Steve Bannon, a former Trump White House chief strategist and influential voice in the America First movement, recently said a Gavin Newsom presidency “wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” even as he acknowledged serious concerns about the California governor’s political agenda.

Bannon made the remark in an interview with Vanity Fair while discussing Newsom’s potential 2028 presidential campaign. Newsom, who is leaving office as California’s governor, has increasingly positioned himself for a possible White House run.

“Having Gavin Newsom as president wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” Bannon said, praising Newsom’s political instincts and saying, “Game respects game.”

Bannon’s comments are notable given his former prominence within Trump’s political movement. He served as Trump’s White House chief strategist in 2017 and became one of the most recognizable figures associated with the MAGA movement.

However, Bannon is no longer a reliable Trump supporter and has become increasingly critical of the president. The two have clashed publicly over a number of issues, with Bannon criticizing Trump and decisions by his administration despite continuing to identify with the broader America First movement.

Rather than simply dismissing Newsom as a Democratic opponent, Bannon described him as a formidable political operator. He credited Newsom with successfully outmaneuvering Republicans on California’s redistricting fight and said the governor could become a “hero” to Democrats if his political strategy helps the party win control of the Senate.

Bannon nevertheless stopped short of endorsing Newsom or suggesting that conservatives should embrace his politics. He argued that Newsom does not understand the political moment confronting the Democratic Party and is attempting to navigate an internal ideological conflict.

“He doesn’t understand the moment he’s in,” Bannon said, arguing that Newsom is trying to operate “on the surface of a deep civil war within the Democratic Party.”

Still, the willingness of a former Trump strategist who has since become a prominent critic of the president to speak favorably about a potential Democratic president raises questions about how far Bannon’s strategic admiration for political opponents has gone.

Bannon has previously appeared on Newsom’s podcast, where the two discussed populism, the economy, immigration and the future of American politics. Newsom has deliberately sought conversations with prominent conservatives as part of an effort to broaden his reach ahead of a potential presidential campaign.

The relationship has already generated criticism from Democrats, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear arguing that Newsom should not give Bannon a platform. Bannon, meanwhile, has used his conversations with Newsom to argue that Democrats could learn from the MAGA movement’s grassroots political strategy.

For conservatives, Bannon’s latest comments add another layer to an increasingly unusual relationship between a prominent former Trump strategist and one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent potential 2028 presidential contenders.