Bannon rips Senate Republican leading charge to take majority in 2024: ‘Gutless coward’

Former White House aide Steve Bannon criticized Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Friday, calling the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chair a “gutless coward.”

Bannon suggested that Daines is just being used by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and would purposely avoid backing candidates endorsed by former President Trump.

“I hate to be brutally frank about this, but he is just McConnell’s b—-,” Bannon said in a clip from his podcast, which was was highlighted by Mediaite.

“Okay, let me be blunt, he’s a gutless coward,” the staunch Trump ally continued. “He hides behind “The NRSC this, this, this,’ and he’s up kissing Trump’s ass all the time.”

Bannon added, “Trump knows that all he’s pushing is Mitch McConnell guys, the guy out there in Montana is going to be another Mitch McConnell clone.”

His argument comes after the former president and McConnell blamed each other for election losses in 2022, when an expected “red wave” failed to materialize.

The Kentucky Republican claimed his party was hampered by weak candidates, many endorsed by Trump, in several battleground states. Trump, in return, claimed McConnell was responsible because the GOP campaign arm didn’t spend enough money on the right candidates.

As the head of the NRSC, Daines said he plans to be more active in the recruiting of candidates and more picky about who and what his committee supports. Concerns about the quality of candidates that arose after the 2022 midterms — in which some controversial Trump-backed candidates lost their races — are top of mind for establishment Republicans when it comes to taking back the Senate next year.

In his home state, Daines has supported businessman Tim Sheehy in his bid to take on Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), noting the district isn’t favorable to a contentious primary. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), however, is also considering a bid for the race.

Republican operatives said they believe Daines and McConnell are prepared to fight for Sheehy’s nomination and spend whatever amount is necessary.

“If Daines and Mitch want Sheehy to be the nominee, he will be,” one GOP source told The Hill in August. “They’re just going to have to exert themselves to make sure.”