Bannon Predicts 'Most Vitriolic Year' in US Politics Since Before Civil War

On Sunday Bannon, who served as a top advisor on Trump's 2016 campaign and left the White House in the summer of 2017, suggested during CBS's "Face the Nation" that Democrats could possibly "weaponize" the findings from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe and use the investigations into Trump taking place in New York's Southern District against the president, heating up political tensions throughout the year.

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“I think 2019 will be the most vitriolic year in American politics since before the Civil War,” he said. “And I include Vietnam in that. I think we’re in for a very nasty 2019.”

Bannon also noted that he has “zero” doubt that Trump will run for reelection in 2020. He revealed that he expects there to be a Republican primary challenge to the president, but suggested it would be more "symbolic" than serious. He added that he believes Trump will emerge from the year "in a much more battle-hardened position" and "very focused" on the 2020 elections.

"I happen to think now, the president is going to run again in 2020 and I think he'll win. I think he'll win bigger than he won in 2016," Bannon said, noting that because the Democrats have taken the House, that this could lead to an “extraordinary time in American politics” before the elections.

Trump has indicated that he plans to run for re-election in 2020. He held his first campaign rally of 2019 in El Paso, Texas, earlier this month.  He also regularly tweets about Democrats conspiring against him ahead of 2020 elections. Among the Democrats, Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have already announced their candidacy or formed exploratory committees to run for president.