In what many might consider an admission of guilt, former Trump strategist and convicted felon Steve Bannon urged fellow Republicans to act with “more urgency” following Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral win. Bannon claims that, should the right lose the midterms or the 2028 election, he and others will be jailed.
The clip was shared by journalist Don Lemon, showing Steve Bannon speaking at the 2025 Bellator Awards, hosted by the Conservative Partnership Institute in Washington, D.C. During his speech, Bannon shared his fears following several Democratic wins, including Mamdani’s NYC mayoral victory.
“I will tell you right now, as God as my witness, if we lose the midterms, if we lose 2028, some in this room are going to prison, myself included,” Bannon said. “They’re not gonna stop. They’re getting more and more and more radical, and we have to counter that. And what do we have to counter it with? We have to counter it with more action, more intense action, more urgency. We’re burning daylight.”
The former White House chief strategist went on to say that Republicans need to “codify what Trump has done by executive order“. He added that they have to “get beyond these structural barriers,” referring to the US Senate filibuster.
“Look, we have to understand that if we don’t do this to the maximum, the maximalist strategy, now, with a sense of urgency, and in doing this, seize the institutions,” Bannon continued. “If we don’t do this now, we’re going to lose this chance forever, because you’re never going to have another Trump.”
Reactions, Convicted Felon
While some criticized his “seizing the institutions” rhetoric, many mocked Steve Bannon for his fear of arrest.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” one user wrote. A second commenter expressed, “Only someone that knows they did something wrong would say such a thing.” A third added, “At least he is self aware about that.”
Many pointed out that Bannon, among all people, knows precisely what the insides of a jail are like. Back in 2022, he was convicted of contempt of Congress and served four months in jail. Then, in 2025, he pleaded guilty to felony fraud after he defrauded donors with a fake border wall fundraiser.
Whether Bannon will be arrested (again) or not, the GOP needs to better prepare itself moving forward. Otherwise, they will see more election losses and maybe some more meltdowns down the line.
