Key Takeaway: Ari Melber aired a 2019 clip of Steve Bannon with Jeffrey Epstein and presented emails suggesting Bannon sought to counter media portrayals of Epstein as "beyond redemption." The segment notes Bannon filmed about 15 hours with Epstein for a documentary, and a 2021 trailer exists though no final film has been released. Melber argued the footage and messages indicate Bannon aimed to rehabilitate Epstein's image amid renewed scrutiny following a recent photo release from the Epstein estate.
Ari Melber Replays 2019 Clip Showing Steve Bannon Defending Jeffrey Epstein After New Photo Release
MS NOW host Ari Melber aired a previously unseen 2019 clip showing Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein together, arguing that Bannon appeared to be trying to shore up Epstein's reputation after a recent photo release from the Epstein estate renewed public scrutiny.
Context
The footage was recorded in 2019, before Epstein's 2019 federal arrest on sex‑trafficking charges and his subsequent death in a Manhattan jail cell. Melber said the video and related documents provide new context for a recent photo dump that depicts Bannon and Epstein together.
Emails and Motive
Melber presented a 2019 email exchange in which Epstein complained that some Christians he met with found it "deeply troubling and offensive" that the media portrayed him as "beyond redemption." Bannon replied, in part: "...we must counter 'rapist who traffics in female children to be raped by the world's most powerful, richest men' — that can't be redeemed. Can't redeem unredeemable — you are a lot of things — which we will show — but you are NOT that."
Melber questioned why a senior Trump aide would insist Epstein was "not that guy," noting that accusers and court records allege otherwise. He also pointed out that Bannon described a collaborative effort to present Epstein's "better side."
Documentary Footage
According to Melber, Bannon filmed roughly 15 hours of material with Epstein for a documentary project. Although a trailer surfaced in 2021, no finished film has been publicly released. Melber suggested the hours of footage and the email exchange indicate Bannon's role went beyond a routine interview and may have been aimed at rehabilitating Epstein in the face of allegations from survivors and supporting evidence.
Clip Excerpt
EPSTEIN: "The future is for the way women think."
BANNON: "The way women think."
EPSTEIN: "That's correct."
BANNON: "Is that not a SOP because of all the depravity you've done against young women and your new SOP is that women's thinking is the future?"
EPSTEIN: "No. I've been — I've always believed that women would, in fact, be able to take over. I'm a firm believer and supporter of Time's Up."
Melber highlighted Epstein's claim to support Time's Up with visible incredulity and framed the resurfaced footage and emails as relevant to understanding the relationship between Epstein and Bannon as well as interpreting the recent photos released by the estate.
Note: The clip and emails were presented by Melber on MS NOW. The reporting cites public statements and materials shown on air; allegations referenced in the segment originate from accusers, prior court filings, and media reporting.
