Italy Puts The Kibosh On Bannon’s Monastery Turned Populist Bootcamp

Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, attends a discussion on countering violent extremism at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Dr... Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, attends a discussion on countering violent extremism at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon saw his dreams dashed Friday, when the Italian government revoked the lease for his monastery turned rightwing training center. 

According to the Daily Beast, the culture ministry blamed paperwork issues as the rationale, specifically a lack of planning for preservation of the 800-year-old structure.

Bannon’s grand plan has already been met with protests by the locals.

“I think the populist nationalist sovereignty movement is about the reinforcement of the traditional Judeo-Christian West,” he told MSNBC’s Richard Engel back in April. “What we’re saying is let’s have an academy that brings the best thinkers together and can actually train what we call ‘modern gladiators.’”

Team Bannon plans to appeal the Italian government’s decision.

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: