Inside the Secret Bannon-Epstein Interviews
What happens when a notorious political strategist sits down with one of the world’s most infamous convicted sex offenders for hours on end? That’s exactly what played out in 2018 and early 2019, when Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, spent over 15 hours filming Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier later charged with sex trafficking.
Bannon reportedly set out to make a documentary called The Monsters: Epstein's Life Among the Global Elite. The working idea was to examine Epstein’s relationships with some of the most powerful people on the planet—think politicians, celebrities, and titans of business. But sources close to the project say it was also a concerted effort to provide Epstein a platform to repair his own image. Cameras rolled during extended, deeply personal interviews at Epstein’s homes in Manhattan and Paris, just months before federal agents arrested him in July 2019.
While Epstein’s dark history and global connections were at the heart of the project, the process was far from an ordinary documentary shoot. Several people familiar with the sessions claim Bannon, a media master himself, was actively involved in coaching Epstein—almost like a PR handler prepping a crisis client. Reports say Bannon told Epstein he needed to “not be creepy” on camera and steered him away from talking about his controversial theories or alleged racist views. During practice runs for a possible appearance on 60 Minutes, Bannon reportedly pressed Epstein to offer simple, direct denials of the pedophilia allegations that had dogged him for years.
The Mystery of the Missing Tapes
The practice interviews alone were enough to draw interest, but things became even more mysterious after Epstein’s arrest and untimely prison death in August 2019. Despite the hours of revealing footage, not a single frame has ever reached the public. Bannon, when pressed, has consistently downplayed any formal role as Epstein’s media trainer. Yet those who witnessed the coaching say the distinction is splitting hairs—the goal was to get Epstein camera-ready, perhaps for a major TV appearance or for use in the now-abandoned documentary itself.
Rumors of “lost” Epstein interviews surfaced quietly in media circles but weren’t confirmed until Bannon himself spoke about the tapes in September 2021. He described them as raw material for a film meant to pull back the curtain on Epstein’s powerful network, including figures like Donald Trump. Still, Bannon stopped short of explaining why the footage remains under wraps. Was it scrapped because Epstein died before Bannon could finish his story? Or could the tapes be simply too explosive, with interviews exposing names or details never intended for public eyes?
For now, all 15 hours of these interviews are still locked away, fueling a swirl of speculation. What did Epstein admit on camera? Were there moments that showed different sides to the man at the center of one of the world’s most sensational scandals? Until someone decides to actually release the footage, these questions—and the true scope of Epstein’s connections—linger in the shadows.
