Bannon's War Room: Episode 5054 – "Tulsi Boxed Out Of Venezuela"
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Natalie Winters (substituting for Stephen K. Bannon, who joins remotely)
Key Guests: Stephen K. Bannon, Jack Posobiec, Kurt Mills, Oscar Blue Ramirez, Julie Kelly
Episode Overview
This episode addresses emerging political tensions within the Trump administration, specifically regarding reports that Tulsi Gabbard (Director of National Intelligence) is being sidelined from key discussions around U.S. policy on Venezuela and Iran. The episode also covers the escalating unrest in Minneapolis connected to federal immigration enforcement, the aftermath of the midterm elections on immigration policy, and broader critiques of regime change tactics and domestic political hypocrisy.
Tone: Combative, urgent, and populist; the hosts and guests frequently clash with the “intelligence community” and political establishment, voicing strong America First positions.
Main Theme & Purpose
- Exploring the consequences and motives behind Tulsi Gabbard's exclusion ("Boxed Out") from high-level Venezuela policy discussions.
- Debating the MAGA movement’s vision for foreign policy, especially regarding Iran and Venezuela, and challenging interventionist narratives.
- Coverage of breaking domestic conflict, particularly unrest and violence in Minneapolis tied to immigration enforcement.
- Critical analysis of perceived hypocrisy in media and the political class over law enforcement and regime change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Breaking Down the Bloomberg "Hit Piece" on Tulsi Gabbard
[01:42–08:18]
- Bannon outlines his urgent decision to join the episode after Bloomberg publishes an article (allegedly sourced from the White House and intelligence community) that attacks Gabbard and claims she is intentionally excluded—“DNI stands for Do Not Invite”—from Venezuela deliberations.
- Bannon argues the exclusion is retaliation against Gabbard’s skepticism of U.S. interventions, especially regime change in Iran and Venezuela.
- Tulsi’s record: He lauds her accurate intelligence during the “12 Day War” regarding Israel and Iran and contrasts this against perceived failures by the CIA and John Ratcliffe (then Director of National Intelligence).
- Critique of interventionists: Bannon takes aim at the “Israel First” crowd and GOP hawks such as Lindsey Graham for pushing for direct action against Iran.
"Tulsi Gabbard stood in the breach and done a fantastic job as far as intelligence goes... she's been right on the situation around Israel, particularly with Iran and the Persians. She was right about their nuclear program."
— Stephen K. Bannon [03:34]
"They said DNI stood for 'Do Not Invite.'... Well, she should be invited. The president needs as many sources of information as possible."
— Stephen K. Bannon [07:19]
2. The Intelligence Community, Deep State, and the Push for War
[08:18–08:47, 10:39–11:49]
- Bannon sees a pattern of intelligence failures (referencing miscalls on the Soviet Union and Israel) and accuses the CIA of being “wrong on major issues.”
- Jack Posobiec joins by phone, backing Gabbard as a respected voice among military veterans and MAGA, and frames the Bloomberg piece as a coordinated “intelligence-driven operation” to cause chaos and undermine her.
"It's clearly an attempt to sow chaos... this is clearly an intelligence-driven operation to try to sow a rift where there just isn't one. At least not that I've seen."
— Jack Posobiec [11:18]
3. Iran, Sanctions, and Non-Intervention
[07:54–12:20]
- Bannon argues that economic sanctions, not military intervention, are crippling the Iranian regime and causing internal instability.
- Repeated criticism that D.C. hawks are manufacturing pretexts for war—“We don’t need U.S. boots on the ground.”
- Natalie Winters and panel decry using human rights as a pretext for regime change, while dismissing similar abuses by U.S. allies (i.e., China).
"If we now want to start invoking human rights as the arbitrary red line... that sounds like something that should be coming out of the Atlantic Council, certainly not MAGA, certainly not President Trump."
— Natalie Winters [12:20]
4. Minneapolis Unrest and Domestic Security
[16:37–22:25]
- Jack Posobiec and Bannon cover breaking developments in Minneapolis, where mass deportation operations have drawn violent protests.
- ICE field commander Bovino reportedly attacked by agitators, prompting calls to federalize the National Guard.
- Posobiec warns of Antifa and ongoing threats to federal officials; the barricades and autonomous zone (“MAS”, Minneapolis Autonomous Zone) resemble previous “CHAZ” zones in Seattle.
“They attacked Bovino... he’s our field commander. How could he possibly get attacked and we’re not shutting the city down?”
— Stephen K. Bannon [17:47]
“They've got barricades up... They're setting up fortifications for something. And I fear... they may be planning to assassinate Commander Bovino.”
— Jack Posobiec [19:09]
5. The Trump Administration and Immigration Policy
[33:35–36:43]
- Oscar Blue Ramirez reports from the border and Latin America, celebrating the Trump administration’s formal exit from the UN’s Global Compact on Migration.
- Notes the destabilizing effect of mass migration, the strategic success of “getting out,” and calls the compact “the cancer that spread... to the hemisphere.”
- Ramirez provides an update on the situation in Venezuela, describing a power vacuum and ongoing efforts to stabilize the country after Maduro’s extraction.
6. White House, MAGA, and Internal Power Struggles
[24:01–27:41]
- Kurt Mills analyzes the decision to sideline Tulsi Gabbard:
- Points to personal and ideological incompatibility with Trump and key rivals (Rubio, Hegseth).
- Notes ODNI’s “weird” institutional role—its importance fluctuates by presidential preference.
- Emphasizes Gabbard’s unique celebrity and continued influence as a nontraditional (former Democrat) MAGA coalition member.
7. Hypocrisy over Law Enforcement and Regime Change
[38:52–48:06]
- Julie Kelly details hypocrisy among lawmakers:
- Dems honor law enforcement on January 6 for political gain but vilify police/ICE in other contexts.
- Describes recent U.S. Senate vote to hang a commemorative plaque for J6 law enforcement, even as federal agents face scrutiny and violence elsewhere.
- Kelly also recounts slow or lackluster official reaction to ICE shootings compared to the rapid exposure/unmasking of officers in other incidents.
“January 6th is really the only day that most Democrats will honor law enforcement. Otherwise, we hear how they are racist... abolish ICE. Then less than 24 hours later... after all these pronouncements about domestic terrorists attacking police officers... they swoop quickly to defend someone who tried to run over an ICE officer.”
— Julie Kelly [38:52]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “This is the primal scream of a dying regime.”
— Stephen K. Bannon [00:02] - "The president’s plate is absolutely full. And Tulsi Gabbard for being the hero she is and actually standing in the breach and giving people good intelligence..."
— Bannon [07:10] - "We voted for regime change here in the United States, not abroad."
— Natalie Winters [12:20 & 48:38]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [01:42–08:18] Bannon’s monologue on Bloomberg piece, Gabbard, and Venezuela/Iran context.
- [08:47–11:49] Jack Posobiec on the White House, DNI role, and media narrative.
- [16:37–22:26] Minneapolis ICE/unrest segment.
- [24:01–27:41] Kurt Mills on Trump-Gabbard tensions, ODNI’s marginalization.
- [33:35–36:43] Oscar Blue Ramirez on immigration compact and Venezuela.
- [38:52–48:06] Julie Kelly on media hypocrisy, J6, ICE, and judicial abuses.
Flow & Tone
- Fast-paced, combative, and highly skeptical of mainstream narratives.
- Frequent cross-talk and shared grievances among hosts and guests.
- Heavy emphasis on contrasting “America First” and MAGA perspectives versus establishment/“deep state” positions.
- Sarcasm and pointed humor at the expense of political “enemies” (Democrats, RINOs, intelligence officials).
Closing Thoughts
The episode serves as both a rally for populist America First advocates and a scathing indictment of interventionist, intelligence-driven foreign policies—and their domestic analogs. "Tulsi Boxed Out" becomes a symbol for MAGA’s broader struggle against what the hosts characterize as entrenched establishment forces seeking to dictate both foreign and domestic outcomes, often at odds with the will and interests of the American public.
For more detail, refer to specific timestamps or read guest social feeds/substacks as mentioned by hosts.
Skip to [07:54] for foreign policy debate, [16:37] for Minneapolis coverage, [24:01] for Gabbard analysis, or [38:52] for media/judiciary critique.