How Steve Bannon’s 'sway over Republican politics' is stronger than ever

On Thursday night, June 20, a three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected, 2-1, "War Room" host Steve Bannon's request to stay out of federal prison while he appeals his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The former Trump White House chief strategist is still expected to surrender on July 1 for a four-month sentence.

But Bannon's legal problems aren't making him any less influential in the far-right MAGA movement.

The Guardian's David Smith, in an article published on June 24, stresses that Bannon's "sway over Republican politics cannot be overestimated" as he gets ready for four months in prison.

READ MORE:Steve Bannon and the culture of impunity

"From attacking Trump's impeachment to draconian border security…. from baseless vaccine conspiracy theories to slashing military funding to Ukraine," Smith explains, "'War Room' is an incubator of policies that worm their way into Republican orthodoxy months or years later…. Last year, a study by the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington found that almost 20 percent of 'War Room' episodes contained a false, misleading or unsubstantiated statement, making it a bigger spreader of disinformation than any other political podcast."

Bannon argues that his "War Room" podcast is successful because it tackles subjects that even Fox News won't cover. And he also says that many people in the MAGA movement are to the right of former President Donald Trump politically.

Bannon told The Guardian, "President Trump is actually a moderate in the MAGA movement…. To the right of President Trump? Not so kind-hearted. We're very focused, and we're to the right of him because it's just not his nature to be as far-right-wing as we are."

Bannon continued, "We love him; he's the head of our movement. But what comes after Trump is a much bigger shockwave to the liberal establishment and to the progressive establishment that basically controls the country."

READ MORE:Marjorie Taylor Greene’s desperate scramble to stop Steve Bannon from going to prison

Read The Guardian's full interview with Steve Bannon at this link.