Newly released Department of Justice files have exposed a stunning contradiction at the heart of MAGA world: Steve Bannon, the man who built himself into Donald Trump’s most relentless media enforcer, privately told convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that Trump was “beyond borderline” and should be removed from office using the 25th Amendment.
The text exchanges, dated December 31, 2018, were buried in a tranche of more than 3.5 million documents the DOJ released as part of its ongoing Epstein investigation. They paint a picture of two powerful outcasts, both dismissed from Trump’s orbit, privately plotting and scheming while publicly professing loyalty to the president they were trashing behind closed doors.
The 25th Amendment Texts
The exchange began on New Year’s Eve 2018, shortly after Democrats reclaimed the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Bannon, who had been fired as White House chief strategist in August 2017, was texting with Epstein about the political landscape.
“We either own 2019 or it will surely own us,” Bannon wrote, before adding: “Going to blow him up right our (sic) of the box. WH has zero plan to punch back. Fort Apache with no cavalry enroute.”
Epstein responded: “And no soldiers in the fort. He really is borderline. Not sure what he may do.”
Bannon then escalated the conversation sharply: “I think it’s beyond borderline, 25 amendment.” He followed up by writing, “We really need an intervention.”
The 25th Amendment is the constitutional mechanism that allows for the removal of a president deemed unable to discharge their duties. Bannon explicitly referencing it in a private conversation with a convicted sex offender is not just embarrassing, it’s the kind of revelation that could permanently fracture his standing in the movement he helped build.
From MAGA Warrior To Epstein’s Image Consultant
The 25th Amendment texts aren’t even the most damaging material in the files. The documents reveal that Bannon maintained a close, almost daily communication with Epstein from early 2018 through July 2019, when Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.
In April 2019, Bannon was actively coaching Epstein on how to rehabilitate his public image. “First we need to push back on the lies; then crush the pedo/trafficking narrative; then rebuild your image as philanthropist,” Bannon texted. He arranged what he described as “media training” at Epstein’s residence, writing: “Friday afternoon media training @ your place, 2 camera shoot; my crew so totally confidential.”
When Epstein asked whether he should publicly respond to renewed scrutiny following investigative reporting by The Miami Herald, Bannon was blunt: “Have you lost your f****** mind. The moment you say ANYTHING, this is global story #1!!!!!”
The documents show Bannon recommending attorneys to Epstein, discussing travel on Epstein’s private plane, staying at Epstein’s residence, and receiving gifts including Apple watches. Bannon’s spokesman has denied he flew on Epstein’s jet or used his doctor.
The Vatican Plot: “Will Take Down Francis”
The Epstein files also reveal that Bannon enlisted the convicted sex offender in efforts to undermine the late Pope Francis, whom he viewed as a key ideological opponent to his populist-nationalist agenda.
In June 2019, Bannon texted Epstein about a proposed documentary based on “In the Closet of the Vatican,” a controversial book by French journalist Frédéric Martel that examined secrecy and sexuality within the Catholic Church. “Will take down Francis,” Bannon wrote. “The Clintons, Xi, Francis, EU, come on brother.”
Bannon suggested Epstein serve as executive producer of the film. Epstein, for his part, was dismissive of the papacy in characteristically crude fashion. When Bannon shared an article about the Vatican condemning “populist nationalism,” Epstein quoted Milton’s “Paradise Lost”: “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.”
The scheme was serious enough that Cardinal Raymond Burke cut ties with a conservative Catholic organization he felt had become too closely associated with Bannon and the film project.
MAGA Allies Turn On Bannon
The fallout has been swift and brutal. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn posted on X: “I remember all the 25th amendment talk back in the first term. It was really ugly. If Bannon AND Epstein were behind it, Bannon needs to be brought in for questioning.”
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene piled on: “Steve Bannon went to jail for Trump (I was there), but back on 1-1-19 (after Dems took the House) he was texting with Epstein about 25th amendment. Also, there is no excuse for having such a friendly relationship with Epstein, post conviction, 2018-19. None.”
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called on Bannon to explain himself. Conservative radio host Erick Erickson said he was now suspicious of anyone appearing on Bannon’s show. And tech billionaire Elon Musk repeatedly called Bannon or his associates “evil” in posts that collectively drew tens of millions of views.
Bannon’s Defense: “I’m A Filmmaker”
Bannon has offered almost nothing in response. In a statement to The New York Times, he characterized the entire relationship through a narrow, almost laughably insufficient lens: “I am a filmmaker and TV host with decades of experience interviewing controversial figures. That’s the only lens through which these private communications should be viewed, a documentary filmmaker working, over a period of time, to secure 50 hours of interviews from a reclusive subject.”
The “documentary filmmaker” defense does not explain why a filmmaker would suggest removing a sitting president under the 25th Amendment in a text message to a convicted sex offender. It does not explain the image rehabilitation coaching, the attorney recommendations, the travel arrangements, or the gifts.
On his “War Room” podcast, which continues to air on Real America’s Voice, Bannon has simply not mentioned Epstein at all. This is a notable pivot for a man who spent much of 2025 hammering Democrats over the Epstein files, promising that the documents would expose an international elite conspiracy. “Democrats know Epstein’s black book is a ticking time bomb,” Bannon said in one widely viewed segment last year.
The bomb went off. It just landed on him.
What Happens Next
Despite the intensity of the backlash, the real-world consequences for Bannon remain unclear. His show continues to air. High-profile guests have appeared even after the text releases. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville was on the program this week.
The broader question is whether a movement that has spent years demanding accountability over Epstein’s network will apply that same standard to one of its own. Flynn’s call for questioning and Greene’s sharp criticism suggest that at least some within MAGA world are willing to follow the evidence wherever it goes, even if it leads to the man behind the microphone at “War Room.”
For now, the 3.5 million documents keep rolling out. And Steve Bannon, the man who made his name by setting fires under the establishment, is finding out what it feels like to stand in the heat.