Former White House senior strategist and one of the main theorists of the populist right, Steve Bannon, has begun unannounced practical steps to lay the groundwork for a potential run in the 2028 U.S. presidential election. American news site Axios reports, citing informed sources, that Bannon is seeking through this move to 'shape the political discourse' and pressure Republican candidates to adopt the most extreme version of the 'America First' agenda. According to the sources, Bannon's vision is based on an isolationist (non-interventionist) foreign policy, an economic populism, and an open confrontation with major Big Tech companies. In a precise description of his leanings, the report quotes former Republican Matt Gaetz as saying, 'Bannon's campaign will be a mix of Rand Paul's isolationist foreign policy with Elizabeth Warren's populist tax policies.' Despite the leaks about his preparations, Bannon publicly denied any intention to run, calling the reports 'bullshit.' He confirmed that his current focus is entirely on supporting President Donald Trump to secure a 'third presidential term,' in a direct challenge to the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits it. Bannon stated, 'We are not going to have a country if we don't get every fighting atom out of President Trump... We can get around the 22nd Amendment, and that is exactly what I intend to do,' referring to his collaboration with attorney Alan Dershowitz to publish a book containing a legal rationale for this proposal. Observers suggest that Bannon's promotion of this 'constitutionally impossible' idea may be a tactical maneuver to position himself as the 'sole legitimate heir' to Trumpism when it becomes certain that Trump cannot run again. The report details concrete steps Bannon has begun taking behind the scenes, which include: campaign infrastructure: studying the creation of a Political Action Committee (PAC) to fund allies in the midterm elections and starting to recruit personnel to work with him; focus on the base: moving the headquarters of his popular 'War Room' program to Texas in February to concentrate on the state's primaries; alternative strategy: planning an unconventional campaign run from digital broadcast studios, bypassing traditional rallies in states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Concurrently with these moves, Bannon has begun directing sharp criticism at potential rivals within the Republican Party, such as Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Senator Ted Cruz, attacking their stances on Israel, tech regulation, and artificial intelligence, aiming to compel them to adhere to his hardline political line.
