Steve Bannon: ICE agents at airports are “test run” for midterm elections
Former White House Chief of Staff Steve Bannon suggestion on his podcast Monday that the deployment of ICE agents at US airports could serve as a “test run” for the upcoming midterm elections. The comments come just days after Trump’s nominee for DHS secretary, Markwayne Mullin, refused to rule out the possibility of sending agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to polling places on election day.
“We can use what’s happening with these ICE [agents] helping out at the airports,” Bannon said on his podcast War Room.
We can use this as a test run […] to really perfect ICE’s involvement in the 2026 midterm elections, sir?” he asked his guest, Mike Davis, a right-wing lawyer and fellow MAGA insider.
“Yeah, I think we should have ICE agents at the polling places because if you’re an illegal alien, you can’t vote, right?” Davis responded. “It’s against the law, it’s a federal crime […]”
“And so, if you’re an American citizen, you should be happy that ICE is there, because you’re not going to have illegal aliens canceling out your vote,” he added.
“Exactly,” Bannon responded. “Pick em out of line, pick em out of line starting today and maybe the lines get shorter.”
Speaking about ICE agents, Bannon added: “They’re trained to, wait for it, check IDs. That’s why it’s perfect training for the fall of 2026.”
“We’re tired of having elections stolen, so ICE is gonna be there in the fall of ‘26, just like they are in the airports today.”
Bannon has previously called for deploying ICE agents and military forces to polling places on Election Day. He, along with other MAGA figures, claims that the 2020 election was stolen and that if federal agents are not present at polling places, future elections will be stolen as well.
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While Bannon is not as influential as he once was, that doesn’t mean he can’t have a major influence on the Trump administration’s policies. In fact, if there’s one area where he is likely to play a big role, this is it.
Bannon is known as someone who specializes in fostering grievances that mobilize right wing voters and has in many instances shaped policy by getting voters to put pressure on lawmakers. He is currently doing just that in an effort to pass the SAVE Act, a piece of legislation that, if passed, would represent “the most restrictive anti-voter bill” in U.S. history, according to the non-partisan Brennan Center.
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While Republicans claim they are trying to ensure election security, Bannon kind of gave the game away when he admitted that he wants lines at the polling places to be shorter — meaning that he wants fewer people to vote, which is exactly the point of voter suppression laws.