Steve Bannon, host of the popular conservative War Room podcast, has repeatedly pushed for President Donald Trump to run for a third presidential term.
However, the Constitution bars presidents from serving more than two terms, making the possibility of Trump mounting a bid for another term unlikely. Still, Bannon is in a unique position to play an outsize role in the 2028 race either by lending his endorsement or possibly seeking the White House.
A former Trump aide during his first term, Bannon is now one of the most influential conservative voices due to the popularity of his podcast with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base.
It’s a far cry from his 2022 sentencing of four months in prison for failing to comply with the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot’s subpoena and being pushed out of the Trump White House in 2017.
During this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll, Bannon came in second place as a leading contender for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination.
Only Vice President JD Vance polled higher at 61% compared to Bannon’s 12%. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), once a leading contender in the 2024 GOP race, came in third at 7%.
In a response to a comment from the Washington Examiner about whether he would run, Bannon’s war room responded “Trump ‘28” and did not respond to additional questioning.
Trump is barred by the Constitution from serving in office after his second term ends. However, Bannon and other like-minded allies, including a sitting House member, are pushing to amend the Constitution.
As he cast his vote during the 2024 race in November, Trump said that would likely be his last presidential campaign. Trump has openly mused about a third term, asking supporters, “Should I run again?” during an event at the White House for Black History Month while attendees shouted, “Four more years!”
However, during an interview with TIME published in April 2024, Trump dismissed questions about challenging the 22nd Amendment, saying he wouldn’t be in favor of it.
“I don’t know anything about it. I mean, you’re telling me now that somebody’s looking to terminate. I wouldn’t be in favor of it. I wouldn’t be in favor of a challenge. Not for me. I wouldn’t be in favor of it at all,” Trump said.
Notably, in an interview with Politico this month, Bannon did not explicitly rule out a run for president.
He did say it was “too absurd” when asked why he would not directly answer questions about running in 2028 if Trump doesn’t run.
“Steve is laser-focused on doing all he can to make President Trump’s second term successful,” said Bannon’s longtime producer of two decades, Dan Fleuette.
Yet, Fleuette also conceded that if Bannon ran, it could jolt the GOP 2028 race.
“If he were to consider running in 2028, it would be a big mistake to underestimate him — if there’s one thing Steve understands, it’s the MAGA base, and as we’ve seen in 2016, he knows how to run a successful campaign,” said Fluette, also the author of Rebels, Rogues, and Outlaws: A Pictorial History of WarRoom.
GOP strategists cautioned that, with several years to go before 2028, Trump still has to decide who will assume his MAGA mantle.
Trump notably did not explicitly back Vance as his heir when asked by Fox News host Bret Baier, but he has tapped Vance for key leadership positions in his administration and as a top bulldozer on the global stage that could put him in a strategic spot to lead in 2028.
“Whoever Trump picks to succeed him will be the Republican nominee in 2028, so the idea that Bannon is going to be the Republican nominee over, say, JD Vance or someone who is close from the inner circle right now is just not likely,” said Ford O’Connell, a GOP strategist.
Despite not having a key role in the second Trump administration, Bannon has still remained in contact with the president.
He has used his influence to goad the administration, including chastising and praising tech billionaire Elon Musk and trumpeting MAGA wishes to the president’s allies.
“Secondly, yes, Bannon is extremely popular with the base of the Republican Party, particularly his War Room program. You know, a lot of rank and file, core, core, Republican voters, watch that,” O’Connell said. “And he is again very popular with a segment of it, but right now, Donald Trump is driving the ship, and it will be Donald Trump who will endorse the person that he thinks should succeed him.”
Bannon also appeared on Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s (D-CA) podcast this month, to the consternation of Democrats. Newsom is one of the possible 2028 Democratic candidates, making his appearance with Bannon more eyebrow-raising.
Other strategists also suggested that Bannon could play the anointer role in 2028 instead of running.
“Regarding a theoretical Bannon run for president, his impact would be greater on the conversation and the subject matter being discussed among the candidates more so than his potential to win the nomination,” said Brian Seitchik, a national Republican strategist.
Seitchik also conceded that Bannon could actually beat out some of the more well-known GOP lawmakers in office today.
“He would certainly outperform some sitting United States senators today in terms of polling because, again, he has really strong name ID in the Republican world and a strong following,” Seitchik said. “But to really have a shot at the nomination, you have to be able to increase your base of support. And I’m just not sure Bannon breaks out of single digits, low teens.”
Republicans who were granted anonymity to speak freely about a possible bid from Bannon were more blunt.
“No one thinks he could really win the nomination,” one Republican expert said.
And in the case that he did, winning over the general electorate would prove to be a herculean task for the unabashed MAGA acolyte.
A second Republican with ties to the White House said Bannon “doesn’t look the part” of a presidential candidate.
Bannon was repeatedly referred to as an “unmade bed” by Trump insiders during the first term.
Given that Trump’s 2016 win was also thought unlikely by many GOP and Democratic establishment figures, even up until Election Day, ruling out a Bannon 2028 run could prove premature.
“It’s always who can make a coordinated effort because that’s how a narrative starts,” the second Republican said about Bannon’s second-place straw poll results and overtures with the media about a presidential run. “Because a lot of times you want to show that (to) the donors, or you want to drive home a narrative, it’s a possibility.”