Former Trump White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon publicly called for an investigation into prominent Fox News figures — including Kayleigh McEnany, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin — over their perceived insistence on war with Iran. Bannon raised the alarm on his War Room show, accusing the Fox personalities of potentially “representing a foreign government.”
The comments were triggered by a segment in which former Trump White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany advocated for a more aggressive U.S. involvement in Iran, invoking a military strike on the Fordow nuclear facility, which Trump eventually did. (RELATED: US Conducts Airstrikes On Iranian Nuclear Facilities)
“America First is not sitting in a beach chair and using words,” McEnany said a few days prior on Fox News. “It’s taking decisive action when we can take out Fordow with one swoop of an airplane.”
The remarks drew a swift and fiery response from Bannon, who accused McEnany and others of recklessly promoting military escalation while prioritizing foreign interests.
“‘With one swoop of an airplane.’ Of course, Kayleigh McEnany is infantile, let’s be blunt,” Bannon said. “That right there is dangerous. That is dangerous, and that is on Fox all day long.”
“Why wouldn’t you think they’re representing a foreign government? Hannity, Levin, the whole crowd,” he continued. “There should be an investigation. Has there been intelligence? Are the guys taking ads? You see the AIPAC ads all the time over there.”
While Bannon made clear he remains a supporter of Israel, he drew a sharp line between backing Israeli sovereignty and what he views as domestic media figures acting as de facto agents for a foreign agenda. He warned that an overly hawkish approach runs counter to the America First doctrine that powered Donald Trump’s initial rise.
“I’m a supporter of Israel. And I believe in Israel first to do what they think is necessary. And they’ve done a pretty magnificent job recently with Hezbollah in southern Syria. I think even in Gaza, although it should be done a lot quicker and get it over with. But this is different scale. This is different level. And in history, scale matters.”
The clash highlights a growing rift between traditional pro-Israel conservatives and the growing non-interventionist wing of the Republican Party, embodied by figures like Bannon and Vice President JD Vance. The divide has grown sharper in the wake of recent escalations involving Iran and Israel, with Bannon and others warning against being drawn into another Middle East conflict.
McEnany, by contrast, appeared to dismiss such concerns in her comments Thursday, suggesting that those who advocate caution are no better than former President Joe Biden in their passivity.
“Sticking your head in the sand is no different than sitting in the sandy beaches of Delaware,” McEnany said, referencing Biden’s frequent beach trips.
Bannon’s call for an investigation is likely to escalate tensions between the Trump’s populist base and Fox News, a network that has already experienced waves of internal conflict over its post-2020 election coverage and ongoing editorial direction.
This latest intra-party dispute lays bare the ideological fractures facing the GOP, with populists, nationalists, and isolationists increasingly challenging the neoconservative foreign policy positions that once defined the Republican mainstream.
For now, the world awaits Iran’s response. Supreme Leader Khamenei has previously warned that U.S. military intervention would bring “irreparable consequences.”
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Steve Bannon is such an idiot. Not loyal to President Trump or MAGA. Can you and Elon just shut up for a month give it a rest. Thou does protest too much. Not trustworthy, reliable, or dependable except to do and say the wrong thing. Be Still the Bible states And” know that I am God. Not you two idiots.
Bannon is a closet antisemite. He is no more relevant than Carlson.