Steven Bannon pushed back against President-elect Donald Trump‘s demand for CIA involvement in investigating the two deadly New Year’s Day attacks, saying on his podcast that the agency is “a central part of the problem.”
Why It Matters
Bannon, Trump ally and former White House chief strategist during the president-elect’s first term, has also recently opposed Trump’s support for H-1B visas for specialized foreign workers and earlier this year was critical of his shifting stance on TikTok. Bannon has also consistently raised concerns about top Trump adviser Elon Musk, citing his ties to China and telling the billionaire to “sit in the back and study” amid interparty tensions over the visas.
Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, has confirmed business ties to China, including a large Tesla Shanghai factory. He is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and was mockingly called “president” by some Democrats after Musk led the charge against a Republican-backed government funding bill.
What To Know
Two fatal attacks occurred on New Year’s Day, a terror blitz in New Orleans and a vehicle explosion in Las Vegas. The FBI in a Thursday news conference said that at the moment, there was “no definitive link” in the attacks.
Trump said in a post to his Truth Social early Thursday morning: “Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have OPEN BORDERS, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership. The DOJ, FBI, and Democrat state and local prosecutors have not done their job.” The statement called for the CIA to “get involved, NOW, before it is too late.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s communications team for clarification on the comment via email on Thursday.
In the Thursday morning episode of Bannon’s War Room podcast, the host denounced Trump’s recommendation: “The CIA, Mr. President, is part of the problem, a serious part of the problem. And no, we don’t want the CIA involved in anything domestically, they’re involved too much domestically as is.”
He added: “Mr. President, the CIA, I think, maybe I don’t know, to the tenth power worse [than the FBI]. Not only they get everything wrong, they’re working against the interests of folks here in the United States of America and the last thing we want is the CIA involved in anything domestically.”
Newsweek reached out to Bannon for comment via text message on Thursday.
Bannon also said during the podcast: “I have tremendous respect for John Ratcliffe,” whom Trump nominated to lead the CIA and was director of national intelligence during the president-elect’s first term.
Around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said, a man identified by the FBI as Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s partyers on Bourbon Street, then began shooting, killing 14 people and injuring about 30. He was pronounced dead at the scene after law enforcement returned fire, the FBI said in a Wednesday statement.
The bureau is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism. Jabbar, 42, was a U.S. citizen from Texas who served in the U.S. Army. An ISIS flag was found in his truck, and he posted videos in support of the terrorist group.
Later that morning, in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fireworks exploded outside the lobby of the Trump Hotel. The man inside, whom authorities have identified as Matthew Livelsberger, was killed and seven others were injured. Livelsberger was a highly decorated Army soldier. Two firearms were found inside the truck.
What People Are Saying
Several social media users are resharing a December 12, 2024, interview with Sarah Adams, former CIA officer, on The Shawn Ryan Show, when Adams said: “I’m certain we’ll either have embassy attacks in 2025 or the homeland attack, or both,” by Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Musk wrote on X January 1: “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted to X on January 1: “A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning. Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area.”
What Happens Next
The FBI is asking anyone with information to contact the New Orleans Bureau via phone at 504-816-3000 or by emailing [email protected]. They can also submit photo and video footage online here.
The post Steve Bannon Counters Donald Trump’s CIA Demand: ‘Part of the Problem’ appeared first on Newsweek.
