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https://nytimes.com/2026/02/16/us/politics/jeffrey-epstein-steve-bannon.html

Newly released documents reveal Steve Bannon advised Jeffrey Epstein on how to handle allegations of sex trafficking and rebuild his image. The two men exchanged numerous texts and planned media training sessions. Bannon claims his relationship was for a documentary.

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AI Headline
Despite Epstein’s Toxicity, Steve Bannon Stood by Him, Texts Indicate
Simplified Title
Bannon Advised Epstein on PR Strategy 2019
AI Excerpt
Newly released documents reveal Steve Bannon advised Jeffrey Epstein on how to handle allegations of sex trafficking and rebuild his image. The two men exchanged numerous texts and planned media training sessions. Bannon claims his relationship was for a documentary.
Subject Tags
Jeffrey Epstein Steve Bannon Sex Trafficking MAGA Politics Documentary Legal Strategy
Context Type
Analysis
AI Confidence Score
1.000
Context Details
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Completed
Submitted By
Donato V. Pompo
Submission Date
February 16, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Metadata
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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/16\/us\/politics\/jeffrey-epstein-steve-bannon.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20260216&instance_id=171177&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=122976029&segment_id=215370&user_id=b25c5730c89e0c73f75709d8f1254337",
    "parsed_content": "The Epstein FilesLatest ReleaseConspiracy Theories FlourishFiles Include VideosLawmakers Question BondiPowerful Men in FilesReferences to TrumpAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTDespite Epstein\u2019s Toxicity, Steve Bannon Stood by Him, Texts IndicateMr. Bannon, a MAGA podcaster, developed a seemingly chummy relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking. He said it was in the name of getting Mr. Epstein to open up.Listen to this article \u00b7 13:24 min Learn moreShare full articleAn undated photograph released by the Justice Department shows Stephen K. Bannon with Jeffrey Epstein. Mr. Bannon coached him on how to deal with newly surfaced allegations that he was a serial pedophile, documents suggest.Credit...U.S. Department of JusticeBy Sharon LaFraniere and Teresa Mondr\u00eda TerolSharon LaFraniere is an investigative reporter covering the Trump administration. Teresa Mondr\u00eda Terol is an engineer who used A.I. to help analyze millions of Epstein files.Feb. 16, 2026Updated 10:08 a.m. ETMidafternoon in late June 2019, Stephen K. Bannon sent Jeffrey Epstein an excited series of texts. \u201cDude!!!!!\u201d he wrote. \u201cIs this real Tell me this is real.\u201dMr. Epstein had just texted him a headline from The Miami Herald. It reported that victims of Mr. Epstein\u2019s sexual abuse had lost a court battle to nullify a decade-old agreement that protected him from prosecution for those crimes.Off and on for months, Mr. Bannon, a leader in the MAGA movement and a former top aide to President Trump, had been advising Mr. Epstein on how to handle resurrected allegations that he was a serial pedophile. Mr. Bannon recommended which lawyers to hire \u2014 his own \u2014 when to lie low and when he should jump on an opening to push his narrative. He scheduled what the two men called \u201cmedia training.\u201d\u201cFirst we need to push back on the lies; then crush the pedo\/trafficking narrative; then rebuild your image as philanthropist,\u201d Mr. Bannon wrote to Mr. Epstein in April 2019. That was five months after a Miami Herald series exposed how prosecutors had ignored evidence of Mr. Epstein\u2019s crimes.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe three million pages of Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department on Jan. 30 reveal for the first time the extent of Mr. Bannon\u2019s efforts to advise Mr. Epstein when many of his friends were abandoning him. In the six months before Mr. Epstein was arrested and charged with the sex trafficking of minors in July 2019, Mr. Bannon\u2019s name appears nearly every day in the files, often because the two men exchanged texts.In a statement to The New York Times, Mr. Bannon said his relationship with Mr. Epstein was strictly professional.\u201cI am a filmmaker and TV host with decades of experience interviewing controversial figures,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the only lens through which these private communications should be viewed \u2014 a documentary filmmaker working, over a period of time, to secure 50 hours of interviews from a reclusive subject.\u201dHe said the film would fully expose Mr. Epstein and \u201cdestroy the very myths he created.\u201d A spokesman said Mr. Bannon planned to release the film, now six years in the making, later this year.Mr. Bannon is one of the biggest political names to be caught up in the latest chapter of the Epstein scandal. Mr. Bannon is a headline speaker at major Republican political events and hosts one of the nation\u2019s top political podcasts. Like many other prominent members of the MAGA movement, he had called for the release of the files pertaining to Mr. Epstein.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTA torrent of text and email exchanges show that after Mr. Bannon and Mr. Epstein met in late 2017, Mr. Bannon promised to help Mr. Epstein rehabilitate his reputation. As Mr. Epstein\u2019s legal troubles mounted in 2019, Mr. Bannon helped strategize a defense, the documents indicate.He told Mr. Epstein several months before his arrest: \u201cwe must counter \u2018rapist who traffics in female children to be raped by worlds most powerful, richest men\u2019 \u2014 that can\u2019t be redeemed.\u201dA spokesman for Mr. Bannon said his client sought only to ingratiate himself with Mr. Epstein for the documentary. But written communications during the year and a half before Mr. Epstein\u2019s death in custody in August 2019 suggest that far from wary, Mr. Epstein was eager to cater to Mr. Bannon\u2019s wishes and needs.He shipped Mr. Bannon and his son Apple watches. He offered Mr. Bannon his private jet to fly around Europe, joking: \u201cHow does it feel to have the most highly paid travel agent in history?\u201dHe proposed that Mr. Bannon get a full medical work-up in Mr. Epstein\u2019s \u201cprivate area\u201d at a high-end concierge emergency clinic, telling him that \u201cyour medical expenses from a to z have been covered by me.\u201d Mr. Bannon\u2019s spokesman said he never saw Mr. Epstein\u2019s doctor, nor did he fly on his private jet.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTAs Mr. Bannon promoted himself as a strategist to populist and nationalist political parties abroad, Mr. Epstein tried to help him build connections.\u201cWhatever you need, I\u2019m in,\u201d he wrote to Mr. Bannon in mid-2018.A host of prominent figures in the United States and abroad have been tarnished and toppled by the documentation of their contacts with Mr. Epstein in the newly released files. Most recently, Kathryn Ruemmler, a former top Obama administration lawyer, resigned from Goldman Sachs after emails revealed a lengthy friendship with Mr. Epstein.Mr. Bannon, 72, has faced a string of legal troubles in recent years. The court cases partly explain why the documentary has yet to be released, his spokesman said.He served four months in prison in 2024 for contempt of Congress after refusing to testify before the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Mr. Trump\u2019s Justice Department is now seeking to wipe out that conviction.ImageMr. Bannon addressed reporters in 2024 before turning himself in to prison in Danbury, Conn., to serve a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.Credit...Adam Gray for The New York TimesAn effort to fund Mr. Trump\u2019s wall on the border with Mexico led to charges that Mr. Bannon had pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds from contributors. A state court sentenced him to three years\u2019 probation on a fraud charge in February 2025, but Mr. Bannon escaped a trial on related federal charges when Mr. Trump pardoned him just before leaving office in January 2021.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTFederal agents had arrested Mr. Bannon the previous year while he was on a yacht owned by a Chinese billionaire, Guo Wengui, who was later convicted in a separate $1 billion fraud scheme. Mr. Bannon was named as a co-conspirator in that case but was not charged.\u201cSomeone has to fund his nonsenses,\u201d Mr. Epstein emailed an associate who asked why Mr. Bannon had allied himself with Mr. Guo.Mr. Bannon has continued to be a featured speaker at the influential Conservative Political Action Conference and at Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk. At a Turning Point event last July, he shouted to a crowd, \u201cIt\u2019s deeper than Epstein!\u201dImageMr. Bannon has remained a luminary in the MAGA movement he helped originate, and has been a regular speaker at events hosted by the conservative organization Turning Point USA.Credit...Jordan Gale for The New York TimesAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMr. Epstein first tried to meet with Mr. Bannon in November 2016, after Mr. Trump won the presidency, the documents suggest. But Mr. Bannon, a top campaign strategist for Mr. Trump and later a senior White House official, agreed only after the president had fired him in August 2017.The two men quickly seemed to bond over finance, science, politics and the ongoing drama in the Trump White House. \u201cWe have become friends,\u201d Mr. Epstein wrote to an associate about Mr. Bannon in February 2018.By then, Mr. Bannon was seeking to advise right-wing foreign politicians, mostly in Europe. Mr. Epstein introduced him to political figures he knew.The pair do not appear to have discussed the irony of a famous billionaire who kept a black book of his connections with the global elite helping Mr. Bannon whip up anti-elitist political sentiment.Mr. Bannon met Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, through Mr. Epstein. When Mr. Barak formed a new political party in Israel in June 2019, Mr. Bannon wrote to Mr. Epstein: \u201cCan we announce I\u2019m his strategic adviser?\"AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTA spokeswoman for Mr. Barak said he had never hired Mr. Bannon. On Saturday, Mr. Barak apologized for his friendship with Mr. Epstein.Mr. Epstein\u2019s itineraries show more than a dozen breakfasts, lunches and dinners with Mr. Bannon at Mr. Epstein\u2019s seven-story Manhattan townhouse.The texts reveal a level of seeming chumminess, with the two men exchanging political gossip and jokes about each other. Mr. Epstein repeatedly urged Mr. Bannon to care for himself, texting: \u201clucifer with a stroke. Bent horns and all Doesn\u2019t look so good.\u201dMr. Bannon\u2019s spokesman said that in addition to not taking up Mr. Epstein\u2019s offers to hitch a ride on his plane, he never stayed overnight at any of Mr. Epstein\u2019s residences.Yet, some documents suggest that Mr. Bannon was willing to entertain such perks.At the end of March 2019, Mr. Epstein was staying at his luxurious apartment near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. He had told his pilot that Mr. Bannon would be flying back to New York with him on April 2.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMr. Bannon texted him on March 29 from Rome: \u201cIs it possible to get your plane here to collect me?\u201d Mr. Epstein replied that the plane was unavailable, but offered to pay for a charter flight.Two days later, Mr. Bannon wrote that he was flying to Paris that evening and asked, \u201cI\u2019m staying with you tonight??\u201d\u201cYes stay,\u201d Mr. Epstein replied. \u201cEnroute,\u201d Mr. Bannon texted a few hours later. The next morning, Mr. Epstein wrote to an associate: \u201cSteve Bannon is here with me.\u201dMr. Bannon\u2019s spokesman said Mr. Bannon decided to stay in a hotel that he had already booked, but said Mr. Bannon declined to provide a receipt to The Times.Mr. Bannon\u2019s spokesman said he conducted about 12 hours of interviews with Mr. Epstein for the documentary. But for reasons that remain unclear, the newly released files contain only two hours of interviews.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTIn those segments, shot in Mr. Epstein\u2019s grand library in New York, Mr. Bannon asked Mr. Epstein whether he had reflected upon how he ended up behind bars in 2008. \u201cNo,\u201d Mr. Epstein replied. \u201cI would just say how strange that this happens.\u201dVideoMr. Bannon recorded about 12 hours of interviews with Mr. Epstein, but only two hours appeared in the recently released files.CreditCredit...Released by the Department of JusticeMr. Bannon did not ask Mr. Epstein directly about his treatment of women, although Mr. Epstein acknowledged to him that he had been classified as a sexual predator. His spokesman said Mr. Bannon did not get deeper into that topic in 12 hours of interviews but planned to address it later on.To Mr. Epstein, Mr. Bannon said that while others called him irredeemable, \u201cyou are a lot of things \u2014 which we will show \u2014 but you are NOT that.\u201dMr. Epstein was worried that he came across as too glib in the footage, like \u201cprince of darkness meets the joker,\u201d he wrote in one message. But Mr. Bannon reassured him, saying his film crew had been mesmerized because they had been expecting a \u201cmonster.\u201dAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTImageAn undated photograph released by the House Oversight Committee showing Mr. Bannon with Mr. Epstein. The two men bonded over finance, science, politics and the ongoing drama in the Trump White House.Credit...House Oversight Committee, via Associated PressAfter news broke in early February 2019 that federal prosecutors were reviewing the handling of Mr. Epstein\u2019s 2008 criminal case, the messages between the two men took on a new urgency.Mr. Epstein asked whether he should respond to the reports.\u201cHave you lost your mind,\u201d Mr. Bannon texted, using an expletive. \u201cthe moment you say ANYTHING this is global story#1!!!!!\u201dIn the following weeks, Mr. Epstein peppered Mr. Bannon with questions: Should his lawyers grant the press an anonymous interview? Should he invite a reporter for The New Yorker to his house?At one point, Mr. Epstein forwarded a transcript with an unnamed victim, \u201cJane Doe 1,\u201d suggesting it supported his defense.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMr. Bannon offered his own suggestions.\u201cDid u hire the crisis comms guy so we can drive the narrative off that great times piece,\u201d he asked in March 2019. That was an apparent reference to a letter from Mr. Epstein\u2019s lawyers, published in The Times the previous day, that contended that allegations against Mr. Epstein were greatly exaggerated.He recommended that Mr. Epstein hire William A. Burck and Alex Spiro, who had represented Mr. Bannon during the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He referred to them as \u201cmy boys.\u201dMr. Bannon notified Mr. Epstein of a meeting with Mr. Spiro in April 2019, but at the last minute Mr. Bannon texted: \u201cSpiro out. Firm killed it just now.\u201dIn a statement, Mr. Spiro said: \u201cSeveral people asked me to represent or at least speak with Mr. Epstein. I categorically refused to do either.\u201d Mr. Burck said he had no contact with Mr. Epstein.That same week, Mr. Bannon texted Mr. Epstein: \u201cFriday afternoon media training @ your place \u2014 2 camera shoot; my crew so totally confidential.\u201d Mr. Epstein replied that the three-hour session would be \u201ctrial by fire.\u201d Mr. Bannon\u2019s spokesman said it was solely for the documentary.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTLater, Mr. Epstein wanted a legal agreement, known as a Kovel, apparently designed to extend attorney-client privilege to his communications with Mr. Bannon, who is not a lawyer. Mr. Bannon wrote back: \u201cwe need a deal for the entire \u2018training.\u2019\u201dMr. Bannon\u2019s spokesman said Mr. Bannon never signed the agreement and voluntarily shared his footage with federal prosecutors after Mr. Epstein\u2019s death in a jail cell, ruled to be a suicide.Mr. Bannon wrote in their correspondence that he believed that Mr. Epstein was under constant surveillance, and both men tried to ensure that Mr. Bannon would not be left lingering on the doorstep when he visited Mr. Epstein in Manhattan. Mr. Bannon alerted Mr. Epstein when a servant should be ready to open the door for him.At one point, Mr. Epstein wrote that he would understand if Mr. Bannon declined a dinner invitation. \u201cI fully understand my toxicity for the moment,\u201d he said. But the two men continued to schedule meetings up until Mr. Epstein\u2019s arrest.They had planned to meet on the first weekend of July 2019, after Mr. Epstein flew home from Paris. But he was apprehended that Saturday when his plane landed at a New Jersey airport.\u201cAll canceled,\u201d he texted. It was his last message to Mr. Bannon.Kitty Bennett contributed research.Sharon LaFraniere is an investigative reporter\u00a0focusing on the Trump administration.Teresa Mondr\u00eda Terol, an engineer who uses artificial intelligence and other machine-learning algorithms to assist reporting, is a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class.See more on: U.S. Justice Department, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Jeffrey Epstein, Steve BannonShare full articleRelated ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
    "ai_headline": "Despite Epstein\u2019s Toxicity, Steve Bannon Stood by Him, Texts Indicate",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Bannon Advised Epstein on PR Strategy 2019",
    "ai_excerpt": "Newly released documents reveal Steve Bannon advised Jeffrey Epstein on how to handle allegations of sex trafficking and rebuild his image. The two men exchanged numerous texts and planned media training sessions. Bannon claims his relationship was for a documentary.",
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    <title>Despite Epstein’s Toxicity, Steve Bannon Stood by Him, Texts Indicate - The New York Times</title>
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Parsed Content
The Epstein FilesLatest ReleaseConspiracy Theories FlourishFiles Include VideosLawmakers Question BondiPowerful Men in FilesReferences to TrumpAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTDespite Epstein’s Toxicity, Steve Bannon Stood by Him, Texts IndicateMr. Bannon, a MAGA podcaster, developed a seemingly chummy relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking. He said it was in the name of getting Mr. Epstein to open up.Listen to this article Β· 13:24 min Learn moreShare full articleAn undated photograph released by the Justice Department shows Stephen K. Bannon with Jeffrey Epstein. Mr. Bannon coached him on how to deal with newly surfaced allegations that he was a serial pedophile, documents suggest.Credit...U.S. Department of JusticeBy Sharon LaFraniere and Teresa MondrΓ­a TerolSharon LaFraniere is an investigative reporter covering the Trump administration. Teresa MondrΓ­a Terol is an engineer who used A.I. to help analyze millions of Epstein fi...

Processing Status Details

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Completed Started: Feb 20, 2026 12:56 AM Completed: Feb 20, 2026 12:58 AM
AI Extraction Status
Pending

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