Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon slammed House Republicans on Wednesday for not doing an effective job of selling the president’s “big, beautiful” law of tax and spending cuts over the summer recess.
“I haven’t seen a massive effort to sell the big beautiful bill and actually what it stands for,” Bannon said during his Wednesday “War Room” podcast.
Bannon also criticized the lack of town halls held by Republicans to sell the bill, saying Republicans had gone home for the August recess but were not holding town hall events to sell the president’s most important legislative package.
Bannon described a “paucity of town halls,” though he acknowledged that town halls have become difficult to hold this year as a series have been interrupted by constituents loudly highlighting their complaints.
For example, Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) recently heard boos and calls to tax the rich at a town hall in Lincoln, Neb., where he promoted the Trump legislation.
Bannon said he believed Democrats were behind some of these interruptions, but nonetheless suggested Republicans needed to hold the events.
He also said the GOP needed to reassess the way they talk about the legislation.
“For instance, we sell the big beautiful bill here in the supply side tax cut of it in a more sophisticated way, not just the Fox News talking points, in a more sophisticated way, with bright people than anybody,” Bannon told listeners.
The former White House strategist said big, beautiful bill talking points need to land with voters ahead of the next election cycle. He urged House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to press GOP lawmakers to laud the bill in public forums.
“Johnson and Thune should cancel all overseas junkets for members and force them to have town halls, meet and greets, editorial board meetings — anything to get the word out on the BBB. The supply-side tax cut needs to be sold, and it ain’t gonna sell itself,” Bannon told Politico.
“The 2026 midterms have started, and the Republicans are letting down the president.”
