Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon engaged in a heated confrontation with NewsNation host Chris Cuomo during a televised town hall Tuesday night, repeatedly declining to commit to accepting the results of the upcoming midterm elections if Republicans suffer significant losses.

The exchange unfolded during NewsNation’s “Decision Desk 2026 Have Your Say” town hall, co-hosted by Cuomo and Stephen A. Smith, as the discussion turned to election integrity, President Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat, and the possibility of federal immigration agents being stationed at polling locations.

Cuomo pressed Bannon to state unequivocally whether he would recognize Republican defeats in states where election officials certify the results.

“I heard you say something the other day, and it made you very popular with people who don’t believe that MAGA will accept losing the election. And I want to ask you straight, here on the record, if you lose in the state of Texas, the state of North Carolina, wherever you lose certifies that you lose, will you accept the results of the election?” Cuomo asked.

“We have to, first off, let’s have the election first,” Bannon responded.

“No, no, no. You don’t have to have it first,” Cuomo shot back.

The discussion quickly escalated, with both men speaking over one another as Bannon accused Cuomo of playing word games rather than focusing on the upcoming election.

Bannon then revisited his longstanding contention that the 2020 presidential election had been improperly decided.

“They certified an illegitimate election in 2020,” Bannon declared, drawing boos from members of the audience.

“Says who?” Cuomo demanded.

“I went to prison for that. I’m proud I went to prison for that,” Bannon responded.

Bannon served four months in federal prison in 2024 after being convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena issued by the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

During the town hall, Bannon characterized his imprisonment as a consequence of refusing to submit to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“You wouldn’t bend the knee to democracy,” Cuomo countered.

Despite repeated questioning, Bannon refused to provide the commitment Cuomo was seeking, insisting that Republicans should concentrate on winning the November elections rather than discussing potential defeats.

“Chris, you can play all the word games you want,” Bannon said.

The confrontation also turned to immigration enforcement and election security after Bannon expressed support for deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling locations to ensure that only American citizens cast ballots.

Cuomo challenged that position, arguing that aggressive immigration enforcement practices had already generated fear among some Americans.

“If you guys grabbed the right people at ICE the right way on a regular basis You wouldn’t have the American people afraid if you’d be in there in the first place,” Cuomo said.

The exchange comes as lawmakers from both parties are expressing concerns about potential disputes over the certification and seating of winners following the November elections.

A bipartisan initiative led by Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey is seeking commitments from members of Congress to recognize certified election outcomes and oppose efforts to prevent duly elected lawmakers from taking office.

Bannon, who remains an influential voice in Trump’s political movement, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Republicans retaining control of Congress.

In a separate CBS News interview published Sunday, Bannon warned that losing the House would expose Trump administration officials to investigations, subpoenas, and potential impeachment proceedings.

The former Trump adviser has also continued to dispute the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, despite Joe Biden’s certified victory and the absence of evidence establishing widespread fraud sufficient to change the outcome.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)