In what could become one of the most dramatic intra-party battles in modern Republican history, Steve Bannon is now reportedly laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential run, according to sources close to the former Trump strategist.
The move would mark a bold return to the political spotlight for the 71-year-old host of the influential War Room podcast and would pit him against the likely frontrunner for the MAGA succession: Vice President JD Vance.
Bannon, a key architect of the original America First movement that helped elect Donald Trump in 2016, appears increasingly skeptical of the next generation of populist leadership.
According to a source within Bannon’s inner circle, the former White House chief strategist has privately dismissed Vance’s presidential prospects, saying, “Love him… but Vance is not tough enough to run in 2028.”
While Bannon declined to comment on the reports, insiders tell the Daily Mail that he has already begun soliciting political advice and weighing a campaign strategy.
His run, if formalized, would ignite a civil war within the Trump-aligned populist movement — pitting its intellectual founder against its presumed heir.
Bannon’s potential entry comes just days after Trump publicly named Vance as the likely favorite to carry the MAGA torch into 2028.
That endorsement, should it materialize, would provide Vance with establishment muscle, but it may not be enough to suppress the groundswell of grassroots support that Bannon has built through his daily War Room show and relentless focus on the base’s core issues.
A seasoned media strategist and intellectual heavyweight, Bannon has never shied away from power or controversy. In a March interview with Politico, he said: “I don’t think like a politician… all I do is back President Trump and try to move the populist agenda and the America First agenda.” When asked whether he might rule out a White House run, he called the notion “too absurd” — leaving the door conspicuously open.
At February’s CPAC gathering, conservative activists appeared to confirm Bannon’s relevance. In a 2028 straw poll, Vance led the field with 61 percent, but Bannon came in a distant but noteworthy second with 12 percent — ahead of several seasoned Republican governors and senators.
Ironically, Bannon played a critical role in shaping Vance’s political identity, helping the former venture capitalist secure Trump’s endorsement in a crowded Ohio Senate primary in 2022. One Republican source claimed Bannon had “pushed and propped [Vance] up” and “created his image.”
Still, the strategist may be preparing to unmake what he once built.
Bannon also remains at the center of another media storm: unreleased Jeffrey Epstein footage, reportedly over 15 hours long, shot in 2019 as part of a failed image rehabilitation campaign.
According to a Republican source, Bannon is holding the footage and may choose to release — or strategically withhold — it as the 2028 race approaches.
Whether his candidacy materializes or not, one thing is certain: Steve Bannon is not finished shaping the future of the Republican Party.
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