Steve Bannon says insurgent Democrats are “very smart” to avoid campaigning on President Trump

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon said Democratic challengers aligned with the party’s “insurgent left” are “very smart” to avoid centering their campaigns on President Donald Trump, telling Politico that their messaging is primarily aimed at Democratic establishment politics rather than directly framing their races around the Republican president.

In the interview, Bannon said that, based on how these candidates are presenting their campaigns, “they’re not really even campaigning on Trump,” adding that Trump “gets a mention” without becoming the defining issue of the race.

Bannon also compared the current wave of left challengers to historical insurgent movements, saying he sees similarities between their approach and the “Tea Party” and “old Breitbart,” while arguing that they are “going against the Democratic establishment.” He described their campaign messaging as “sophisticated” and said it resonates with voters beyond a single regional bloc.

The remarks were made amid an ongoing Democratic Party debate over the role of democratic socialist-aligned candidates and their impact on party leadership. Democratic leaders have asserted that the growth of democratic socialist challengers is concentrated, and Bannon addressed that argument by saying the trend reflects more than a localized phenomenon.

Bannon said Democrats have “worked below the surface” to build “a ground game and a canvassing operation,” and that Republicans have taken the threat “extremely seriously.” He also suggested that Democrats would be unlikely to replicate the same level of organizing once such campaigns take shape.

The Hill reported the comments as part of a broader look at how insurgent candidates are running in Democratic races, including primary contests and efforts to position themselves against incumbent Democrats and party leadership.

Bannon’s interview comes as Democratic campaigns and party strategists weigh how to frame issues, define contrasts with Democrats in office, and decide whether to use Trump directly as a foil or to focus instead on intra-party disputes.