One of the many surprises in the latest Epstein Files drop is how much correspondence former Trump adviser Steve Bannon had with Epstein. In total, Bannon is mentioned in the files over 1,700 times. One message exchange between Epstein and Bannon shows the two discussing strategies to take down Pope Francis. Take a look: Epstein and Bannon: “Will take down Francis” Pope Francis: 1Epstein: 0 pic.twitter.com/h4TjQvSnNX — FeelsGuy (@FeelsGuy2003) February 5, 2026 CNN provided more details on Bannon’s emails with Epstein regarding “taking down” the Pope: Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser to US President Donald Trump, discussed opposition strategies with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein against Pope Francis, with Bannon saying he hoped to “take down” the pontiff, according to newly released files from the US Department of Justice. Messages sent between the pair in 2019, released in the massive document dump last month, reveal Bannon courted the late financier in his attempts to undermine the former pontiff after leaving the first Trump administration. Bannon had been highly critical of Francis whom he saw as an opponent to his “sovereigntist” vision, a brand of nationalist populism which swept through Europe in 2018 and 2019. The released documents from the DOJ appear to show that Epstein had been helping Bannon to build his movement. “Will take down (Pope) Francis,” Bannon wrote to Epstein in June 2019. “The Clintons, Xi, Francis, EU – come on brother.” Pope Francis was a significant obstacle to Bannon’s brand of nationalist populism. In 2018, the former Trump aide described Francis to The Spectator as “beneath contempt,” accusing him of siding with “globalist elites” and, according to “SourceMaterial,” urged Matteo Salvini, now Italy’s deputy prime minister, to “attack” the pontiff. For his part, Salvini has used Christian iconography and language when pursuing his anti-immigrant agenda. In his messages with Epstein, Bannon references “In the Closet of the Vatican,” a 2019 book by French journalist Frédéric Martel that lifted a lid on secrecy and hypocrisy at high levels of the church. Martel created a storm with his book by claiming 80% of the clergy working in the Vatican are gay, while exploring how they keep their sexuality secret. The whole question of homosexuality in the church has been a lightning rod for some conservatives, who see it as evidence of a deeper, systemic crisis in the church, with some linking it to the wider sexual abuse scandals. Most experts and researchers view any conflating of sexual orientation with abuse as scientifically inaccurate. Bannon showed an interest in turning Martel’s book into a film after meeting the author in Paris at a five-star hotel. In the messages, Bannon appears to suggest that Epstein could be the film’s executive producer. “You are now exec producer of ‘ITCOTV’ (In the closet of the Vatican),” Bannon wrote. Here was Elon Musk’s response to the latest messages being revealed: Something rotten in Bannon’s soul — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 14, 2026 Musk last year claimed Bannon was in the Epstein files: Elon Musk was right about everything. pic.twitter.com/z0Mos258YA — DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) February 14, 2026 Other messages show Bannon was attempting to help Epstein restore his image: Steve Bannon to Jeffrey Epstein in April of 2019, three months before his arrest: “We need to work around your 38–first we need to push back on the lies ; then crush the pedo/trafficking narrative ; then rebuild your image as philanthropist” pic.twitter.com/r6yI00flPv — Home of the Brave (@OfTheBraveUSA) February 2, 2026 Some claim Bannon’s contact with Epstein was just to get a sit-down interview with him. In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Bannon’s nearly two-hour-long interview with the convicted sex offender: BREAKING: The FULL Jeffrey Epstein Interview with Steve Bannon. Before it gets removed…pic.twitter.com/arn509xl5P — ADAM (@AdameMedia) February 1, 2026