Steve Bannon: MAGA Base Losing Enthusiasm

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon warned that enthusiasm among President Donald Trump's MAGA base appears to be waning amid internal disputes and policy concerns.

"You have a massive lack of enthusiasm among the base," Bannon said during a Saturday episode of his "War Room" podcast. "Because they're sitting there going, I'm just not feelin' it right now."

Bannon pointed to recent polling that he said shows fractures within the Republican base, citing controversy surrounding the Epstein files, ongoing affordability issues, and shifts in U.S. foreign policy as contributing factors.

He referenced survey findings from Big Data Poll released last month indicating Democrats hold a 4.1 percentage point advantage on the generic congressional ballot.

According to the survey, 46.1% of likely voters said they would support a Democrat candidate for Congress, compared to 42% who said they would back a Republican.

Despite those numbers, Republicans continue to maintain a significant fundraising edge. The Republican National Committee closed out 2025 with nearly $100 million more cash on hand than the Democratic National Committee.

Still, veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove cautioned that Trump's conduct could push swing voters away from the GOP.

"The Trump presidency wasn't normal even in his first term, but something is different now," Rove wrote in an opinion piece published last month in The Wall Street Journal. "Americans are increasingly unnerved by the president's rambling appearances and late-night screeds."

"Whether it's age or advisers who can't check his worst instincts, Mr. Trump is acting in ways no American president has," he added.

Rove cautioned that if the Trump team can't "turn things around," the president will "help defeat" the GOP in the November midterm elections and "damage the country for years."

"His downward spiral has led 58 percent of Americans and 66 percent of independents in the CNN/SRRS poll to describe his second term as 'a failure,'" Rove wrote.

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