{"id":17928,"date":"2026-02-02T04:16:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=17928"},"modified":"2026-02-02T04:16:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:16:33","slug":"clive-palmer-denies-steve-bannons-claim-he-was-behind-billionaires-controversial-2019-australian-election-ad-strategy-steve-bannon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=17928","title":{"rendered":"Clive Palmer denies Steve Bannon\u2019s claim he was behind billionaire\u2019s controversial 2019 Australian election ad strategy | Steve Bannon"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Australian billionaire Clive Palmer\u2019s spokesman has denied claims by far-right political strategist Steve Bannon that he was behind Palmer\u2019s controversial $60m advertising strategy at the 2019 federal election.<\/p>\n

The text conversation purporting to be between Bannon and an unidentified person \u2013 who appears to be convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> \u2013 was among a tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice in connection with Epstein.<\/p>\n

One version of the conversation shows Bannon talking to a person<\/a> whose identity has been redacted. A separate file<\/a>, containing the same conversation, appears to show the other participant is an email account that has been linked to Epstein.<\/p>\n

Bannon, a Donald Trump loyalist and promoter of misinformation<\/a> who ran the US president\u2019s 2016 election campaign, said in the messages sent two days after the 2019 Australian election: \u201cI had Clive Palmer do the $60 million anti china and climate change ads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n

The claim purportedly made by Bannon is untested and was dismissed as \u201cbullshit\u201d by Palmer\u2019s spokesperson on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The 2019 federal election was marked by a significant rise in online misinformation<\/a> and an unprecedented ad blitz by Palmer\u2019s United Australia party.<\/p>\n

On election night, Palmer said he pivoted his strategy in the final weeks of the campaign \u201cto polarise the electorate\u201d<\/a> and damage Labor\u2019s chances of winning.<\/p>\n

Scott Morrison\u2019s Coalition government was returned despite polls consistently pointing to a Labor victory.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Screenshot of text message exchange released by the US Department of Justice purporting to be from Steve Bannon. <\/span> Composite: US Department of Justice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the conversation days after the election, the account linked to Epstein comments on the failure of published polls to predict the result, and compares the Australian election to \u201cyour last go round\u201d.<\/p>\n

The account purporting to be Bannon responds with the claim that he \u201chad\u201d Palmer run advertisements about China and climate change.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald<\/a> during the campaign \u2013 about a week before Palmer pivoted his advertising spend \u2013 Bannon described the campaign as dull, and that he was surprised at the lack of reference to China.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere should be a really intense debate about this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are trying to hold the election on national security, and it should be tied to China.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe insurgent parties should be generating the intensity, and they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the campaign, Palmer ran a two-minute advertisement attacking Labor that made claims that \u201ccommunist China\u201d was attempting \u201ca clandestine takeover of our country\u201d.<\/p>\n

Labor\u2019s election review cited the \u201cbizarre\u201d claims in concluding that Palmer\u2019s advertising had \u201ca significant negative effect on [Labor leader] Bill Shorten\u2019s popularity and on Labor\u2019s primary vote\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing a preference deal with the Coalition, Clive Palmer dovetailed his $70 million advertising spend with the Liberal Party\u2019s in the final two weeks of the campaign, moving his attack to Bill Shorten as \u2018Shifty Shorten\u2019 and, in Western Australia, to a bizarre claim the McGowan Government sold an airport to China for $1.00,\u201d the election review said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPalmer\u2019s advertising blitz strongly amplified the Coalition\u2019s anti-Labor message to economically insecure, low-income voters. In focus groups of soft voters, Palmer was described in the most derogatory terms, helping explain the poor vote he and his party received, but his blitz against Shorten took its toll on Shorten\u2019s leadership standing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Palmer\u2019s media spokesperson, Andrew Crook, responded to Bannon\u2019s claims of involvement via text message on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is made up. Just bullshit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bannon has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n