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Boris Johnson and Steve Bannon are having secret talks ahead of EU elections

Boris Johnson arrives in Downing Street. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Former United Kingdom foreign secretary Boris Johnson and President Donald Trump's former chief adviser Steve Bannon have been secretly meeting to discuss plans that "could have a significant impact on European politics," BuzzFeed News reports.

The details: Bannon wants to start a nonprofit in Brussels to help far-right parties get elected to the European Parliament. An alliance with Johnson — a possible contender as the U.K.'s next prime minister — could catapult Bannon into the European political scene, BuzzFeed reports.

The background: Bannon has said publicly he wants Johnson to run against May in the next election.

  • Speaking to radio station LBC, Bannon said he’d always been "very impressed" with Johnson, explaining, "[i]f you look at Boris' resignation letter and if you look at him and his writing, if you look at his book on Churchill," per BuzzFeed.
  • Bannon has been meeting with populists and leaders including Belgian lawyer, Mischaël Modrikamen, whose Popular Party holds one seat in Belgium’s federal parliament, members of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party and the leader of the Italy’s League party.

Yes, but: Bannon being a player in Europe's politics hasn't gone unnoticed by other politicians and they're making an effort to dodge him. Several politicians are unsure of his role or his motives as an American in the EU, Politico reports.

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Kevin McCarthy's rude awakening

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Kevin McCarthy is learning you can get torched when you try to make everyone happy, especially after an insurrection.

Why it matters: The House Republican leader had been hoping to use this year to build toward taking the majority in 2022, but his efforts to bridge intra-party divisiveness over the Capitol siege have him taking heat from every direction, eroding his stature both with the public and within his party.

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The next big political war: redistricting

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Democrats are preparing a mix of tech and legal strategies to combat expected gerrymandering by Republicans, who are planning to go on legal offense themselves.

Why it matters: Democrats failed to regain a single state legislature on Election Day, while Republicans upped their control to 30 states' Houses and Senates. In the majority of states, legislatures draw new congressional district lines, which can boost a party's candidates for the next decade.

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Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
31 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Vaccinations, relief timing dominate Sweet 16 call

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) speaks during a news conference in December with a group of bipartisan lawmakers. Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Vaccine distribution, pandemic data and a cross-party comity dominated today's virtual meeting between White House officials and a bipartisan group of 16 senators, Senator Angus King told Axios.

Why it matters: Given Democrats' razor-thin majority in both chambers of Congress, President Biden will have to rely heavily on this group of centrist lawmakers — dubbed the "Sweet 16" — to pass any substantial legislation.

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