Longtime adviser to President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, is facing renewed scrutiny after newly released Justice Department (DOJ) documents revealed private communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The exchanges include discussions about Trump’s leadership, political strategy, and even the 25th Amendment, which allows the vice president and Cabinet to remove a sitting president deemed unfit.
The messages, part of millions of pages released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, cover late 2018 through 2019, in the months leading up to Epstein’s 2019 arrest on sex trafficking charges.
On December 31, 2018, shortly after Democrats regained control of the House, Bannon texted Epstein that he considered Trump “beyond borderline” and referenced the constitutional mechanism for removal, according to Trending Politics.
Epstein replied, “He is really borderline. Not sure what he may do,” prompting Bannon to respond, “We really need an intervention.”
Additional messages show Bannon providing public relations advice to Epstein.
In April 2019, he suggested, “First we need to push back on the lies; then crush the pedo/trafficking narrative; then rebuild your image as a philanthropist,” highlighting the risks Epstein faced to his public image.
Bannon, host of the “War Room” podcast, defended the communications as part of his work on a documentary about Epstein.
“I am a filmmaker and TV host with decades of experience interviewing controversial figures. That’s the only lens through which these private communications should be viewed—a documentary filmmaker working to secure 50 hours of interviews from a reclusive subject,” he told The New York Times.
The project, he said, aimed to expose the myths Epstein created and examine the financier’s criminal behavior.
Despite these explanations, conservative figures have criticized Bannon.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn urged the DOJ to question Bannon, while ex-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called his interactions with Epstein “unacceptable and inconsistent” with loyalty to Trump, according to The Independent.
Social media posts have described the communications as troubling for a prominent Trump ally.
The documents also include photos of Bannon in Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, taken after Epstein’s prior sexual abuse convictions were public knowledge, the Daily Mail noted.
The revelations have sparked concern about judgment and associations, even among staunch Trump supporters, though Bannon remains committed to the president’s agenda.
Bannon previously served four months in 2024 for contempt of Congress after refusing to testify before the Jan. 6 Committee.
He continues to play a prominent role in conservative media, advocating for Trump’s political initiatives.
Analysts note the unsealed messages contrast sharply with Bannon’s public persona as a loyal adviser, raising questions about private political calculations versus public loyalty.
The situation underscores broader concerns about political figures engaging privately with convicted criminals.
Conservatives are weighing Bannon’s role in the Trump movement against the optics of maintaining private communications with Epstein, while also considering his continued advocacy for conservative causes and the president.
The unsealed communications highlight both the risks and scrutiny faced by high-profile political operatives and their associations.
Bannon’s documentary project remains under examination as critics continue to evaluate the context and intent of his relationship with Epstein.
