Bannon’s “Harper Valley PTA” Gambit: Threatening to Send Gaetz Back to Congress with Oppo Tactics

Steve Bannon is riling up his base to bring Matt Gaetz back to Congress, leveraging smear campaigns and opposition research to bully the GOP into submission.

Steve Bannon and former congressman, Matt Gaetz on the set of War Room Podcast

Steve Bannon is once again threatening to disrupt the Republican Party establishment, this time by rallying his base to bring Matt Gaetz back to Congress. Bannon’s plan? Pressure Republicans to reinstate Gaetz on January 3rd, weaponizing his influence to release supposed opposition research on his fellow Republicans. It’s a classic Bannon move: use chaos and intimidation to reshape the GOP in his image.

But will it work? Gaetz, who is reportedly set to start a career at OANN (a fringe, third-tier media outlet), has just been hit with a damning ethics report from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics. The report is long, detailed, and devastating, casting serious doubt on any political future Gaetz might imagine for himself.

The Damning Ethics Report on Matt Gaetz

The Committee’s findings lay bare a pattern of corrupt, unethical, and illegal behavior from 2017 to 2020. Here are some of the most shocking revelations:

• Payment for Sex: Gaetz paid women for sex on multiple occasions, including $400 to a high school junior in exchange for sexual activity.

• Sexual Activity with a Minor: In 2017, Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.

• Drug Use: Between 2017 and 2019, Gaetz used illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.

• Unethical Gifts: Gaetz accepted gifts—including transportation and lodging for a 2018 trip to the Bahamas—that far exceeded permissible amounts.

• Abuse of Power: In 2018, Gaetz instructed his Chief of Staff to falsely indicate to the U.S. Department of State that a woman he was involved with sexually was a constituent, enabling her to obtain a passport.

• Obstruction: Gaetz knowingly and willfully obstructed the Ethics Committee’s investigation into his conduct.

• Discredit to the House: The Committee concluded that Gaetz’s actions reflected “discreditably upon the House.”

This isn’t just bad—it’s catastrophic. Yet Bannon wants you to forget all of it.

Bannon’s Playbook: Downplay the Crimes, Prop Up the Foot Soldiers

Bannon’s goal here is clear: rehabilitate Matt Gaetz as a loyal foot soldier in his broader project to transform the United States into an authoritarian, white nationalist ethno-state. It’s the same playbook Bannon has used time and again:

1. Sow Doubt:

• Just as Bannon used his propaganda platform to undermine trust in Biden’s 2020 victory, he’s now trying to muddy the waters around Gaetz’s crimes. By flooding the narrative with doubt and deflection, he seeks to make the public question the severity of Gaetz’s actions.

2. Bullying and Threats:

• Bannon wields threats of MAGA primary challenges against sitting Republicans to keep them in line. It’s a tactic designed to intimidate GOP members into falling in line with his extremist agenda.

3. Rewriting the Narrative:

• Bannon wants voters—and the D.C. press corps—to ignore the hard facts in the Ethics Committee report and focus instead on Gaetz’s supposed loyalty to MAGA. He knows that loyalty to Trump and the MAGA cause trumps ethics or legality in his movement.

4. Erasing Corruption:

• Whether it’s Gaetz, Trump, or any other MAGA figure, Bannon’s propaganda seeks to normalize corruption and criminality. By downplaying obvious wrongdoing, he reframes these behaviors as either minor mistakes or politically motivated attacks by the left.

Why Gaetz Matters to Bannon’s Vision

Bannon sees Gaetz as more than just a MAGA ally—he’s a key piece in the broader authoritarian project. Gaetz’s loyalty to the movement means he can be counted on to disrupt Congressional norms, attack Democratic governance, and carry out Bannon’s agenda without hesitation. By reinstalling Gaetz in Congress, Bannon would gain another weapon in his ongoing war against the Republican establishment and democracy itself.

The Broader Threat: MAGA’s War on Accountability

Bannon’s manipulation doesn’t stop with Gaetz. He’s also pushing figures like Pete Hegseth—who could run the Department of Defense under a future Trump administration—despite credible allegations of corruption and extremism. This is part of a broader pattern: elevate loyalists regardless of their qualifications or scandals, as long as they serve the MAGA agenda.

At its core, this strategy is about erasing accountability. By bullying Republicans and playing the press, Bannon creates a world where “wrong is right” as long as it advances the authoritarian cause. This is not democracy—it’s pure manipulation.

The Solution: Call Out the Lies, Reject the Chaos

Bannon only has as much power as the D.C. press corps and Congressional Republicans allow him. If journalists refuse to play along with his narrative spin, and if Republicans reject his bullying tactics, his influence diminishes.

The facts are clear: Matt Gaetz’s behavior is indefensible. No amount of propaganda or threats should erase the findings of the Ethics Committee report. And no amount of loyalty to Bannon, Trump, or MAGA justifies turning a blind eye to corruption and criminality.

Wrong is wrong. It’s time to say it—and act like it.