Steve Bannon Wants Kevin McCarthy to be Like Pelosi: ‘Stone-Cold Killer’

Steve Bannon, the outspoken far-right strategist and former adviser to President Donald Trump, said Tuesday that he wants House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to be more like his Democratic predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

On the Tuesday edition of his War Room podcast, Bannon called McCarthy, of whom he has been consistently critical, an “unmitigated disaster.”

“I would love, I know everyone hates Nancy Pelosi, hate[s] the sound of her name, hate[s] the sound of her voice, but you know what?” Bannon said. “Hate her all you want, she’s a stone-cold killer. If we could just get some of her testosterone put into McCarthy for the next 72 hours, maybe we salvage something before they go on their six-week boondoggle.”

McCarthy faced strong opposition from the further-right flank of the House Republican caucus in his bid to become speaker, resulting in a historically long voting process as he made concessions to secure votes. He has continued to face harsh criticism from conservatives over his performance in the role, with Bannon slamming his debt limit deal with President Joe Biden as a “total surrender.”

Steve Bannon, former adviser to President Donald Trump, during a photo session in Paris on May 27, 2019. Bannon said on Tuesday that he wants House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to be more like his Democratic predecessor, Nancy Pelosi. Joel Saget/AFP/Getty

Newsweek reached out to McCarthy’s office via email for comment.

While reviled by many Republicans, Pelosi, who served as speaker from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023, has been hailed my many as one of the most prominent and effective speakers in U.S. history. In 2018, after Democrats regained the House majority, former President Barack Obama praised her as “one of the most effective legislative leaders that this country’s ever seen.”

“Her stamina, her ability to see around corners, her ability to stand her ground and do hard things and to suffer unpopularity to get the right thing done, I think, stands up against any person that I’ve observed or worked directly with in Washington during my lifetime,” Obama said.

After Democrats lost the majority in November’s midterms and Pelosi passed her House Democratic leadership position to Hakeem Jeffries, Jonathan Bernstein hailed her as “probably the best speaker in U.S. history” in a piece for the Washington Post.

Co-founder of the far-right news outlet Breitbart News, Bannon rose to national prominence as the chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and later served as White House chief strategist for the first seven months of his presidency.

Bannon has spent the last several years advocating for right-wing political movements worldwide and hosting his podcast for the Real America’s Voice conservative news network.