Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, has said he intends to "light up" Mitch McConnell, the Republican senate leader.

Mr Bannon also said he was relishing his return to the news website Breitbart because in the White House he had "influence," but at Breitbart he has "power".

In an interview with The Economist, Mr Bannon vowed to support President Donald Trump, but also to pursue his agenda of economic nationalism.

He told the magazine: "“We will never turn on him. But we are never going to let him take a decision that hurts him."

Mr Bannon added: "I am an ideologue, that’s why I am out. I can rally the base, have his back. The harder he pushes, the more we will be there for him."

He added: "Mitch McConnell, I'm going to light him up."

Mr Bannon also castigated "the elites in Silicon Valley and Wall Street" as a "bunch of globalists who have forgotten their fellow Americans".

He also vowed to "screw up One Belt One Road," referring to a Chinese plan to expand its global trade.

Mr Bannon said he had wanted to talk to The Economist because "You’re the enemy. You support a radical idea, free trade. I mean it, that’s a radical idea".