Days before 2020 election tallies began rolling in, Steve Bannon predicted with prophetic accuracy how former President Donald Trump would handle the election results, new audio revealed.
In a meeting on Oct. 31, 2020, the Trump adviser argued the then-president would declare himself the winner regardless of the outcome of the election, according to new audio published by Mother Jones.
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“What Trump’s gonna do is just declare victory,” Bannon said in the audio. “He’s gonna declare victory. But that doesn’t mean he’s a winner. He’s just gonna say he’s a winner.”
Bannon noted Trump would likely lead the vote count on election night and that Democrats would catch up once mail-in ballots were all tabulated, which is how the election unfolded.
“More of our people vote early that count. Theirs vote in mail, and so they’re gonna have a natural disadvantage, and Trump’s gonna take advantage of that. That’s our strategy. … So when you wake up Wednesday morning, it’s gonna be a firestorm,” he added. “You’re going to have antifa, crazy. The media, crazy. The courts are crazy. And Trump’s gonna be sitting there mocking, tweeting s*** out: ‘You lose. I’m the winner. I’m the king.'”
Mother Jones has obtained NEW revelations about Steve Bannon:
Leaked audio shows the former White House strategist detailing Trump’s plan to declare election victory, even if he was losing. Listen: pic.twitter.com/ARr3M4qAjH— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) July 12, 2022
The former Trump strategist also indicated that Trump’s gloves would come off.
“After then, Trump never has to go to a voter again. He’s gonna fire Wray, the FBI director. … He’s gonna be off the charts. He’s gonna be crazy,” Bannon explained. “Also if Trump is losing by 10 or 11 o’clock at night — it’s gonna be even crazier because he’s gonna sit right there and say they stole it. … If [Joe] Biden’s winning, Trump is gonna do some crazy s***.”
Bannon has been asked to provide testimony to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot. The committee subpoenaed him for testimony last year, but he failed to comply, prompting a contempt of Congress vote against him, which he is battling in court. Earlier this week, however, he signaled a willingness to testify before the committee.
Members of the committee have sought Bannon’s knowledge of the efforts of Trump and his allies to challenge the 2020 election. He participated in meetings with Trump allies after the election at the Willard hotel, which served as a “command center” to challenge the election.
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Bannon was not alone in making such a prediction. Heading into the election, Trump himself foreshadowed the strategy. He told his supporters in August 2020 that the only way he could lose the election would be if it were “rigged,” prompting fears from Democrats that Trump may not accept electoral defeat.
Ultimately, Trump did declare victory on election night despite many states still having outstanding votes. He then spent the remaining days of his presidency insisting the election was stolen from him, assertions that he still maintains despite the lack of collaboration from election experts.
