.
2014: Bannon on Judeo-Christian West Struggle Against Islam
During a conference in the Vatican in 2014, Steve Bannon stated that the "Judeo-Christian West" should maintain its stance against Islam. He is also reputed to believe that Putin's Russia and Trump's America are Christian allies against the Islamic State and "radical Islamic terrorism".
2014: Reference to Julius Evola at Vatican Conference
In 2014, Steve Bannon made a passing reference to Julius Evola, a twentieth-century, Nazi-linked Italian writer, during a speech at a Vatican conference. Evola influenced Benito Mussolini's Italian Fascism and promoted the Traditionalist School. This event in 2014 highlights Bannon's interest in controversial and far-right ideologies.
2014: Bannon Criticizes Wall Street at Vatican Conference
In 2014, during a conference at the Vatican, Steve Bannon criticized Wall Street for its role in the 2008 financial crisis. He also criticized bail outs for big banks.
2015: Alt-right Fight
In 2015, Bannon allegedly said that alt-right publication American Renaissance was "fighting the same fight" as him.
2015: Bannon Opposes Resettling Syrian Refugees
In 2015, Steve Bannon expressed opposition to resettling any refugees of the Syrian Civil War in the U.S.
November 15, 2016: House Democrats Urge Trump to Rescind Bannon Appointment
On November 15, 2016, 169 Democratic House representatives urged President-elect Trump to rescind his appointment of Bannon, citing his ties to the White Nationalist movement and alleged xenophobia, which Bannon denied, identifying himself as an "economic nationalist".
2016: Described Breitbart News as "the platform for the alt-right"
In 2016, Bannon characterized Breitbart News as "the platform for the alt-right", defining its ideological stance.
2016: Russian Interference in Election
In 2016, Bannon was interviewed multiple times by Robert Mueller as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election.
2016: Cambridge Analytica used illegal tactics
In 2016, Cambridge Analytica, where Bannon served as vice president, allegedly used illegal tactics to target American voters in the 2016 election. Bannon oversaw the collection of Facebook data for this purpose, earning him over $125,000.
2016: Bannon Asserts Legal Immigration Overwhelms the Country
In 2016, Steve Bannon asserted that while illegal immigration was "horrific", legal immigration was "the beating heart of this problem" and had "kinda overwhelmed the country."
2016: Bannon's Darkness Quote
In November 2016, during an interview, Bannon remarked, "Darkness is good: Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That's power." This quote was widely published in the media.
January 2017: Bannon Designated as Regular Attendee to NSC Principals Committee
In January 2017, Bannon was designated as a regular attendee to the NSC's Principals Committee, which was criticized by previous administrations, despite White House justifying it with Bannon's seven years experience as a Navy officer.
February 2017: Flynn Resigns
In February 2017, Michael T. Flynn resigned for misleading the vice president about a conversation with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
April 2017: Bannon Removed from NSC Role
In early April 2017, Bannon was removed from his NSC role in a reorganization. Bannon reportedly opposed his removal.
October 2017: Bannon Plans Primary Challenges Against Republican Senators
In October 2017, Steve Bannon announced plans to sponsor primary challenges against six of seven incumbent Republican senators who he felt were insufficiently supportive of Trump's agenda. He set two requirements for candidates to earn his support: pledging to vote against Mitch McConnell as Senate majority leader and ending the Senate filibuster.
October 2017: Bannon Visits the Freedom Party of Austria
In October 2017, as part of his effort to build a network of right-wing populist parties in Europe, Steve Bannon visited the Freedom Party of Austria.
December 2017: Bannon Visits the UK Conservative Party
In December 2017, Steve Bannon visited the UK Conservative Party as part of his effort to build a network of right-wing populist parties in Europe.
2017: Bannon founded the Movement
In 2017, Bannon founded the Movement, a populist organization that promotes right-wing groups in Europe and opposes George Soros's Open Society Foundations.
2017: Bannon Introduced to Epstein
In 2017, Michael Wolff reported that Steve Bannon was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein and that Bannon worked with Ehud Barak to attempt to reform Epstein's public image, including reportedly prepping Epstein for an interview with 60 Minutes that ultimately never occurred.
2017: Bannon Supports Roy Moore Amidst Allegations
In 2017, Steve Bannon received credit for helping Roy Moore defeat incumbent senator Luther Strange in the Republican primary for the Alabama Senate election. After sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Moore, Bannon continued his support, raising doubts about the accusations. He also responded to Ivanka Trump's criticism of Moore by referencing allegations against her father.
2017: Bannon Warns Trump Against Gun Control
In 2017, Steve Bannon warned Donald Trump against any shifts toward gun control, emphasizing the potential for intense backlash from the president's base. He insisted that any move towards gun control after the Las Vegas shooting would be the "end of everything."
January 9, 2018: Stepped Down as Executive Chairman of Breitbart
On January 9, 2018, Bannon stepped down as executive chairman of Breitbart News, five months after his return.
January 2018: Trump Disavows Bannon After "Fire and Fury"
In January 2018, after excerpts from Fire and Fury were published, Trump disavowed Bannon, asserting he "lost his mind" after leaving the White House and attacking him in multiple statements.
January 2018: Disavowed by Trump and left Breitbart
In January 2018, after his criticism of Trump's children was reported in Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury, Bannon was disavowed by Trump and subsequently left Breitbart.
January 2018: Publication of Fire and Fury
In January 2018, upon the publication of Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury, Bannon and Trump became estranged due to controversial statements attributed to Bannon.
February 2018: Bannon on Anger, Fear, and Media Opposition
In February 2018, Steve Bannon told journalist Michael Lewis that the Trump campaign was elected on "Drain the Swamp, Lock Her Up, Build a Wall" fueled by "anger and fear." He also stated that the media is the "real opposition" and should be dealt with by flooding the zone with "shit."
March 2018: Populist Pep Talk to National Front
In March 2018, Steve Bannon delivered a "populist pep talk" to members of the French right-wing populist National Front, encouraging them to embrace labels like "racist" and "xenophobe" as badges of honor, asserting that history was on their side. This event in March 2018 drew criticism, with concerns raised about "normalizing racism."
July 2018: Bannon Visits Spain and Finland
In July 2018, Steve Bannon visited Spain's Vox and the Finns Party as part of his effort to build a network of right-wing populist parties in Europe.
August 2018: Bannon Advises Bolsonaro Campaign
In August 2018, Steve Bannon met with Eduardo Bolsonaro and served as an informal advisor to Jair Bolsonaro's presidential campaign in Brazil.
August 2018: Bannon Visits Republika Srpska
In August 2018, Steve Bannon visited Republika Srpska's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, as part of his efforts to build a global populist movement.
October 31, 2018: Senate Investigates Bannon's Activities
On October 31, 2018, it was reported that the Senate Intelligence Committee was conducting a "wide-ranging" investigation of Bannon's activities during the 2016 campaign, including his knowledge of contacts between Russia and campaign advisors, as well as his role with Cambridge Analytica.
December 2018: GoFundMe Campaign Launched
In December 2018, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to collect donations for the We Build the Wall fundraising campaign, marketed to support the building of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
2018: Bannon Uses Guo's Jet for Campaign Events
During the 2018 election campaign, Steve Bannon flew on Guo Wengui's private jet to support Republican congressional candidates in New Mexico and Arizona.
2018: Bannon Aides Republican Control of the House of Representatives
In 2018, Bannon used his group Citizens of the American Republic to aide him in his efforts to help keep Republican control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 election. The group is a dark money organization; Bannon declined to "describe his donors or how much money the group has raised".
2018: Michael Lewis Published Bannon Quote on Trump Transition
In 2018, Michael Lewis published a quote ascribed to Bannon, highlighting a profound lack of preparedness and concern during the Trump transition.
2018: Bannon Plans Right-Wing Academy in Italy
In 2018, Steve Bannon announced plans to establish a right-wing academy at the Dignitatis Humanae Institute in Italy, with the aim of training conservative Catholic political activists.
2018: Bannon Defends Trump's Ties to Putin
In 2018, Steve Bannon defended Donald Trump's ties to Vladimir Putin. He stated that traditionalists view Russia as an ally and Putin as someone who is standing up for traditional institutions and nationalism. He also reportedly met with Aleksandr Dugin in Rome to advocate for closer relations between the United States and Russia.
2018: Fascination with Mussolini
In 2018, Steve Bannon told an interviewer that he is "fascinated by Mussolini", noting his appeal to women, virility, and fashion sense. This fascination, expressed in 2018, reveals Bannon's interest in controversial historical figures.
February 2019: Bolsonaro Joins Bannon's Organization
In February 2019, Eduardo Bolsonaro joined Steve Bannon's organization, the Movement, as its representative in South America.
March 14, 2019: Wilbur Ross Questioned About Citizenship Question on Census
On March 14, 2019, Wilbur Ross was questioned about conversations with Bannon regarding the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, which led to accusations of Ross being complicit in weakening minority voting rights.
April 23, 2019: Supreme Court Heard Arguments on Census Citizenship Question
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 to the 2020 census.
November 2019: Bannon Gave Evidence in Stone Trial
In November 2019, Bannon gave evidence in the federal criminal trial of Roger Stone, under subpoena, testifying that Stone was WikiLeaks' access point for the Trump campaign.
2019: Rights to Monastery Revoked
In 2019, the Italian government revoked the Dignitatis Humanae Institute's rights to use the former Trisulti Charterhouse monastery, due to failure to meet operational criteria and financial obligations.
2019: Wolff's Siege
In his 2019 book Siege, Wolff quoted Bannon predicting that investigations into Trump's finances would be his political downfall.
February 2020: Flights Revealed by ProPublica
In February 2020, ProPublica revealed that Steve Bannon had used Guo Wengui's private jet for campaign events in 2018, raising potential campaign finance law violations.
June 3, 2020: Bannon and Guo Declare "New Federal State of China"
On June 3, 2020, Steve Bannon and Guo Wengui participated in declaring a "New Federal State of China," with the stated aim of overthrowing the Chinese government.
July 10, 2020: Stone's Sentence Commuted
On July 10, 2020, Roger Stone's federal prison sentence was commuted by President Trump.
August 2020: Arrested on Federal Charges
In August 2020, Bannon was arrested on federal charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering related to the 'We Build the Wall' campaign.
August 2020: Senate Suspects Bannon Misled Them
In August 2020, members of the Senate intelligence committee informed the DOJ that they believed Bannon, along with Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr., may have misled them in their testimony about the Russia investigation.
August 2020: GTV Media Group Under Investigation
In August 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that fundraising for GTV Media Group, a company Steve Bannon and Guo Wengui launched, was under investigation by federal and state authorities.
August 20, 2020: Bannon Arrested
On August 20, 2020, Bannon was arrested.
November 5, 2020: Bannon Calls for Beheadings of Fauci and Wray
On November 5, 2020, Steve Bannon called for the beheadings of Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray during his webcast. He suggested displaying their heads on pikes outside the White House as a warning to bureaucrats. Consequently, Facebook and YouTube removed the video, Twitter permanently banned his account, and Mailchimp disabled his email newsletter.
November 2020: Bannon Promotes COVID-19 Account
In November 2020, The New York Times reported that Steve Bannon, along with Guo Wengui, had been promoting Li-Meng Yan's account of COVID-19, helping her secure interviews and providing her with accommodation and coaching, though her research was later rejected as misinformation.
2020: Citizenship Question on Census Surveys
In 2020, the Commerce Department secretary Wilbur Ross had conversations with Bannon regarding the adding of a citizenship question to the 2020 census surveys.
January 9, 2021: YouTube Removes Bannon's Podcast Channel
On January 9, 2021, YouTube removed Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast channel and another channel after Rudy Giuliani accused Democrats of stealing the presidential election and blaming them for the Capitol storming on the podcast. YouTube cited violations of its Terms of Service.
January 20, 2021: Pardoned by Trump
On January 20, 2021, Donald Trump pardoned Bannon on his last day in office, sparing him from a federal trial for the charges he faced.
February 2021: Manhattan DA Issues Subpoenas
By February 2021, the Manhattan district attorney had issued subpoenas to Wells Fargo Bank and GoFundMe, which had provided accounts for the "We Build the Wall" venture.
2021: Refused to comply with subpoena
In 2021, Bannon refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, the U.S. House of Representatives committee investigating the 2021 United States Capitol attack.
July 2022: Convicted on Contempt of Congress
In July 2022, Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the January 6th Committee.
August 2022: Bannon Indicted on State Charges
In August 2022, Steve Bannon was indicted on New York state charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud related to the $25 million "We Build the Wall" scheme; Bannon claimed the charges were politically motivated.
September 8, 2022: Bannon Surrenders to Authorities
On September 8, 2022, Steve Bannon surrendered to authorities in connection with the New York state charges against him.
September 2022: Charged in New York State Court
In September 2022, Bannon was charged in New York state court on counts of fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy in connection with the 'We Build the Wall' campaign.
October 2022: Sentenced to Prison
In October 2022, Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison and a $6,500 fine for contempt of Congress.
February 2023: Podcast contains Misleading statements
In February 2023, a Brookings Institution study found Bannon's podcast contained the highest proportion of false, misleading and unsubstantiated statements among 79 prominent political podcasters.
July 2023: Bannon Ordered to Pay Legal Bill
In July 2023, Steve Bannon was ordered to pay the remaining balance of an $850,000 legal bill to Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron LLP, the law firm that represented him in cases for contempt of Congress and the "We Build the Wall" fraud scheme, after he only partially paid the bill.
December 2023: Bannon Advocates for Arming and Training Children
In December 2023, Steve Bannon advocated for the arming and training of children in the use of firearms. Speaking at Turning Point USA's America Fest, he proposed that gun classes should be integrated into school curriculums for self-defense.
May 27, 2024: Original Trial Date
The trial was originally expected to start May 27, 2024, however it was postponed to September 23, 2024.
September 23, 2024: Rescheduled Trial Date
The trial was originally scheduled for September 23, 2024 because the judge in that case, Juan Merchan, was also overseeing the Trump "hush-money" case and was unavailable at that time.
December 9, 2024: Trial Date Assigned to New Judge
Due to an ongoing conflict, Bannon's case was reassigned to Judge April Newbauer who later rescheduled it for December 9, 2024.
February 11, 2025: Bannon Pleads Guilty
On February 11, 2025, Bannon "pleaded guilty to one state felony count of a scheme to defraud in the first degree and was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge."
February 2025: Pleaded guilty to one count of fraud
In February 2025, Bannon pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and was sentenced to three years of conditional discharge.
February 25, 2025: Rescheduled Trial Date at Bannon's Request
At Bannon's request, Newbauer again rescheduled it for February 25, 2025.
