Steve Bannon Released From Prison And Quickly Tapes Podcast To Claim Democrats Will Try To Steal Election

Steve Bannon, the former film producer and Trump strategist turned popular podcaster on the right, was released earlier today from federal prison after serving a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.

Bannon was found guilty in 2022 to two counts of contempt of Congress, as he refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the January 6th Committee. After he exhausted his appeals, he reported to a federal correctional facility in Danbury, CT in July.

After his release, Bannon gave an interview to The New York Times before taping his podcast, War Room.

“The four months in federal prison didn’t break me, it empowered me,” Bannon said on the podcast. “I am more focused and more energized than I have ever been in my entire life, and I can see clearly just like in 2016 and 2020 exactly what is going on here and what we have to do to defeat it.”

Bannon referred to himself as a “political prisoner” and blamed Nancy Pelosi for his prosecution. After he refused to comply with the subpoena, the House voted to refer a contempt of Congress recommendation to the Justice Department. He was prosecuted and convicted after a trial, and sentenced in 2022.

Bannon was one of the most prominent media figures spreading Trump’s unfounded claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Today, Bannon encouraged listeners on the podcast to “crush” Democrats at the ballot box next week, telling them, “We have to put this beyond their ability to steal it.”

He also warned listeners of Democrats’ legal challenges after the Nov. 5 election, saying, “Every day after the evening of November 5th is going to be Stalingrad.”

“If they can’t take it away from Trump, if they can’t mollify it right there, they want to at least de-legitimize his victory,” Bannon said.