Steve Bannon Exposes Epstein Texts as Files Tie Them to Anti–Pope Francis Plot

Feb 14, 2026

Newly released U.S. Justice Department files are drawing new attention to reported communications between Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein that discussed opposition strategies involving Pope Francis. The reports matter now because they land amid a massive DOJ records release that is still being parsed for who appears, why, and in what context.

The conflict is twofold: Bannon was a former top Trump adviser, while Epstein was a convicted sex offender, and the reported target of their discussion was the leader of the Catholic Church. That combination is prompting questions about motive, influence, and how seriously the messages were meant.

According to National Catholic Reporter, the newly released Epstein files show Bannon and Epstein discussing ways to undermine Pope Francis, with the Vatican described as a geopolitical pressure point in the materials. The DOJ maintains it has released records with victim-identifying details redacted where required.

A complicating factor is that the broader Epstein-file rollout has already produced confusion and disputes over redactions and how names appear in investigative documents, including episodes where people listed were later said to have no ties to Epstein. That backdrop raises the stakes for careful verification as new excerpts circulate.

One reported message includes Bannon saying he hoped to “take down” the pontiff, as described by outlets citing the DOJ release.

DOJ said on Jan. 30 it had published nearly 3.5 million pages, plus thousands of videos and images, in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, meaning more figures and contacts could surface as journalists and researchers keep reviewing the trove.

Next will be whether additional messages provide clearer timelines, intermediaries, or outcomes tied to the Bannon-Epstein exchanges, and whether any parties respond directly to the newly highlighted communications.

For now, the document release is still unfolding, and scrutiny is following each new set of surfaced records.

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