Bannon seemed impressed by the Mamdani campaign’s ability to turn out low-propensity voters — “this is kind of the Trump model” — though he branded Mamdani a “neo-Marxist,” rather than a populist. And he is eager to have Trump and his administration battle Mamdani in the days ahead.

In a wide-ranging conversation following Democrats’ big wins in New Jersey and Virginia, Bannon also ripped Republicans for their failures, discussed how the GOP can avoid a 2026 midterm rout and laid out what Trump’s immediate next moves should be.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A lot of Republicans, including the NRCC, are cheering Mamdani’s win tonight, already trying to make him the latest Democratic boogeyman. But you’ve also warned Republicans to be careful what they wish for with Mamdani — that he’s a “skilled politician” who connects with voters on affordability in ways the GOP hasn’t. Where’s the flashing red light for Republicans in his victory?

First off, all those people that said he wasn’t going to win the primary and he was great to run against, I think, have been proven wrong. This is not a debating society.

Tonight, what you saw out of Mamdani is something you’ve never seen this entire race. I mean, that’s an angry guy. That was in your face, and particularly the president’s face, up in his grill, and the president responded: “And so it begins.”

People better understand they have a fight on their hands. This guy is a serious guy. I’ve said this from the beginning — I said early in the primary.

Forget the Republican Party in New York — that’s a joke — but the national Republican Party and some of the smartest strategists do not realize the power of the Working Families Party and the [Democratic Socialists of America] for ground game. Modern politics now is about engaging low-propensity voters, and they clearly turned them out tonight, and this is kind of the Trump model. This is very serious.

You call Mamdani a Marxist, but a lot of other folks would call him a populist —

He’s a Marxist, a neo-Marxist.

Are there alarm bells