
A thrill records of “Today with George Stephanopoulos” broadcasting on Sunday, January, 19, 2025 on ABC Information is listed below. This duplicate might not remain in its last kind, might be upgraded and might consist of small transcription mistakes. For previous program records, see the “Today” records archive.
KARL: I interviewed you simply hours prior to you entered into jail. And currently we’re resting below once more with each other simply hours prior to Trump’s mosting likely to be promised in.
STEVE BANNON, PREVIOUS TRUMP WHITE HOME PRIMARY PLANNER: And if I bear in mind appropriately, we chatted at the very least after, prior to and after that regarding just how we were mosting likely to win this.
KARL: You were rather certain.
BANNON: Really certain.
KARL: So he’s mosting likely to head out there. It’s the 2nd inaugural, you were a, you were an engineer of the very first inaugural, which was American carnage and a stricture of everyone that was around him on that particular phase.
KARL: Is he mosting likely to do it once more? Is this, is this American Carnage 2.0? Due to the fact that I’m hearing he’s not.
BANNON: No, No.
KARL: Due to the fact that I’m hearing this is an extremely various tone.
BANNON: No, bring the nation with each other. Combine the nation.
KARL: What does Steve Bannon think about that?
BANNON: I believe it’s extremely suitable for this set since take a look at the. union we created. What took place on, on 5 November. Right? Look, I understand I’m, you recognize, constantly on the strike, yet he’s head of state of the USA. He won this triumph. He has a large union to gather. And I believe he’s mosting likely to attempt to link the nation around a strategy that we need to take, I believe he’ll set out the difficulties, and he’ll set out the start in some kind of 65, 60,000 foot degree what his plans and propositions are. Yet I believe it’ll all have to do with unifying the nation and moving forward with each other.
KARL: So does that imply all that broach retaliation is nevermind?
BANNON: Head of state Trump has actually stated and I believe in feedback to you that his concept of retaliation is, is tranquility and success, is safety in a, in a brand-new golden era.
KARL: So prosecuting his adversaries, pursuing the January sixth board, pursuing the district attorneys, that, they pursued him, Mark Milley, all that things’s– ignore that?
BANNON: I really did not state that. I believe that is various. I do not believe that’s vengeance or retaliation whatsoever. I and I’m a large follower and I have actually stated this over and over once more, I state it on the program each day, we have responsibilities to this republic that this can never ever take place once more. And I believe we have actually reached return to the start.
KARL: So what do you make from the reality that resting there with him, I presume currently we’re within, yet you’re visiting the 3 wealthiest Americans ever before. You’re visiting Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, prime seats.
KARL: That does not appear like the neglected males and females that Trump discussed last time. Are you stunned to see that?
BANNON: I am not. They exist as supplicants. They’re not there as the oligarchs. Remember what Biden stated regarding the oligarchs, Jonathan, you recognize much better than anyone, since you have actually narrated this thoroughly, we had no power. Head of state Trump was out and I imply, when out the political course and the Republican politician Event and Fox Information transformed versus him. We’re mosting likely to make him a non-person.
KARL: He was outlawed from their systems.
BANNON: For, I believe, 18 months.
Yet as quickly as Zuckerberg stated. I have actually been welcomed. I’m going. The floodgates opened and they were all there knocking, attempting to be supplicants. So I take a look at this and I believe many people in our motion take a look at this as Head of state Trump damaged the oligarchs, he damaged them and they gave up. They can state, we’ll remove any kind of restrictions that we can, say goodbye to monitoring, every little thing. Therefore and when Biden speak about that, they produce the oligarchs. They just ended up being oligarchs and they turned on them when they had actually given up. And currently, and currently they’re mosting likely to concern Trump stating, I watch this as, as September of 1945, the Missouri and you have the Imperial High Command–.
KARL: Imperial Japanese.
BANNON: And and he resembles Douglas MacArthur, there, there. That is a main abandonment. Okay. And I believe it’s, I believe it’s effective.
KARL: Mark Zuckerberg exists. Do you think his conversion?
BANNON: Not. I believe Mark Zuckerberg is a criminal. I believe, Mark, I believe in an appropriately settled.
KARL: A criminal?
BANNON:: Yes. For 2020 for the Zuckerbucks. Yet I intend to see that. I intend to see that in a, in an organized adjudication either in your house or I believe much better with a grand court and an unique district attorney to experience 2020.
KARL: You locate you desire Trump’s Justice Division, Justice Division under Trump, to prosecute Mark Zuckerberg.
BANNON: I really did not state that. I really did not state that. I really did not state that. What I desire is your house to do it initially. Yet if they’re not prepared to do it, an unique guidance’s established that considers the 2020 political election and considers it seriously and settles it. If there’s absolutely nothing there, there’s absolutely nothing there. Zuckerberg’s, you recognize, roadway to Damascus came a little late. It wanted the 5th of November. It’s extremely, you recognize, currently wishes to be a brother. He Martial art battles. He’s mosting likely to UFC. He’s obtained his hair done in different ways. He’s, he’s reduced. That does not hack it with me. That man will certainly turn on Head of state Trump and he’ll turn on us in the 2nd. When it’s hassle-free for him. He will certainly turn.
KARL: I imply, there’s no proof that he did anything that impacted the end result of the political election.
KARL: So, allow me, allow me return to the oligarchs momentarily. You called Elon Musk a genuinely wicked individual.
BANNON: Yeah.
KARL: It’s a little severe.
BANNON: It was stated in context. Allow’s see what he what he did is that he appeared and he called American people. He retweeted something called ‘our employees hampers,’ stated that we were unqualified speed up to do what taking these tasks. He stated that the MAGA motion was a lot of racists which they must be turfed out of the Republican politician Event. So, and Elon, since he’s tweeting all right stuff online, he might or might not imply that. Yet to me, there needs to be an audit for that. Currently, pay attention, he resembles I stated, he’s done terrific points. He sustained us in 20-, 20-, 2024. Which was a significant factor that Head of state Trump won it. He sustained the ground video game.
KARL: When you pursue Elon Musk the means you have so roughly, do you obtain blowback from Trump? Does he connect to you and state, knock it off, This is my ally. This man assisted.
BANNON: Me. I never ever- I never ever- I never ever- I never ever- I never ever divulge anything. Discussion with the head of state or perhaps with the personnel or anything such as this. Yet I would certainly simply appropriately note, I would certainly simply appropriately note. I really did not see any kind of leakages in journalism regarding the personnel or anyone having issues with it. So I do not inquire. I do not– my approval framework is not to return and ask individuals for approval since I’m–
KARL: Well if Trump informed you straight, knock it off, Bannon. This is my man. Would certainly you knock it off?
BANNON: If Head Of State Trump has a discussion with me, I’ll maintain that discussion in between Head of state Trump and myself. Just how’s that?
KARL: Donald Trump has them as visitors down at Mar a Lago. He goes to the launch. They remain in his management. I imply, I comprehend you’re stating it’s an abandonment.
BANNON: Allow’s, allow’s allow’s be clear regarding this. Trump’s not constructing out and when I state visitor, he’s not making an outgoing telephone call. They’re calling. They’re accumulated in Mar a Lago like airplanes on a Friday evening over LaGuardia. Okay? We’re attempting to they’re attempting to obtain a touchdown port to act and be a supplicant.
KARL: Elon Musk is essentially living there.
BANNON: He is living. He’s obtained, I believe, a home there.
KARL: I imply, Trump appears to such as having him about.
BANNON: Presumably, Head of state Trump would certainly allow you recognize if he really did not.
KARL: So you have like you have the adhering to that is the type of ground soldiers of the MAGA motion.
BANNON: Some not all, yet we have a- We have a- We have a- since individuals concern us for the details on the program.
KARL: So what do they desire? What are their– what do they wish–
BANNON: They desire Head of state Trump is what they desire, and they obtained him.
KARL: What happens if he falls short to supply?
BANNON: He’s not gon na– he’s not mosting likely to stop working to supply. Is every little thing mosting likely to be ideal as the much best believes it? No, it’s not. And I do not– I never ever act it is. I do have actually a concept based upon Thomas Kuhn’s “The Framework of Scientific Revolutions” regarding standard changes. If you change the standard, at some point they’re mosting likely to question on your– on your on your lawn. And today, I believe if you see– if you see the, the hearings of the cupboard authorities and see these concepts appearing, America initially concepts. Right? Democratic concepts, democratic nationalist concepts, we have actually moved that standard–
KARL: There was no pushback from the old Republican politician Event and you would certainly say very little of a pushback from the Democrats.
BANNON: Jonathan, I’m surprised. I assumed there would certainly be Republican politicians on the panel that were asking difficult concerns. I assumed Democrats would certainly be going nuts. And actually, from a plan point of view, I rested there. I believe I saw completion of both old– the Democratic Event as it exists and the- the husk of the Republican politician Event as McConnell and Paul Ryan hope. I believe Head of state Trump will certainly experience just how we obtained below. Where we’re going, what his strategy is to lead us and to bring us with each other. He’s a unifying number today since, consider it, this union– which’s why he has a– he has a hard work. He has the oligarchs that have actually given up, today.
KARL: Bezos, Zuckerberg–
BANNON: The oligarchs, every one of them. And likewise likewise the crypto individuals. It’s an entire– it’s an entire– it’s an entire environment. you have that. You have working-class African Americans. You have South Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, individuals are currently prepared not simply to quit electing Democrats, yet to choose him. He’s obtained, he’s obtained type of the difficult right, right? The MAGA. He’s obtained– he’s currently obtained investors. He’s obtained corporatists. He needs to hold– his point is to hold that union with each other. Yet if you needed to have someone to do it, he’s the man to do it. That’s why he goes to the degree of Washington and Lincoln. And this will certainly be understood. And when background is created, Elon Musk, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Jonathan Karl will certainly all be removed and neglected in the afterthoughts. They’ll recognize 2 points– and Pelosi be removed, Schumer. They’ll recognize 2 points. Trump and the MAGA motion. This is altering American national politics. American national politics, as I stated, for several years, is eventually going to obtain a location of 2 different variations of populism, a democratic nationalism that Head of state Trump has actually developed. America initially. And you’re mosting likely to have some kind of still democratic globalism that appears like the left might attempt to find along with.