Steve Bannon

Author: The Ohlfeder Collective Published: May 29, 2025

Early Life and Education

Steve Bannon was born on November 27, 1953, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Doris (née Herr), a homemaker, and Martin J. Bannon Jr., an AT&T telephone lineman who later became a middle manager. He grew up in a working-class, pro-Kennedy, pro-union Democrat family of Irish and German descent in Richmond, Virginia (Wikipedia).

Bannon attended Benedictine College Preparatory, a private Catholic military high school in Richmond, graduating in 1971. He then studied at Virginia Tech, serving as president of the student government association and earning a bachelor’s degree in urban planning in 1976 (Britannica).

After college, Bannon joined the U.S. Navy, serving as an officer on a destroyer and later as a special assistant to the chief of naval operations at the Pentagon. While in the navy, he earned a master’s degree in national security studies from Georgetown University in 1983 (Wikipedia).

Following his military service, Bannon attended Harvard Business School, earning an MBA with honors in 1985 (Britannica). His first marriage was to Cathleen Suzanne Houff, with whom he had a daughter, Maureen, born in 1988; they later divorced (Wikipedia).

Professional and Political Career

After earning his MBA in 1985, Steve Bannon joined Goldman Sachs, working in mergers and acquisitions with a focus on media and entertainment. In 1990, he co-founded Bannon & Co., a boutique investment bank specializing in media, notably facilitating the sale of Castle Rock Entertainment to Turner Broadcasting, which included rights to “Seinfeld” (Wikipedia).

From 1993 to 1995, Bannon served as acting director of Biosphere 2 in Arizona, redirecting its focus to environmental issues like pollution and climate change (Wikipedia). In the 1990s and 2000s, he worked as an executive producer for films such as “The Indian Runner” (1991) and “Titus” (1999), and directed political documentaries like “In the Face of Evil: Reagan’s War in Word and Deed” (2004) (Wikipedia).

In 2007, Bannon became a founding board member of Breitbart News. After Andrew Breitbart’s death in 2012, he became executive chairman, shaping it into a platform for the alt-right and hosting “Breitbart News Daily” on SiriusXM (Wikipedia). He also served as vice president of Cambridge Analytica’s board, overseeing data collection, and co-founded the Government Accountability Institute, which published “Clinton Cash” (Wikipedia).

In August 2016, Bannon was appointed chief executive of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. After Trump’s election, he served as chief strategist and senior counselor, influencing policies like the travel ban on Muslim-majority countries. He was removed from the National Security Council in April 2017 and left the White House in August 2017 (Washington Post). Bannon returned to Breitbart but resigned in January 2018 after critical comments about the Trump family in Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” (The Guardian).

Post-White House, Bannon hosted “Bannon’s War Room” and founded “The Movement” to support right-wing populist groups in Europe (Wikipedia).

Public Controversies and Legal Issues

Steve Bannon has faced significant legal and public controversies.

We Build the Wall Fraud Case: In August 2020, Bannon was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly defrauding donors in the “We Build the Wall” campaign. President Trump pardoned him in January 2021 for federal charges. In February 2025, Bannon pleaded guilty to New York state charges, avoiding jail time (Newsweek).
Contempt of Congress: In July 2022, Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt for defying a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He was sentenced to four months in prison and fined $6,500, serving from July 1 to October 29, 2024 (Washington Post, Justice Department).
Unpaid Legal Bills: In 2023, a New York judge ordered Bannon to pay $480,487.87 in unpaid legal fees to Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP for work on various legal matters (PBS).

Bannon’s association with the alt-right via Breitbart News has drawn criticism for promoting divisive rhetoric. He played a key role in the January 6 “Save America” rally, predicting “all hell is going to break loose” on his podcast. “War Room” was named a top promoter of misinformation on elections and COVID-19 by the Brookings Institution (The Guardian).

Affiliations and Financial Ties

Bannon’s affiliations and financial activities include:

Breitbart News: As executive chairman, Bannon shaped its far-right editorial stance (Wikipedia).
Cambridge Analytica: Bannon held a vice president role and a stake valued at $1–5 million, sold in 2018, linked to the Facebook data scandal (Wikipedia).
Government Accountability Institute: Co-founded by Bannon, it published “Clinton Cash” (Wikipedia).
The Movement: Founded to promote right-wing populism in Europe (Wikipedia).
Financial Disclosures: In 2017, Bannon reported $1.3 million in income and assets worth $9.5–48 million, primarily in real estate and entertainment. He had ties to donors Robert and Rebekah Mercer (Politico, Forbes). He misreported $2 million in mortgage debt, later corrected to identify creditors like JPMorgan Chase (Center for Public Integrity).

Public Statements and Ideological Positions

Bannon identifies as an economic nationalist and populist, advocating reduced immigration, trade restrictions, and a smaller federal government. He has expressed controversial views on Islam and supported Christian nationalism (Wikipedia).

Notable statements include:

In 2010: “Islam is not a religion of peace. Islam is a religion of submission,” criticizing media as “Sharia-compliant” (Wikipedia).
In 2014, at a Vatican conference: “If you look back at the long history of the Judeo-Christian West struggle against Islam, I believe that our forefathers kept their stance, and I think they did the right thing” (Wikipedia).
In 2018, to the French National Front: “Let them call you racist, let them call you xenophobes, let them call you nativists. Wear it like a badge of honor” (Wikipedia).

Bannon denies being a white nationalist but is linked to the alt-right. His “War Room” podcast has been criticized for misinformation (The Guardian).