Steve Bannon, former adviser to Donald Trump, exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to the latest release of Epstein files. The files include a bizarre nearly two-hour video interview conducted by Bannon at Epstein’s New York home, reportedly intended for a sympathetic documentary to polish Epstein’s reputation.
In the meandering conversation, Bannon calls Epstein a “schmuck” and “criminal”, even asking if he is “the devil” fallen from paradise. At one point, Bannon comments: “There’s something deeply fucked up with you.” The two men discuss economics, philosophy, and Epstein’s time in jail, but pay little attention to his crimes against young girls.
Epstein shares views on gender and race, claiming women have an “intuitive sense” and that Black people are not less intelligent but have different intelligences suited to different environments. He also outlines his rise from trader to elite board member, attributing it to a shift from character-based decisions to mathematical calculations in business.
Filmed around 2019, the interview was never released. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and died in his jail cell in August that year.
