MAGA stalwart Steve Bannon has refused to back JD Vance as Donald Trump’s natural successor, pushing instead for the president to secure an illegal third term.
Speaking at the Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, D.C., the longtime Trump ally was asked whether the vice president was heir to the MAGA movement, but pointedly snubbed him.
“MAGA has President Trump, and as you know, I’m a huge advocate of President Trump’s third term,” Bannon said.
“You’re not just saying that to mess with JD?” asked moderator Ben Smith.
“No, not at all,” the former White House strategist replied, before turning to the audience.
“I think you guys all paid your taxes here yesterday. Is there anyone in the room who would not vote for President Trump and what he’s trying to do with his economy?”
The audience–made up largely of policy makers, journalists, lobbyists, and other professionals–laughed at the question, before Smith declared that their time on stage had come to an end.
But Bannon’s refusal to rally behind Vance highlights growing friction within MAGA circles.
While Vance rose to national prominence with Trump’s endorsement and has positioned himself as an intellectual standard-bearer for the movement, he has faced skepticism from some hardline figures who question his ideological consistency and loyalty.
Years before becoming vice president, he described himself as a “Never Trump Guy” and referred to Trump as “America’s Hitler.”
The odds were also stacked against Vance last week when he flew to Hungary to help campaign for Viktor Orban, the MAGA movement’s closest ally in Europe, who ended up being defeated after 16 years in power.
The anti-interventionist then traveled to Islamabad for last-ditch peace talks over Trump’s war in Iran, but was unable to strike a deal.
Amid growing fractions within Trump’s base, Vance this week urged the MAGA faithful to stay united as they head towards the midterms in November, followed by the next presidential election in 2028, where he is expected to be a frontrunner.
“We need to unite with each other and actually fight together to defeat the real enemy that’s out there,” Vance told the crowd at a half-empty Turning Point event on Tuesday night.
Like Vance, Bannon is also not a fan of the Iran war, but said he believed the GOP could still win the midterm elections thanks to Trump, who he described as “moderate” compared to the rest of the MAGA world, which was much further to the right.
But he also warned the president to get out of Iran as soon as possible and to be wary of Israel.
“The Middle East is a side show and Israel is a side show to a side show,” he said.
Thursday’s appearance at the Semafor conference was not the first time Bannon has called for a third Trump term, even though American presidents are only afforded two terms under the Constitution.
Indeed, Trump himself has also teased a third run, and occasionally even suggests a fourth.
The 79-year-old president has also urged Republicans to “nationalize” elections and place voting under federal authority.
He has even suggested canceling the midterm elections amid GOP fears that Republicans could lose control of Congress in November.
This would inevitably stall Trump’s agenda and expose him to congressional investigations.
“You gotta win the midterms ‘cause, if we don’t win the midterms... they’ll find a reason to impeach me,” he told Republican lawmakers at a retreat in Washington earlier this year.
