Eliza Collins

USA TODAY

Steve Bannon thinks the leaders of the Republican Party are trying to “nullify” President Trump’s election.

“The Republican establishment is trying to nullify the 2016 election. That’s a brutal fact we have to face,” Bannon said, according to a transcript of an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes that will air Sunday. “I think Mitch McConnell, and to a degree, Paul Ryan. They do not want Donald Trump’s populist, economic nationalist agenda to be implemented. It's very obvious.”

He listed an early meeting between McConnell and Trump during which McConnell told Trump to drop his "drain the swamp" messaging.

Bannon was a top adviser to the president until he left his post at the White House last month. He has since returned to his top spot at Breitbart News.

Bannon said now that he’s out of the White House, he “absolutely” will go to war with the Senate majority leader and House speaker. Breitbart has not shied away from going after what the outlet perceives as enemies of the president and his agenda.

Another person Bannon sees as an enemy? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Bannon told host Charlie Rose that the Access Hollywood tape that came out shortly before the election acted as a “litmus test” for whom Trump could trust.

The video, which was recorded in 2005, was released in October and many Republicans pulled their support from Trump at the time — though some went on to reverse course and support him again.

The tape “showed me who really had Donald Trump's back to play to his better angels,” Bannon said, adding that he told Christie to get on a morning flight the weekend the tape came out: “ 'If you're on the plane, you're on the team.’ Didn't make the plane.”

Bannon said Christie's reaction to the tape cost him a spot on Trump's Cabinet.