Steve Bannon Says He’s Going ‘Medieval’ After Agreeing to Testify Before Jan. 6 Panel
© Sarah Silbiger
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Newly released audio obtained by Mother Jones features ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon proclaiming on October 31, 2020, that then-US President Donald Trump was planning to declare victory in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. “That’s our strategy,” Bannon disclosed.
Steve Bannon, who faces two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, appears to be going on the offensive against the 9-member House select committee probing the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, despite his recent decision to change course and cooperate with the investigation.
“Pray for our enemies, okay? Pray because we’re going medieval on these people. We’re going to savage our enemies,” Bannon said in the latest broadcast of his War Room podcast.
Bannon’s rallying rhetoric and somewhat sacrilegious rant came in response to media reports that he is now cooperating with the congressional probe due to fears of prison time.
“[P]ut our enemies in front of me, because that’s who’s really going to need prayers. Okay. Because we’re going medieval,” he reiterated. “And we’ll see about this committee what happens this afternoon,” he said, referring to the public hearing on July 12.
BANNON: Pray for our enemies, because we are going medieval on these people. We are going to savage our enemies. pic.twitter.com/zX3y4HY2tE
— Woj 🇵🇱 (@Woj_Pawelczyk) July 12, 2022
Tuesday’s public hearing on the January 6 insurrection focused partly on two phone calls between Trump and Bannon on January 5, 2021.
The first call lasted about 11 minutes, per White House call logs, and took place before the broadcast of Bannon’s podcast in which he teased that January 6 would be a chaotic day.
“All hell is going to break loose tomorrow,” Bannon said in the clip played during Tuesday’s hearing. “It’s all converging, and now we’re on, as they say, the point of attack.”
Bannon spoke to Trump twice on January 5th according to phone logs. After the first call, Bannon went on his podcast and said all hell would break loose pic.twitter.com/Um1syirDJm
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 12, 2022
“I’ll tell you this: It’s not going to happen like you think it’s going to happen,” he added. “It’s going to be quite extraordinarily different, and all I can say is strap in.”
The clip in question was notably referenced by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in October 2021.
Additional audio obtained and released this week by Mother Jones captures a moment in which Bannon plainly lays out Trump’s strategy.
“He’s gonna declare himself a winner,” the ex-White House adviser said.
Bannon is slated to begin trial on Monday.
