Epstein Files Reportedly Reveal Bannon’s Close Ties (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: The Epstein files released last year showed pictures of Jeffrey Epstein hanging out with former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, but the latest batch reveals a far more personal relationship between these two men. In hundreds of text messages and emails between them, their relationship and close friendship is apparent, including in this text exchange from July 6, 2019. In those messages, Bannon and Epstein discuss getting together the following day, but when Bannon proposes a time, Epstein abruptly calls off their plans, writing, quote, all canceled. Epstein had been arrested by federal authorities for sex trafficking minors. Bannon first met Epstein after the 2016 election, according to journalist Michael Wolf in his 2019 book, Siege, Trump Under Fire. Wolf wrote that Bannon, the architect of Trump's unprobable win, told Epstein, quote, you were the one person I was truly afraid of coming forward during the campaign. Epstein grew deeply invested in Bannon's attempts to spread right-wing populism all over the globe, offering contacts, advice, and access to his plane. Bannon, meanwhile, seemed eager to take advantage of his new friends. One point in July 2018, he asked him in a text message, quote, do you know anyone in Europe that wants to control the European Parliament, and with it, the EU? At times, Epstein and Bannon reflected on their consequential partnership, like when they had overlapping interests in Israel. Epstein wrote to Bannon, quote, now you can understand why Trump wakes up in the middle of the night sweating when he hears you and I are friends. Before publishing this story, I reached out to Steve Bannon for comment, and he did not respond.