President Trump's chief strategist believes America will face a 'massive new war'

President Trump's chief strategist Stephen Bannon apparently once told a historian that he thinks a "massive new war" is on the horizon. Historian David Kaiser, who worked with Bannon on Generation Zero, a political documentary released in 2010, told Time that when he interviewed Bannon for the film he was "taken aback" when Bannon — now Trump's right-hand man — "began to argue that the current phase of history foreshadowed" an impending war.
Bannon's basis for the theory was The Fourth Turning, the same book that inspired the documentary Bannon directed. The book suggests that history comes in repetitive four-phase cycles that last, on average, about 80 years. In each cycle, generations "have fallen into crisis, embraced institutions, rebelled against those institutions, and forgotten the lessons of the past — which invites the next crisis," Time explained.
Bannon interpreted the 2008 financial crisis as an indication that this cycle is nearing its end. "I remember him saying, 'Well, look, you have the American revolution, and then you have the Civil War, which was bigger than the revolution. And you have the Second World War, which was bigger than the Civil War,'" Kaiser told Time. "He even wanted me to say that on camera, and I was not willing." Kaiser noted that, overall, Bannon seemed to have a "rather severe outlook on what our nation is going through."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Since Trump assumed office, Bannon has played a key role in concocting Trump's torrent of executive orders, one of which includes a ban on people from seven Muslim-majority nations entering the U.S. Recently, Bannon was given a seat on the National Security Council, which The New York Times noted puts Bannon "over the president's top military and intelligence advisers."
Head over to Time for more on "the second most powerful man in the world."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Could Democrats lose the New Jersey governor’s race?
Today’s Big Question Democrat Mikie Sherrill stumbles against Republican Jack Ciattarelli
-
‘Porsche’s luxury credentials are now hanging by a thread’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Choose your own wellness adventure in Greater Palm Springs
The Week Recommends Hit the spa, try a sound bath or take a hike
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats