NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon reportedly sat down with former Trump advisor and conservative strategist Steve Bannon over the weekend for an episode of her new show, BATYA!, where the two discussed the future of American politics, unrest in the Middle East, and the enduring political power of President Donald J. Trump.
The interview touched on a range of subjects, including Bannon’s sharp criticism of progressive figures like New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, his thoughts on peace in the Middle East, and perhaps most notably, his view that Trump might yet find a way to appear on the 2028 presidential ballot despite the constitutional limits on two terms in office.
“So let me ask you about Trump 2028,” Ungar-Sargon began. “We have a 22nd Amendment, which bars anybody from running for a third term. Do you think that that’s not a barrier for him, or how do you see that?”
Bannon, characteristically direct, replied, “I think that there are many different alternatives that, at the appropriate time, after the midterms in ’26, we will roll out.” He added pointedly, “But I think there are different alternatives to make sure that President Trump is on the ballot, and if he’s on the ballot, he’ll win.”
His remarks echoed similar comments made earlier this year during an exchange with Chris Cuomo, when Bannon first suggested the possibility of exploring the limits of the 22nd Amendment. “You’re a smart guy. You know he’s term-limited,” Cuomo said at the time. “How do you think he gets another term?”
“We’re working on it,” Bannon replied. “I think we’ll have a couple of alternatives, let’s say that. We’ll see what the definition of term limit is.”
Cuomo, wary of the implications, pressed him further. “So you’re talking about litigating this issue, because I don’t want people to listen to our interview and say, ‘Bannon’s cooking up an insurrection.’ You know what I mean? I want people to get a straight take on where your head is.”
“Chris, as you know, I’ve had greater long shots than this,” Bannon said, invoking his history of political upsets and insurgent movements. “We’ve had greater long shots than Trump 2028, and we’ve got a lot of stuff we’re working on there. We’re not prepared to talk about it publicly, but in a couple months, I think we will be.”
Bannon’s confidence reflects the continued influence of the president within conservative circles and the broader populist movement that reshaped Republican politics during Trump’s presidency. His suggestion that legal or procedural “alternatives” could be explored highlights the determination among Trump’s most loyal supporters to keep him politically relevant well beyond his constitutionally limited two terms.
For Bannon, Trump’s continued dominance in the Republican Party is not a question of if, but how. “If he’s on the ballot,” Bannon reiterated, “he’ll win.”
Whether such talk signals a serious legal strategy or a political provocation remains to be seen, but the exchange underscores a familiar reality in American politics: for the movement Bannon helped build, Trump’s era may be far from over.
