Steve Bannon Takes Aim at Sean Hannity

Steve Bannon, the one-time political adviser to former President Donald Trump, took aim at Fox News host Sean Hannity on Saturday about comments he made in regards to the 2024 presidential election.

Bannon, who previously served as an executive for the conservative news outlet Breitbart, rose to prominence as the chief executive officer for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He later transitioned to the role as chief White House strategist for the Trump administration until his departure in August 2017. Since then, he has become a prominent conservative media figure, advocating for far-right causes worldwide and Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement domestically.

Bannon took to social media on Saturday with a dig against long-time Fox News host Hannity, in reaction to comments he made about former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley remaining in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination despite trailing Trump significantly in the polls and primary results. During an appearance on Fox & Friends Saturday, Hannity was critical of Haley's stated intention to remain in the race until Super Tuesday, which is on March 5, arguing that she would be better served to drop out and partner with Trump.

"She had been making the argument that she was a more electable candidate," Hannity said. "I don't know if y'all saw the poll that came out of Texas this week, but Trump was up by, I believe, 9, and she was down by 7 in a red state like Texas. So it's not the slam dunk that she's making it out to be. And I actually think that, had maybe she gotten out after Nevada, waited the four years, and then maybe joined and partnered with Trump, take on a big role in his administration, which I think she would be with great at. I think it would have been a better strategy for her."

Hannity did later concede, however, that Haley has marshaled considerable support from anti-Trump conservative donors, making her a possible option if something were to happen that forces Trump out of the race.

Trump is currently facing 91 criminal charges across four indictments on the state and federal level. He has said each case is politically motivated against him and has pleaded not guilty to each one.

"You see, there's a big picture and you've tapped into this," Hannity said. "All the 'Never Trumper' money is right now going to her. She's the last one standing. So the amount of money is massive."

In response to a Mediaite article about these comments, Bannon took to his official Gettr account to lambast the host and Fox News overall for their allegedly persistent and positive coverage of Haley's campaign, including a town hall event broadcast from last week.

"LMAO: Dude —You Own Channel Gave Her a Prime Time Townhall to Kick Off the Week," Bannon wrote in his post. "She is PROMOTED by Murdoch News Non Stop."

Newsweek reached out to Fox News via email on Saturday evening for comment. Any responses received will be added to this story in a later update.

Despite Bannon's remark, Trump's campaign has also received notable coverage from Fox News, including his own town hall event that aired on Tuesday and drew considerable ratings for the network.