Steve Bannon has landed himself in the hot seat once more. This time, a recent comment of his about ICE sparked major backlash online. The former White House chief strategist was a key figure in shaping and influencing MAGA. He’s also one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal and fervent supporters.
The political commentator addressed the upcoming polls and included ICE in the discussion. The federal agency has been under scrutiny for recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis, which have prompted nationwide protests demanding ICE withdraw from the state.
Amid this chaotic backdrop, Bannon made a shocking claim on his podcast, The War Room.
BREAKING: Steve Bannon calls for ICE to surround polling stations to prevent elections from being “stolen.” We need to call this out for what it is. They want to intimidate Black and brown AMERICAN CITIZENS and keep them from voting. pic.twitter.com/k1C1HcXPAL
— Trump Lie Tracker (Commentary Account) (@MAGALieTracker) February 4, 2026
Bannon was addressing past elections and made false claims that elections before Trump were allegedly “stolen” by Democrats. The former White House adviser to Trump went on to highlight the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, set to take place in November. He suggested that this time, ICE should be present at polling stations.
Bannon proposed, saying, “Let’s put you on notice again, ICE is going to be around the polls in the 2026 midterm elections.” He mentioned this because of his firm belief that the previous election was stolen by Democrats.
Technically, ICE was not created for election patrol duties. Its primary role is immigration enforcement, as its name suggests. This raises the question of why a federal agency built to handle immigration matters would be involved in election security.
That being said, federal law prevents ICE from getting involved in election security, as such involvement could amount to voter intimidation and election interference. This would be a serious violation—ironically, the very kind of misconduct the Trump administration has repeatedly argued occurred during elections Trump lost.
Translation: we’re gonna indimidate people with ICE agents and they’ll attack whoever they want with no repercussions
— FishFlakes (@Fish_Flakes546) February 4, 2026
Bannon’s comments quickly sparked debate and backlash across social media platforms such as X and Instagram. Many users spoke out against the proposal. Some cited potential violations of federal law if Trump were to move forward with Bannon’s suggestion from the podcast. Others expressed outrage and fear over the matter.
One user pointed out, “That call by Bannon is outright election interference. He should be prosecuted and sued.” A second said, “Gosh, this sounds like an intimidation campaign…” A third commented, “This isn’t what ICE is supposed to be doing d——. Neither are they supposed to be carrying firearms.”
I really, really wonder how ICE – with surrounding the polling stations – could defend against “stealing” the “country” ?
What kind of stealing method could be prevented this way?
In which states, in all of them?
Which legally proven election fraud form the last few…
— Sowhat? (@KMediaEng) February 4, 2026
A fourth questioned Bannon’s authority to place ICE agents at polling stations. The user asked, “Why does he think he has the authority to call for ICE to do anything?” A fifth suggested what the aftermath of Bannon’s ICE proposal could look like, saying, “It’s going to backfire. People are going to show up, like all the protests going on.”
Conspiracy theory enthusiasts also suggested that this may be why Trump was reportedly increasing funding for ICE and other federal agencies. Referring to Bannon’s proposal, they claimed it was the Trump administration’s plan “all along.”
The White House has not responded to Bannon’s proposal about using ICE agents at polling stations in the upcoming midterm elections. Whether it was truly part of a broader plan or simply a baseless comment remains to be seen.
