Steve Bannon claims shocking airport ICE deployment is a ‘test run’ for 2026, and his real endgame will blow your mind

Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist, recently suggested that the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel to airports is actually a “test run” for the 2026 midterm elections, as reported by The Hill. This is a pretty wild claim, especially when you consider the current situation at our airports.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations units began supporting Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at multiple airports across the country on Monday. This move comes as the Department of Homeland Security faces a shutdown, which has led to hundreds of TSA workers quitting their posts. On top of that, call-out rates have shot up significantly, creating those notoriously long wait times at security checkpoints nationwide.

President Trump confirmed the operation, telling reporters that this was “my idea.” He also mentioned that ICE would assist its TSA counterparts “for as long as it takes.” White House border czar Tom Homan, who is overseeing this whole operation, clarified that federal immigration officers won’t directly get involved with security screenings themselves. Instead, they’re there to relieve TSA officers from other areas, like those entry and exit lanes to security checkpoints.

However, Bannon sees a much bigger picture unfolding here

During a chat with conservative lawyer Mike Davis on his “War Room” program, Bannon asked, “We can use what’s happening with these ICE [authorities] helping out at the airports, we can use this as a test run, as a test case to really perfect ICE’s involvement in the 2026 midterm elections, sir?”

Davis responded, “Yeah, I think we should have ICE agents at the polling places, because if you’re an illegal alien you can’t vote, right? It’s against the law, it’s a federal crime for you to vote in federal elections.” He went on to add that if you’re an American citizen, you should actually be happy that ICE is there, “because you’re not going to have illegal aliens canceling out your vote.” Bannon’s immediate reply was, “Exactly,” adding, “Pick ‘em out of line starting today, and maybe the lines will get shorter.”

Bannon, who has been pretty vocal about wanting ICE to have a presence at polling places, really praised this airport surge even more after talking with Davis. He highlighted the training ICE personnel receive, noting, “They’re trained to, wait for it, check IDs.” He believes this makes it “perfect training for the fall of 2026.” He called it “such a brilliant [move],” and even labeled it “another 5D chess move from President Trump.”

Bannon then laid out his vision: “Let’s get ICE into the airports to help out [with] the lines and they can’t work the [X-ray] machines. You know what they’ll do, they’ll just walk on down [and say], ‘Hey, we’re going to speed things through, can we check your IDs?’ That’s what’s going to happen in the fall of ‘26 because folks, we’re tired of having elections stolen. So, ICE is going to be there in the fall of ‘26, just like they’re in the airports today.”