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Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon surrendered to officials at a federal prison in Danbury, Conn., on Monday to serve a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress, saying he was “proud” to do so as a “martyr” for the MAGA movement.

Bannon, 70, held a press conference with far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), 2024 Minnesota Republican Senate candidate Royce White, Blackwater cofounder Erik Prince and fans of his “War Room” podcast before reporting to FCI Danbury.

“I am proud to go to prison,” he told his supporters. “If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny; if this is what it takes to stand up to the [Attorney General Merrick] Garland corrupt criminal DOJ; if this is what it takes to stand up to [House Speaker emerita] Nancy Pelosi; if this is what it takes to stand up to Joe Biden — I’m proud to do it.”


  Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has reported to jail in Danbury, CT after being convicted of contempt of Congress and losing appeals. Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has reported to jail in Danbury, CT after being convicted of contempt of Congress and losing appeals. Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images

“It’s Nancy Pelosi and Merrick Garland that made me a martyr, right? But martyrs die and I’m far from dead, baby,” he declared. “MAGA is on the rise.”

Following Bannon’s remarks, a Catholic priest from a retreat house in nearby Ridgefield made a cameo and vowed to pray for the new inmate.

“Father, don’t pray for me. Pray for our enemies,” Bannon responded. “They’re the ones who need prayer.”

Bannon will serve four months at the low-security federal prison.

“We either win, or you’re gonna have the death of a constitutional republic,” he added before turning himself in. “Everybody here, you’ve got to step into the breach.”


  Bannon spoke at a press conference with supporters outside the Danbury Federal Correctional Institution. AP Bannon spoke at a press conference with supporters outside the Danbury Federal Correctional Institution. AP

He told the crowd he chose the Danbury federal correctional facility because it once housed Ring Lardner, one of the “Hollywood Ten” blacklisted for refusing to name names of communist sympathizers before the US House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947.

Lardner, like Bannon, was convicted of contempt of Congress, with the screenwriter sentenced to 12 months in prison and fined $1,000.

“I’m a political prisoner,” Bannon added, before predicting that former President Donald Trump would also be sentenced to prison on July 11 following his 34-count “hush money” conviction in Manhattan this past May.


  Bannon said he is proud to go to prison. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Bannon said he is proud to go to prison. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Bannon had ignored a subpoena from the House Select January 6th Committee — a panel “completely illegitimate in its set-up,” he claimed — just like ex-Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, who reported to a Miami federal prison in March for similarly flouting a subpoena request from the Democrat-led committee.

“You had no ranking member, no minority counsel,” Bannon said of the House select committee. “They couldn’t see the evidence. They couldn’t cross-examine witnesses.”

“We need to reconstitute the J6 Committee today,” he went on, claiming that another investigation by a Republican majority would exonerate Trump, 78, and underscore the “federal government’s involvement” in the events that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.


  A supporter hugs Bannon before he entered the facility. Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images A supporter hugs Bannon before he entered the facility. Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images

Bannon, like Navarro, had appealed a July 2022 federal conviction in Washington, D.C., to the higher courts, only to have that verdict upheld on Friday by the US Supreme Court.

The former Trump White House advisers had both argued that they could refuse to sit for depositions with the House January 6th Committee because of assertions of executive privilege.

Garland had made the same assertion in recent weeks to withhold audio tapes of Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur last year as part of an investigation into his mishandling of classified documents.


  Bannon was joined at the press conference by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images Bannon was joined at the press conference by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images

  Bannon brought a priest to the event before he reported to prison. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Bannon brought a priest to the event before he reported to prison. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

House Republicans have argued that Biden’s DOJ is applying a double standard — and sued Garland in court on Monday for withholding the Biden-Hur audio tapes.

GOP impeachment committee leaders have also sued other Justice Department officials and threatened contempt of Congress proceedings against first son Hunter Biden over the course of their probe into the president.

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