FROM OUR REPORTER
WASHINGTON — On the ground floor of a red-brick townhouse behind the Supreme Court, liberal network MSNBC broadcasts on two giant televisions. Steve Bannon is keeping an eye on them: “I am the enemy,” explains the strategist who brought Donald Trump into the White House in 2016. Bannon records the War Room podcast here four hours a day, six days a week. “Trump had no media when he went to Mar-a-Lago. Murdoch said they were making him an “inhuman” and that Fox was what we call controlled opposition. War Room is Trump's main supporter.” “We talk a lot,” says Bannon when we ask him if he still gives Trump any advice, but immediately adds: “He's his own strategist.” He has very clear opinions. And if anyone has doubts, listen to their speeches.”
Bannon is appealing a conviction for refusing a congressional subpoena to testify about the Jan. 6 investigation. And he speaks proudly of press articles that cite not only his influence on the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, but also the “bannonization of British politics.” “I did an interview with Liz Truss and she melted the UK.” During question time with the Prime Minister everyone was against her because she appeared on my show to talk about the Muslim invasion of Europe.
Trump is one step away from the nomination.
“It's his.” Nikki Haley remains in the field, not to beat Trump but to try to integrate his people into the government. She may push – I'm not saying she will succeed – to become Secretary of Defense to favor the military industry and its sponsors. In Michigan he received 300,000 votes: we know they are anti-Trump votes, even though many are independents and Democrats. But we will be against it. I hate these people more than the Democrats.
In fact, polls show Trump leading Biden in almost all swing states, but Democrats say it's still early.
'No, if the elections were held today he would win in a landslide and things wouldn't change. Democrats are shocked and disheartened; they thought the law would help them, but instead the trials would be postponed until after the vote. There's this in New York, but it's a weak case. The MAGA movement is on the rise. In addition to the victory in Michigan and the fact that we will have a clear victory on SuperTuesday, Mitch McConnell announced that he is retiring after failing to direct the relief funds to Kyiv. He's too old to fight us, that's the Magaization of the Republican Party. Trump won. We got the House of Representatives, we got the Republican National Committee and then the Senate. CPAC (the conservative conference) is Maga.
You said you love Giorgia Meloni, but are disappointed with her policies towards NATO and Ukraine and believe she is not tough enough on immigration.
“His biggest supporters are very disappointed. I met her when she was nobody and I told everyone: she will be prime minister. I love her for how she normalizes the right to power in Italy, but you can't play the game of Brussels and NATO. He told the Ukrainians: We will be by your side, even though the Italian defense budget is only 1.4%. The Europeans and Meloni are playing a dangerous game: They want to further raise the stakes in Ukraine without investing any money. In the United States there is no health care, no pensions, and no six weeks of summer vacation because we have a $3 trillion defense budget. We will never give a dime again.”
And Salvini?
“It would be harder on NATO and trying to avoid a clash with Russia.”
What would Trump's return mean?
“President Trump made it clear: If you don't achieve 2% of GDP for defense, there will be a massive restructuring of NATO.” We want an alliance: Alliance means you have to do your part. “European elites should get used to the idea: Trump is not a friend of the EU, he is not a friend of the Davos Party and he is certainly not a friend of the technocrats at NATO.”
For the EU, Trump's words were shocking: in order to force them to pay, he would be willing to encourage Putin to attack.
“I want Trump to use shocking language: it's the only language that's coming.” I tell Trump he has to pay the arrears too. We showed Merkel a brochure when she came to Trump's White House. I told the Germans: These are like rent arrears. The National Security Advisor yelled at me, citing the Constitution. I told him: We wrote your constitution after we bombed you in the Stone Age.
Orbán will join Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Will you see him?
“He’s also coming to Washington for a few days. I don’t want to say what I’m going to do, but we’re big supporters.”
Would he return to the Trump administration?
“I can’t leave War Room.” Trump needs a media arm.”