MAGA media personality and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon delivered a blistering critique of President Donald Trump on Friday, accusing his former boss of adopting the same interventionist rhetoric long associated with Democrats like Hillary Clinton.
Bannon’s comments came during a discussion on his show, War Room, following Trump’s warning that the United States could use military force to come to the defense of Iranian civilians protesting against the country’s Islamist regime. The threat, issued early Friday morning on Truth Social, said that if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, the U.S. would come to their rescue and was “locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Reacting sharply, Bannon suggested Trump’s language sounded more like the foreign policy playbook of liberal interventionists than the America First approach that once defined the president’s movement. He mocked the statement by asking whether figures such as Samantha Power and Clinton had somehow been invited to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve celebration.
Bannon argued that Trump’s rhetoric echoed what he described as the Samantha Power and Hillary Clinton approach to foreign policy, which he has long criticized for encouraging U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. He made clear he believed such language marked a dangerous departure from restraint.
Instead of military threats, Bannon said the administration should focus on enforcing sanctions against Iran and allow the country’s leaders to deal with the consequences of their own economic mismanagement. He argued that the Islamist rulers, whom he referred to as mullahs, were incapable of running a modern economy because they operate under Islamic law rather than free-market principles.
According to Bannon, sustained sanctions would cause Iran’s economy to collapse under its own weight, creating conditions for the Persian people to overthrow the regime without outside interference. He compared the potential outcome to the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, arguing that internal pressure, not foreign military action, is what ultimately drives regime change.
Bannon also weighed in on the role of Israel and its leadership, referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and conservative commentator Mark Levin. He said figures he described as the “Israel First crowd” had previously pushed for bombing and decapitation strikes, particularly around July, which he called a major mistake.
At the same time, Bannon praised Trump for actions he said had already been taken, specifically crediting the president with shutting down Iran’s nuclear program and bringing an end to what he referred to as the 12-Day War. He described that outcome as “brilliant” and “logistically incredible,” making clear that his criticism was not aimed at Trump’s past decisions but at what he sees as a dangerous shift in tone now.
BANNON: Tel Aviv Levin and Netanyahu are beating their chests saying we said this would happen.
Let it play out. Let the Persians handle it.
The more outsiders intrude, the more the Mullahs dig in and cry “Great Satan,” dragging this out.
Persia has overthrown regimes before. pic.twitter.com/EJcfLituu1
— Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) January 2, 2026
Bannon warned that increased U.S. intrusion would only harden the resolve of Iran’s rulers, allowing them to rally support by portraying America as the “Great Satan.” He argued this would lead to a longer and more destructive conflict, rather than a resolution.
“The Persians have been around a long time,” Bannon said, insisting they are capable of handling their own revolution without American intervention. He urged the administration to step back and allow events to unfold naturally, saying the more the U.S. intrudes, the worse the outcome will be.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social, however, left little doubt that the president is willing to escalate rhetorically if violence against protesters continues, setting up a rare and public split between Trump and one of his most vocal former allies.
