“There Are Dark Days Ahead for America”: Bannon Compares Trump to Roman Dictator

Jo ShawNov 28, 2023

Minute Read

Steve Bannon has recently spoken out over Trump’s latest Colorado case, which attempted to bar Trump from the Primary ballot and found that the former President had engaged in insurrection. In a colorful War Room podcast, Bannon drew parallels between Trump and a Roman Empire dictator while, at the same time, expressing his discontent with comparisons between Trump and Hitler.

The Backbone of the MAGA Movement

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Bannon addressed his listeners as “the backbone of the MAGA movement, the backbone of the Trump movement.” Bannon alleged that all the hate and discontent over Trump, pointing to various news reports, were “attempts to destroy him” and destroy his [Bannon’s] listeners, including Trump’s followers, in the process.

The Worst People on Earth

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“The raw hatred of you,” Bannon exclaimed as he spoke directly to his audience. He then said that was the media’s words, not his, “They think you are a fascist,” they think you are “the worst people on earth,” Bannon angrily told his audience.

Country Club Republicans Just Roll Over

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Bannon claimed that “country club Republicans have just rolled over for decades…” contending that it was Trump’s supporters who needed to rally in support of the former President.

Submitting Bogus Committee Reports

Bannon moved on to complain about the Colorado ruling that stated Trump had engaged in the insurrection. Bannon accused the court of “calling him an insurrectionist by submitting a bogus committee report.”

Rivals Want Trump to Die in Prison

He then claimed that his rivals wanted the former President “to die in a federal prison” as he cited Trump’s four indictments, 91 charges, calculating the potential sentence to be equivalent to 700 years in prison.

The American Cincinnatus

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“That’s why he is the American Cincinnatus; that’s why he’s crushing his opponents,” as Bannon drew a comparison between Trump and a Roman Empire dictator, though the validity of this analogy is highly questionable.

An Opponent of the Rights of the Common People

Cincinnatus, a Roman military leader in the early Roman Republic, opposed the rights of the plebeians (common citizens). His son, Caeso Quinctius, violently opposed their demand for a written code of equally enforced laws, leading to the plebeians’ impoverishment. Cincinnatus became a historical figure, serving as a dictator in 458 BC.

Relinquished Power After 16 Days

Furthermore, according to Wikipedia, “He [Cincinnatus] came from his plough [plow] to assume complete control over the state but, upon achieving a swift victory in only 16 days, relinquished his power and its perquisites and returned to his farm.”

Trump Doesn’t Like to Relinquish Power

Bannon’s comparison of Trump to a figure who relinquished power so swiftly is highly dubious, particularly in light of Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

This Is 1932, and He’s Hitler

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Bannon then moved on to complain about Trump’s rivals, comparing the former President to Hitler. He said in his podcast, “So, they have to frame it in that he is a totalitarian,” Bannon continued. “Basically, they’re gonna say this is 1932, and he’s Hitler. This is 1932, and he’s Hitler. The German people voted Hitler into office. That’s what they’re gonna say. They voted the fascist in Italy in office,” he ranted.

Dark Days for America

Bannon, in an attempt to rile up his listeners, then stated that in their support of Trump, they would also be compared to Hitler’s followers. “You’re the fascist, you’re his supporter,” “There are dark days ahead for America,” Bannon declared.

Bannon Trying to Appeal His Conviction

Outside of his War Room podcasts, Bannon is presently seeking to appeal a conviction charge in Washington, DC, at a federal appeals court. His previous convictions include two counts of contempt of Congress, with the conviction taking place in 2022.

Bannon Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison

Bannon, the former adviser to the Trump administration, received a four-month prison sentence. Still, the execution of his sentence has been temporarily postponed pending the resolution of his legal challenges.

Judges Were Not Convinced by Bannon’s Arguments

A panel of judges at the DC Circuit Court of Appeals in early November seemed unconvinced by Bannon’s “executive privilege” claims as a defense. Additionally, Bannon’s attorney contended that the former adviser to Trump was merely following the guidance of his previous lawyer when he chose not to comply with a subpoena.

Bannon Was Not in Service When He Failed to Comply With Subpoena

Bannon’s attorney attempted to argue that Trump, as President at the time the subpoena was issued, invoked privilege over Bannon. “it only covers communications within the scope of that former senior official’s service in the White House,” the Judge responded to the argument. “And none of the conduct at issue here was during Mr. Bannon’s service in the White House, was it? None of it.” highlighted the Judge.

Executive Privilege or Immunity

Bannon’s lawyer responded, “Right, judge, it was during the presidency,” “But not during Mr. Bannon’s service,” said the Judge. “Do you have any authority that suggests – any authority at all – that suggests that some kind of executive privilege or immunity would apply to conduct that postdates a person’s service?” the Judge asked.

Trump Had Invoked Privilege

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Bannon’s attorney then shifted strategy, asserting that Bannon refused to comply with the subpoena based on advice from his former attorney, Costello, who allegedly informed him that Trump had “invoked privilege.” “Mr. Bannon acted in the only way he believed and understood from his lawyer that the law permitted him to behave in response to the subpoena,” Bannon’s attorney told the judges.

The Advice Might Have Been Incorrect

“How can you be so sure that everything would have been protected by executive privilege?” another Judge asked. “I can’t be that sure of it,” Bannon’s lawyer stated. “The advice might not have been correct that Bannon got. I can’t be so sure that everything was protected, but that’s the advice that Bannon got from his lawyer,” he added.

Bannon Was Properly Convicted

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A representative from the Justice Department informed the Judges that Bannon had been appropriately convicted and encouraged the panel to uphold the verdict. The resolution of the appeal is still pending.

Bannon Faces Fraud and Conspiracy Charges

Bannon has still to face a trial on fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy charges in a separate case concerning the “We Build the Wall” campaign. His trial is scheduled for May next year. Bannon has entered a plea of not guilty.