Bannon’s War Room — Episode 4737: The Populist College Guide; Comey Leaks

Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Steve Bannon (WarRoom.org)

Overview

This episode of Bannon’s War Room covers two main themes:

1. The Ongoing Battle Over U.S. Institutions: Steve Bannon and guests Caroline Wren and John Solomon discuss President Trump’s strategy to “seize the institutions” (Federal Reserve, judiciary, media, NGOs), resistance from establishment players, and leftist funding networks. They touch on recent political maneuvers, the growing influence of tech/corporate elites, and the need for investigation into organizations like Arabella Advisors.

2. The Populist College Guide: Paul Glastris, editor of Washington Monthly, introduces the magazine’s new “populist” college rankings, focusing on value, upward mobility, and broader access for working- and middle-class students—contrasting sharply with the traditional prestige-driven U.S. News rankings.

Finally, John Solomon breaks news about James Comey's alleged leaks and a culture of impunity among top federal officials.

1. Seizing the Institutions: Trump, Populism, and Establishment Resistance

[00:52-13:25]

Key Points

• Bannon’s Opening: The country is in crisis; Trump is “driving the action.” Political factions are realigning, with the populist right versus globalist tech elites and the old-guard GOP (“neoliberal neocons” and “traditional limited-government folks”).

• Institutional Seizure: Trump’s administration is moving to take decisive control of institutions traditionally resistant to populist influence, particularly in the executive branch, judiciary, and regulatory bodies.

  • Notable Quote:
    “He is the head of the executive branch, so I think it’s a good thing that he has taken decisive control.”
    — Caroline Wren [03:39]
  • Bannon argues the “strategy of the maximalists” is necessary: “put the pedal to the metal because... you got to get these things done.” [00:52]

• Role of Stephen Miller: Wren credits Miller as the “driving force behind... an unbelievable success” in remaking government agencies with a populist agenda.

• Judicial Resistance & Media: Wren criticizes legacy Republican judicial appointments (Mitch McConnell, Leonard Leo), praises new FCC leadership, and calls for bold action to discipline legacy media (e.g., stripping news licenses).

  • Notable Quote:
    “I still would love to see [FCC Chairman Brendan Carr] actually strip one of these news outlets from their licenses, something Trump’s talked about.”
    — Caroline Wren [05:38]

• Tech, Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Media:
  Bannon highlights ongoing antitrust cases (notably Facebook) and the political influence of tech magnates like Zuckerberg and Gates. Wren warns against corporate capture but recognizes Trump’s strategy of listening to diverse voices without ceding control.

  • Quote:
    “These guys are definitely... donating a lot of money to President Trump's different groups. But just because you donate money does not mean you’re going to get what you want.”
    — Caroline Wren [08:36]

2. Funding the Left: Soros, Arabella Advisors, and NGO Networks

[09:04-13:25]

Key Points

• Arabella Advisors as Central Player:
  Wren claims Arabella Advisors is the “hub” coordinating progressive donors, including Soros' son Alex Soros, with influence spanning protests, election spending, and foundation management (some $75 billion in assets).

  • Quote:
    “The buck stops with Arabella Advisors. It runs everything... and we have to go after them.”
    — Caroline Wren [11:08]

  • Arabella is linked to foreign money, major protest funding, and the administration of “Zuckerbucks” in the 2020 election.

• Action Steps Suggested:
  The new IRS chief, Scott Bessant, should open a full investigation into Arabella and associated nonprofits to stem political “meddling.”

• Gates/Zuckerberg’s Access:
  Bannon and Wren discuss skepticism around high-level meetings between tech billionaires and Trump, but Wren reports Gates has pulled $450 million from Arabella Advisors—possibly under White House pressure, representing, in her eyes, a win for Trump.

  • Quote:
    “Trump got him to pull his money out of Arabella, and that’s a win in my book.”
    — Caroline Wren [13:18]

3. Populist College Guide: Rethinking Higher Ed Rankings

[17:00-35:24]

Segment starts: [17:00]
Guest: Paul Glastris (Washington Monthly)

Key Points

• Washington Monthly’s Rationale: Traditional college rankings (U.S. News, etc.) prioritize selectivity and prestige, channeling upper-middle-class families toward elite, expensive schools.

  • Quote:
    “US News...result[s] in the same 20 or 30...universities in the top. In our ranking, it’s quite different...mostly unsung state schools and small liberal arts colleges share the top 30 with the elite.”
    — Paul Glastris [18:33]

• Ranking Criteria:

  • Upward mobility: How effectively colleges serve students from modest means.

  • Research impact: “Human flourishing, economic growth.”

  • Citizenship: Voter service, military, AmeriCorps.

    • “Colleges by how exclusive they are...we do the opposite…We’re not looking at selectivity. That doesn’t get you anything in our rankings.” [23:37]

• Findings:

  • Elite schools (Princeton) can be out-ranked by public/state schools (Fresno State) and little-known gems (Berea College).

  • Many quality educators and opportunities are available at non-elite schools for a fraction of the cost.

    • Quote:
      “There’s a whole world out here that you don’t have to pay 100,000 bucks a year if you really want an education.”
      — Steve Bannon [25:06]

• Student Journeys & Value:

  • Glastris shares his own “working up the food chain” story—from state school to Northwestern, noting comparable teaching quality.

  • Bannon references Victor Davis Hanson’s early career at Fresno State and the value of providing access to classic education for working-class students.

    • Quote:
      “If you get in there and you want an education...you can do just as well there as you can do in Princeton and Harvard and Yale and Northwestern.”
      — Steve Bannon [31:35]

• Accessing the Guide:

  • Guide available at washingtonmonthly.com [34:13]; includes “best bang for the buck,” research, and Hispanic-serving institutions.

4. Breaking News: The Comey Leaks

[35:27-43:23]

Guest: John Solomon (Just the News)
Topic: New revelations about James Comey’s leaks, institutional corruption, and DOJ inaction

Key Points

• Comey’s Leaks:
  John Solomon details how former FBI director James Comey’s staff allegedly used private emails to facilitate leaks, mirroring the conduct for which Hillary Clinton was investigated.

  • Quote:
    “His chief of staff took a piece of information from the FBI system, moved it to the private email so he could facilitate an unauthorized leak to the media.”
    — John Solomon [36:21]

  • Despite obvious wrongdoing, DOJ leadership blocked full investigation and kept the case secret even from the White House.

    • Quote:
      “It also reminds us how much the Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr Justice Department let us down. These are all things we could have known before the 2020 election.”
      — John Solomon [38:44]

• Systemic Rot and Impunity:

  • FBI/DOJ leadership hypocritically engaged in the very behaviors they claimed to police.
  • Similar behavior from the Biden administration is alleged; culture of non-penalty emboldens ongoing abuses.

• Future Actions:

  • Possible indictments in the fall; evidence is being gathered for conspiracy and leak charges.

  • Solomon notes personnel bottlenecks at DOJ may be slowing prosecutorial action.

    • Quote:
      “If we go to Christmas and there are no charges, I think all of our skepticism is going to be pretty high.”
      — John Solomon [41:32]

• Where to Follow:

  • JustTheNews.com, @jsolomonReports

5. Election Integrity and Grassroots Precinct Strategy (Steve Stern segment)

[45:34-51:24]

Key Points

• Grassroots teams are organizing nationwide via election integrity panels and the “precinct strategy.”
• Heather Honey has become the U.S. government’s highest election integrity official, to the consternation of the left.
• Ongoing and upcoming panels (Stern American Rumble, esther1054@gmail.com), with high-profile guests from election activism and Republican party leadership.
• Emphasis on action: “Join precinct strategy. Join election security. Let’s get to work.” [51:17, Steve Stern]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Institutional Overhaul:
  “So much of Washington, our elected officials were run by the institutions. It is supposed to be the other way around.”—Caroline Wren [03:49]

• On Populist Education:
  “There’s a whole world out here that you don’t have to pay 100,000 bucks a year if you really want an education.”—Steve Bannon [25:06]

• On Deep State Culture:
  “It also reminds us how much the Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr Justice Department let us down...they were buried in a drawer until Cash Patel and Pam Bondi dug them out.”—John Solomon [38:44]

• On Grassroots Efforts:
  “Between election integrity, precinct strategy, we’re going to help President Trump and we’re going to get the next elections.”—Steve Stern [50:56]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening, Bannon on Trump and Populism: [00:52]
• Caroline Wren on Institutional Realignment: [03:39]
• Arabella Advisors, NGOs, and Dark Money: [09:34]
• Washington Monthly College Guide with Paul Glastris: [17:00]
  • Rankings rationale: [18:00]
  • Methodology: [21:55]
  • Public university value: [25:23]
• Victor Davis Hanson, Fresno State Story: [31:46]
• John Solomon on Comey Leaks: [36:00]
• Election Integrity segment (Steve Stern): [45:34]

Additional Pointers

• For the Washington Monthly College Guide, visit washingtonmonthly.com > College Guide.
• Just the News for ongoing investigations: justthenews.com
• Grassroots election activism: Stern American Rumble, esther1054@gmail.com

This episode highlighted aggressive efforts to reshape U.S. institutions, the centrality of big-money NGO networks, a new vision for value in higher education, and persistent institutional rot within the government—packaged with Bannon’s trademark urgency and populist tone.