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Steve Bannon, former White House strategist for Donald Trump, reported to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, on Monday to begin serving a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena. Bannon is the second former Trump aide imprisoned for contempt of Congress, following Peter Navarro.
Bannon arrived at the prison shortly after 12 p.m. ET, driven in a black van. Before entering the facility, he addressed reporters, expressing pride in going to prison. “It’s time for me to surrender up in Danbury,” he stated. Both Bannon and Navarro were convicted for not complying with subpoenas from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The Supreme Court recently denied Bannon's effort to avoid prison while appealing his conviction.
Bannon claimed he did not intend to defy the House committee but acted on his attorneys' advice to await resolution of Trump’s executive privilege claims. Courts did not permit him to present this defense at trial. A steadfast Trump ally, Bannon continued his far-right podcast and political activities until his incarceration. He even tried to convince Trump to skip the CNN presidential debate and welcomed mainstream media reporters to his broadcasts, framing himself as a political martyr. “I’m going to be more powerful in prison than I am now,” Bannon asserted last week.
While his public persona projected indifference, sources close to Bannon described him as vacillating between denial and apprehension about prison life. Danbury prison, housing fewer than 1,200 inmates, includes white-collar criminals, some violent offenders, and sex offenders. Inmates have limited internet access and monitored email. Phone usage is restricted to hundreds of minutes per month.
Despite the confinement, Bannon believes his "War Room" media platform will continue thriving. “We’re a populist movement. This is all about the audience,” he said, confident in his ongoing influence on Trump’s campaign.
As Bannon undergoes the intake process, including a metal detector, strip search, and mental health evaluation, he prepares for life behind bars. “Don’t send me a letter, because I’m not going to read it,” he told supporters, urging them to focus on the broader campaign.
