After Elon Musk, MAGA guru Steve Bannon slams Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, calls him an unmitigated disaster and says he should be on TV a lot less

Former White House advisor and one of the most vocal supporter of MAGA, Steve Bannon, came after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, describing him as "close to an unmitigated disaster" on an episode of his 'Bannon's War Room podcast' as per a report.

Steve Bannon Blasts Howard Lutnick

According to DailyBeast, Lutnick has emerged as one of US president Donald Trump's most publicized defenders of the administration's tariff policies. He's also made news with forecasts such as claiming there would be "no recession in America", while the economy falters and criticism piles up.

But Bannon, who has himself long advocated tariffs, made it abundantly clear he's lost patience with Lutnick and poured more fuel on an already heated feud between himself and DOGE head Elon Musk, as per the report. The intervention creates a new civil war inside MAGA, or at least a significant new front in the existing Bannon-Musk hostilities, reported DailyBeast.


The MAGA guru said on his podcast, “Let me be blunt. Lutnick, who is Elon’s pick for Secretary of Treasury, I think he’s close to being an unmitigated disaster. We should see a lot less of Lutnick on TV,” as quoted in the report.

Bannon went on to mock Lutnick for saying that Trump's tariffs would bring back jobs but that at the same time, robots would make American workers “more efficient,” as per DailyBeast.

Last week, the commerce secretary had told CBS News that, “The army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones—that kind of thing is going to come to America," quoted DailyBeast.

Bannon roasted him saying, “We’re not doing this so we can set up so robots have a better life,” as quoted in the report. He added, “In fact, I don’t know why Lutnick is still doing media,” quoted DailyBeast.

He even highlighted that there’s a way to have an “America first” trading order that brings back US manufacturing, as per the report. Bannon asserted, “And no, Howard Lutnick, it’s not going to all be done by robots,” quoted DailyBeast.

Bannon Calls for MAGA Alternatives to Lutnick

Bannon even went on to suggest other Trump administration officials, who could take Lutnick’s position, like economic adviser Kevin Hassett, trade adviser Peter Navarro, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, and US trade representative Jamieson Greer, reported DailyBeast.

FAQs

Why is Steve Bannon criticizing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick?
Bannon believes Lutnick is failing at his job and called him “close to an unmitigated disaster,” especially for his comments about robots and manufacturing.

What did Lutnick say that sparked Bannon’s anger?
Lutnick said millions of people would be assembling iPhones in America—but also emphasized robots making workers more “efficient,” which Bannon mocked.