Podcast Summary: Bannon’s War Room – Episode 5156

Title: Trump Live From Rome, Georgia
Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Location: Cruces Steel Factory, Rome, Georgia

Episode Overview

This episode centers on former President Donald Trump’s live speech from a steel factory in Rome, Georgia, delivering a wide-ranging economic update, celebrating industry growth, and rallying support for Georgia Republicans ahead of the 2026 elections. The event spotlights the effects of Trump-era policies on manufacturing, small business, tax reform, border security, and inflation. Numerous Georgia GOP figures join the stage, offering testimonials and emphasizing election integrity. The War Room team provides analysis of Trump’s remarks, particularly his focus on tariffs, domestic industry, and ongoing legal and electoral battles in Georgia.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Industrial Revival & Economic Growth

• Manufacturing Comeback:

  • Trump emphasizes a major resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, especially the auto industry. He credits this to aggressive tariff policies (“I did the tariffs. Nobody else would have done it because nobody else had the guts to do it.” — Trump, [02:50]).
  • First major tire rack deal in ten years, factory running two shifts, six days a week ([00:00]).

• Tariffs as Economic Engine:

  • Trump frames tariffs as both economic and national security essentials:
    • “If you want to play in our market, the largest market in the world, you’re going to have to pay to do so.” — Trump, summarized by Philip Patrick, [44:40].

• Defiance Against Expert Consensus:

  • Trump reflects on policy opposition:
    • “22 Nobel Prize laureates on economics oppose you...They said we’d be in a recession. And you were right. This is the boom like [we’ve] never seen before.” — Trump, [02:10].

2. Small Business Tax Policy

• Expanded Section 179, Bonus Depreciation, and Trump Accounts:
  • Small business owner Kirk Cowan provides a testimonial on how tax incentives (100% expensing/bonus depreciation) allowed his family business to invest, keep prices down, and employ locals:
    • “Thank you, Mr. President, for standing with local businesses. It truly keeps places like ours alive.” — Kirk Cowan, [06:25].
  • Trump details the new “Trump Accounts,” $1,000 tax-free accounts for every newborn, seeded in partnership with Michael & Susan Dell ([08:16]).

3. Republican Unity & Endorsements

• Showcase of Georgia GOP Leadership:

  • Multiple officials speak/feted on stage, including Bert Jones, Mike Collins, Barry Loudermilk, and candidate Clay Fuller.
  • Repeated emphasis on “America First” and MAGA loyalty, including athlete icons (Herschel Walker, Gunner Stockton).
  • Loud encouragement to “get out and vote” ([13:40]).

• Election Integrity & Ballot Issues:

  • Trump and others highlight ongoing legal battles over ballot access and alleged fraud in Georgia—citing recent ballot storage facility raids and Democratic legal resistance ([15:20], [53:25]).

4. Social Issues & Culture Wars

• Women’s Sports Rhetoric:
  • Herschel Walker and Trump denounce trans women in women’s sports:
    • “Men shouldn’t be in women’s sports. I know what a woman is.” — Herschel Walker, [21:00].
    • Trump jokes about “handsome quarterbacks” and the “joke” of gender categories ([22:10]).

5. Policy Victories & Contrast with Biden Era

• Claimed Crime Reduction & Economic Metrics:

  • “Crime is at the lowest level in 125 years before my father was born.” — Trump, [03:30].
  • Gas prices, inflation, rent, groceries, and core inflation all cited as vastly improved.
  • “We inherited a mess with high prices and high inflation and we’ve turned it around and we’ve made it great.” — Trump, [36:15].
  • “Within the next 12 months…it’s going to be the greatest it’s ever been.” — Trump, [38:36].

• Housing & Wall Street Investor Ban:

  • Trump claims to have banned Wall Street from buying single-family homes to help citizens afford housing ([41:00]).

• Healthcare Reform Push:

  • Envisions redirecting healthcare funds directly to individuals via accounts rather than through insurance companies ([36:55]).

• Drug Price Negotiations:

  • Trump describes how threats of tariffs forced foreign governments to raise their drug prices, lowering U.S. rates:
    • “‘I will put a 100% tariff on all the wine and champagne that you sell into the United States.’ And [Macron] said, ‘I will do it.’” — Trump, [35:10].

6. MAGA Messaging and Political Legacy

• “Make America Great Again” as Enduring Slogan:

  • Trump touts MAGA as “the number one phrase in the history of politics in America” ([42:10]).
  • Framing opposition as being against American prosperity, not just against him or his movement.

• Victorious Tone and Call to Action:

  • “We are here today…we’re going to make America great again…with the help of Georgians.” — Trump, [41:50].
  • Urges turnout and support for endorsed candidates in all Georgia districts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Economic Opposition:

  • “You had 22 Nobel Prize winners in economics and you…were the exact opposite of every one of them. And they admitted. Now, every one of them admitted.”
    — Trump ([02:20])

• On Tax & Business Climate:

  • “Permanent 100% bonus depreciation incentives…help us reinvest in equipment, keep prices down, keep people employed.”
    — Kirk Cowan ([06:00])

• On Ballot Integrity:

  • “They found plenty of stuff. And now they have the ballots. And the Democrats are fighting like hell. Why don’t they want them to see the ballots after all these years? You know why they don’t want? Because they cheated.”
    — Trump ([15:20])

• On Healthcare Reform:

  • “We shouldn’t pay the insurance companies anymore. We should pay the trillions of dollars directly to the people and let the people buy their own health care.”
    — Trump ([36:55])

• On Foreign Drug Pricing:

  • “I will put a 100% tariff on all the wine and champagne that you sell into the United States…I will do it.”
    — Trump recounts conversation with Macron ([35:10])

• On Housing:

  • “I recently signed an executive order to ban Wall Street and large institutional investors from buying those single family homes. Can’t do it. Not allowed to do it.”
    — Trump ([41:00])

• Herschel Walker on Culture War:

  • “Men shouldn’t be in women’s sports. I know what a woman is…We should always respect the law because it’s written in the Bible.”
    — Herschel Walker ([21:00])

• MAGA Slogan:

  • “It turns out [MAGA] to be rated…the number one phrase in the history of politics in America.”
    — Trump ([42:10])

• On Election Integrity:

  • “[Brad] Ratzenberger down there, one of the big. We’ll find out sooner or later. Brad Ratzenberg behind so much in Georgia…The biggest cover up of the biggest crime in history, Steve.”
    — Mike Lindell ([56:30])

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00: Industrial orders and “tire rack deal” – context for manufacturing comeback
• 02:10: Trump on tariffs, manufacturing, and opposition from economists
• 05:30–07:00: Small business testimonial (Kirk Cowan) on tax incentives
• 08:15: Trump introduces “Trump Accounts” and Michael & Susan Dell
• 13:25–14:13: Georgia GOP officials rally for unity, call to vote
• 15:20: Trump discusses ongoing legal action on ballot access, election integrity
• 21:00: Herschel Walker’s social policy remarks
• 35:00: Trump details drug price negotiations with Europe via tariffs
• 36:55: Healthcare reform: funds direct to people rather than insurance
• 41:00: Wall Street institutional investor ban from single family housing
• 42:10: MAGA slogan claim
• 44:30–46:00: Philip Patrick and Bannon discuss tariffs, fiscal discipline, and gold
• 52:10: David Zier’s onsite reporting on the event, economic impact
• 53:25–55:16: Election fraud claims, ballot access, and GOP efforts
• 56:30: Mike Lindell on election cover-up and continuing activism

Analysis & Tone

The episode is highly celebratory and combative, blending boastful economic claims with pointed attacks on Democrats, expert economists, and the media. The speakers maintain a tone of “us versus them”—rallying loyalists by citing policy wins, alleged conspiracies, and urgent calls for unity and vigilance. There is a blend of humor (especially between Trump and celebrity athletes) and grievance, particularly in repeated references to election integrity and media bias.

Conclusion

This episode documents a live rally blending economic celebration, policy salesmanship, and political theater in Rome, Georgia. Trump and allies present his signature issues—tariffs, domestic industry, border security, and culture war—paired with an aggressive push for turnout in the 2026 election and against Democratic opposition in Georgia. Bannon and his guests amplify these themes post-speech, underlining the central position of Georgia in MAGA’s broader political and legal battles.