Short answers, pulled from the story.
Steve Bannon is an American media executive and political strategist born on the 27th of November 1953, in Norfolk, Virginia. He is best known for serving as chief strategist to President Donald Trump during the first seven months of Trump's first administration and for his role as executive chairman of Breitbart News.
Bannon served as chief strategist and senior counselor to President Trump, a newly created position that gave him authority nearly equivalent to the chief of staff. He was involved in drafting Executive Order 13769, which restricted travel from seven countries, and was designated as a regular attendee to the National Security Council's Principals Committee. He left the White House on the 18th of August 2017.
Bannon was convicted on the 22nd of July 2022, on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. He was sentenced on the 21st of October 2022, to four months in prison and a $6,500 fine. He also pleaded guilty on the 11th of February 2025, to one New York state felony count of a scheme to defraud in connection with the We Build the Wall fundraising campaign.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Bannon and three co-defendants used funds from the We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign, which raised money ostensibly for construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall, to enrich themselves instead. Prosecutors alleged Bannon personally received more than $1 million from the scheme. Trump pardoned Bannon on federal charges on the 19th of January 2021, but Bannon later pleaded guilty to the related New York state charges in February 2025.
Bannon was a founding board member of Breitbart News when it launched in 2007. After founder Andrew Breitbart died in March 2012, Bannon became executive chairman of Breitbart News LLC. Under his leadership the site became more nationalistic and aligned with the alt-right. He stepped down as executive chairman on the 9th of January 2018, following his public break with Donald Trump.
Bannon served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1977 to 1983. He was a surface warfare officer aboard a destroyer in the Pacific Fleet and later a special assistant to the chief of naval operations at the Pentagon. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1980 to assist with Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis.