Former White House adviser Steve Bannon is being thrown under the bus by Donald Trump’s allies, after his name appeared in investigation files related to the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
On Sunday and Monday, prominent right-wing personalities took to social media to condemn Bannon’s relationship with Epstein.
The Department of Justice recently released more than 3 million pages of investigation files related to the disgraced financier, which included the names of many powerful people, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who was mentioned 38,000 times.
Highlights
- Steve Bannon was implicated in Jeffrey Epstein investigation files, revealing a close, controversial relationship with the convicted sex offender.
- Epstein and Bannon collaborated on a documentary to rehabilitate Epstein’s public image, with 17 hours of missing interview footage.
- Right-wing figures, including Elon Musk and Roger Stone, publicly condemned Bannon’s ties to Epstein, with Musk calling Bannon 'evil.'
- Despite Epstein’s criminal past, Bannon actively sought to leverage their relationship for political and media influence after 2016.
Right-wing personalities condemned Steve Bannon’s connection with Jeffrey Epstein
Image credits: Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images
The files show Epstein and Bannon were working on a documentary to “push back on the lies” and “rebuild” Epstein’s image as a “philanthropist,” The BBC reported.
The project was left incomplete after Epstein died in 2019, with a reported 17 hours of interview footage whose location remains a mystery, Trump biographer Michael Wolff said.
Republicans are speaking up against Bannon’s relationship with Epstein. Roger Stone, a former White House trade adviser, slammed Bannon in two posts.
On Sunday, he praised Elon Musk for being right about Bannon. Musk said in a July 4 social media battle that “fat drunken slob” Bannon should be in prison.
A few days after the post, Stone and Musk discussed the event, in an X conversation where Stone questioned, “Why would Bannon meet with Jeffrey Epstein both at his New York home and in Paris after Epstein was convicted on sex crimes in Florida? Why would he coach Epstein for his 60 minutes appearance?” to which Musk—who is also named in the Epstein files, replied, “Bannon is in the Epstein files.”
On Monday, Stone condemned “Stinky Steve” for being “very far up Epstein’s a**” and “advising him on how to lie his way out of his criminal pedophile past.”
Musk joined in on Monday, sharing a post discussing the connection between Bannon and Epstein, captioning it, “Bannon is evil.” He has also offered to pay the legal costs of Epstein’s victims if they decided to come forward and name their perpetrators.
Elon Musk, who himself has been named in documents, called Bannon ‘evil’
Image credits: The Department of Justice
Ironically enough, Musk himself is named in the files, despite advocating for their release. Musk claimed that Epstein requested he visit his island, where many of his crimes took place, on several occasions.
But emails between the two released in the files show that it was Musk who on several occasions insisted on visiting Epstein Island for the “wildest party.” Musk has denied the emails and called them a “smear campaign” against him.
Musk has also been photographed at a dinner party hosted by Epstein.
Image credits: The Department of Justice
Conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza mocked Bannon for sucking up to elites while claiming to promote populism. Fox News’ Mark Levin wrote on X, “Funny how Bannon’s fellow antisemites and isolationists have not demanded that HE come clean about his well-established, video-taped relationship with Epstein.”
Right-wing host Erick Erickson wrote on X, “Between his close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Jeffrey Epstein, we should all raise more than a single eyebrow when conservative influencers go on Bannon’s program.”
Republican political strategist Rick Wilson responded to Musk’s latest tweet, saying, “We rarely agree, but you’re right to go to the Moon first, and you’re super-right about Bannon.”
The criticism comes as U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that she would help Bannon erase evidence of his conviction of defying a subpoena from the January 6th Committee.
Bannon served four months in a federal prison until October 2024 for contempt of Congress—for defying a subpoena to testify in the investigation of the 2021 Capitol riots.
The DOJ, under Attorney General Pam Bondi said it is “in the interests of justice” to dismiss the case.
The department is also asking the Supreme Court to consider if the January 6th Committee was “unlawfully composed.”
Pam Bondi said she would help Bannon erase evidence of his conviction
Image credits: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Bannon is mentioned in hundreds of emails connected to Epstein, which portray Epstein as an active adviser and facilitator in Bannon’s effort to build a global populist movement after the 2016 election.
Epstein coached Bannon to think internationally, explaining how to work with Europe, for instance. “If you are going to play here, you’ll have to spend time, europe by remote doesn’t work.”
Epstein also probed the mechanics of Bannon’s movement that the latter described as “reverse Alabama”—“Populist/Nationalist first; Conservative Christians (catholic/evangelical) next.”
Image credits: The Department of Justice
“I need to understand flow of funds,” Epstein told Bannon, adding that there would be “money needed for think tank, for ads. for policy meetings.. though [sic] leaders.”
Bannon, despite Epstein’s criminal past, appeared eager to leverage the relationship.
Image credits: The Department of Justice
He asked Epstein, “Do u know anyone in Europe that wants to control the European Parliament and with it the EU,” and regularly sought feedback on speeches and messaging.
When Epstein offered framing advice ahead of a major 2018 forum, Bannon replied, “Brilliant brilliant brilliant, help me develop that argument.”