Steve Bannon fears he'll be sent back to prison if Republicans lose midterms

WASHINGTON, DC: Steve Bannon, a former top adviser to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, says he fears for his future if Democrats regain control of the US House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections.

Bannon, who also served as White House chief strategist and senior counselor from January to August 2017 during Trump’s first term, expressed concern that he could end up back behind bars during a recent speech at the 2025 Bellator Awards.

Bannon voiced his fears after Democrats won the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, and Zohran Mamdani claimed victory in the New York City mayoral race.

What did Steve Bannon say during his speech at the 2025 Bellator Awards?

Steve Bannon spoke to attendees at the 2025 Bellator Awards. The event was organized by the Conservative Partnership Institute, a Washington, DC, nonprofit that trains “public policy warriors” to advocate for conservative principles of liberty and limited government.

“As God is my witness, if we lose the midterms and we lose 2028, some in this room are going to prison, myself included,” Bannon said.

“They're not going to stop. They're getting 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,” he added.

“We're burning daylight. We have to codify what President Trump has done by Executive Order,” Bannon concluded.

What legal troubles has Steve Bannon faced in the past?

Steve Bannon previously served a four-month federal prison sentence from July to October 2024 for ignoring a subpoena from the January 6th Select Committee in 2022. He also paid a $6,500 fine. Just a week after his release, Bannon returned to hosting his 'War Room' podcast, which remains popular among right-wing audiences.

Additionally, President Donald Trump pardoned Bannon on the last day of his first term in 2021 for defrauding donors in the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign. However, that pardon applied only to federal charges.

In February 2025, Bannon appeared in a New York state court and pleaded guilty to the same fraud charges at the state level. He did not receive jail time for the state charges, but the plea bars him from holding leadership roles in any charitable organization or nonprofit in New York. 

Steve Bannon stirs rumors about Trump's 2028 run

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and prominent MAGA figure, caused a stir in Washington, DC, last month when he told The Economist that there was a “plan” for President Donald Trump to become president again in 2028.

“The only way President Trump wins in 2028 and continues to serve in office is by the will of the American people,” Bannon said. “And the will of the American people is what the Constitution embodies, so I believe we’ll be in good hands there.”

Trump added to the speculation when he recently told reporters aboard Air Force One that he “would love to do it,” referring to a 2028 run, even though the Constitution limits presidents to two terms.