UPDATE: Bannon Pushes Back on Daily Mail Report He’s Plotting a Run for President

Screenshot via Bannon’s WarRoom

Former Trump White House advisor turned MAGA world pundit, Steve Bannon, is reportedly eyeing a presidential run in 2028 against de facto Trump heir Vice President JD Vance, according to the Daily Mail. Later in the day, Bannon responded to the report on The National Pulse website, simply responding: “Trump 2028.”

Elina Shirazi, a senior political reporter focused on Trump’s foreign policy, wrote in an “exclusive” story on Thursday, “Sources close to Steve Bannon and Trump have told Daily Mail the 71-year-old War Room host has begun soliciting political advice.”

The report made clear, according to a GOP strategist, that Bannon’s planning is purely in the “contemplative stage,” but added that Bannon is concerned about a Vance run. Shirazi wrote:

One source in Bannon’s inner circle told the Daily Mail that the former strategist has privately ridiculed the prospect of Vance at the top of the ticket.

‘Love him… but Vance is not tough enough to run in 2028,’ the source said Bannon has conveyed to multiple people in his circles.

The Daily Mail noted that Bannon did not respond to the report, a claim he pushed back on in his comments to The National Pulse. “The Daily Mail claims Bannon did not comment on the matter, but The National Pulse can also reveal that, according to Bannon himself, no request for comment was made to Bannon before the story’s publication,” noted the post on Bannon’s response.

Bannon is no stranger to U.S. politics, having initially run Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign before being replaced by Kellyanne Conway. In the following years, Bannon’s War Room show has been a key platform for MAGA Republicans to launch campaigns for office and has hosted countless elected Republicans. Bannon also took his politicking overseas in recent years, supporting right-wing populist candidates in Europe and South America.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect Bannon’s response.