Steve Bannon, the right-wing strategist who served as chief White House adviser during US President Donald Trump’s first term, plotted with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to “take down” Pope Francis, according to recently released US Justice Department files.
Messages exchanged between the two in 2019 show Bannon telling Epstein he would “take down (Pope) Francis” as he sought to advance his nationalist-populist agenda after leaving the White House.
At the time, Bannon was a vocal critic of the late pontiff, accusing him of siding with “globalist elites” and opposing what he described as a “sovereigntist” political movement gaining traction in parts of Europe.
The correspondence suggests Bannon viewed Francis as a significant obstacle to that vision.
“Will take down (Pope) Francis,” Bannon wrote to Epstein in June 2019. “The Clintons, Xi, Francis, EU – come on, brother.”
According to the files, Bannon also floated the idea of turning the 2019 book In the Closet of the Vatican, by French journalist Frédéric Martel, into a film and suggested Epstein could serve as executive producer.
“You are now exec producer of ‘ITCOTV’ (In the Closet of the Vatican),” Bannon wrote.
Martel later said he rejected any such proposal and believed Bannon intended to use the book to undermine the pope. (more...)
Former Trump adviser Bannon plotted with Epstein to 'take down' Pope Francis
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