Bannon's War Room — Episode 4811: "Climate Change and Affordability Sway New Jersey and Pennsylvania Politics"

Date: September 27, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Guests: Ben Harnwell, Sophia Georges, Dave Walsh, Philip Patrick, Josh Pettit, others

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the intersection of geopolitics, domestic unrest, and the shifting political landscape driven by climate policy, energy affordability, and the global economy. Bannon and his guests argue that economic hardship stemming from "green" policies and soaring utility costs is upending Democratic strongholds in places like New Jersey and Pennsylvania—while also weaving in international conflict, currency shifts, and government action against protest movements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalating National and International Tensions

• Domestic Unrest: Bannon opens by discussing orders from President Trump to deploy the U.S. Army to Portland, Oregon, in response to Antifa and “transgender militias” allegedly attacking federal facilities ([00:02]).
• Government Response: Justice Department opens up terrorism task force coordination in response to unrest, targeting “financiers, media partners, political partners” ([00:02]).

  “President Trump just ordered the secretary of War, the US army to go into Portland, Oregon with full force…this is as serious as it gets.” — Steve Bannon [06:30]

• International Conflict: Ben Harnwell reports on the rising risk of World War III due to US ambiguity and escalation in Eastern Europe, with references to Lavrov’s spokeswoman’s grave warning.

  “Never in modern times has Europe been so close to the start of World War Three.” — Maria Zakharova via Ben Harnwell [03:33]

• US Authorization: Harnwell highlights Volodymyr Zelensky’s public claim that he now has President Trump’s explicit authorization for long-range strikes, even potentially on the Kremlin—a pivotal signal to Russia ([03:33]-[06:30]).

2. Affordability and the Political Shift in New Jersey & Pennsylvania

• Pivot to Domestic Politics: Sophia Georges and energy expert Dave Walsh argue that “affordability”—especially spiraling utility costs and property taxes—has become a bipartisan crisis now driving voters away from entrenched Democratic leadership in blue states ([08:17]-[22:35]).
• Ground Truth:

  “I was seeing more and more people in multi generational households… young adults just coming out of school with great paying jobs but still could not afford a home. Families…paying $900 a month in utility bills. This is becoming unsustainable.” — Sophia Georges [09:53]

• Energy Grid Woes: Dave Walsh explains that grid regions like PJM (PA-NJ-MD-VA, etc.) have seen no new baseload power plants built for years, while reliable coal/nuclear plants were shut down in favor of intermittent solar and wind.

  “We have now seven years to eight years of zero baseload construction of power plants...and the endeavor to replace that with four hour a day, five hour a day solar and seven hour a day in some markets wind that doesn’t work.” — Dave Walsh [11:55]

• AI & Big Tech Competition For Power: Massive new data centers attract what remains of the grid’s capacity, driving up rates for ordinary consumers.

  “You’ve got to fight between the average ratepayer…where Microsoft, Google, Facebook can afford to pay a lot more…and not the average rate payer.” — Dave Walsh [11:55]

• Tax and Budget Pressures: Sophia highlights hidden drivers: ballooning local budgets and property tax assessments outpacing home value growth, pushing even lifelong Democrats to consider GOP alternatives.

  “I knock on Republicans, Independents, Democrats…they say, ‘I’m lifelong Democrat…this year I am not voting Democrat.’ It was a light bulb went off.” — Sophia Georges [18:23]

3. Climate Policy: Parallels to German “Deindustrialization”

• Steve Bannon matches the US’s net zero push, especially in places like NJ, PA, and MD, with Germany’s “deindustrialization” via aggressive climate action.

  “We’ve talked about Germany deindustrializing around this bizarre theory of net carbon zero…Was this the same theory of the case?” — Steve Bannon [13:56]

• Dave Walsh says yes:

  “They did exactly the same thing…shut down plants, shuttered them permanently and attempted to displace them…with solar power and wind power. This doesn’t work. This has created a huge net electrification shortage.” — Dave Walsh [16:37]

4. Economic Warnings: Gold, Debt, and the Power Shift in Global Finance

• Soaring Global Debt: Bannon notes the Financial Times’ report of $338 trillion in global debt, calling it the “largest margin call in history.”
• Rise of Gold: Philip Patrick explains that central banks are buying gold at record levels—fleeing the US dollar and euro due to massive money printing, growing deficits, and the West’s weaponization of the USD (e.g., seizing Russian reserves).

  “Gold…is now a larger share of global reserves than US government debt…Central banks are telling you, because of all this stuff going on geopolitics, what’s happening with…weaponization of currencies and taking people's assets, we like gold.” — Philip Patrick [31:01], [32:53]

• Backlash to Currency Weaponization:

  “By seizing Russia’s assets, we told any nation…if you make a decision that we morally object to, your assets can become liabilities.” — Philip Patrick [34:54]

• BRICS Nations: Discussion of Brazil, the BRICS bloc, and the challenge of countering China and Russia’s economic influence, with Patrick recommending the U.S. use “carrots not sticks” in foreign policy ([38:19]).

5. Cultural & Political Notes

• Trump and the Ryder Cup: Special mention of President Trump attending the Ryder Cup at the public Bethpage Black, New York; interpreted as symbolic civil “victory” after being shunned by the PGA in recent years ([23:36]-[25:57]).

  “To come in yesterday, like Charlemagne, I think it was a very special moment for him…in his own backyard in New York at the people’s Golf course.” — Josh Pettit [23:36]

• Ongoing Political Strategy: Return to urging voter turnout and continued activism in local and state races.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Never in modern times has Europe been so close to the start of World War Three.”
  — Maria Zakharova (via Ben Harnwell) [03:33]

• “The affordability crisis in housing and the electrical bills…people can’t live like that. You can’t afford almost a thousand bucks a month for utilities.”
  — Steve Bannon [11:11]

• “We have now seven years to eight years of zero baseload construction…this creates a massive shortage.”
  — Dave Walsh [11:55]

• “They say, ‘I’m lifelong Democrat…I am not voting Democrat.’…It was a light bulb went off.”
  — Sophia Georges [18:23]

• “Gold is now becoming slowly the favored central bank reserve asset…I think that trend will continue.”
  — Philip Patrick [31:01]

• “By seizing Russia’s assets…if you make a decision we morally object to, your assets can become liabilities.”
  — Philip Patrick [34:54]

• “Let’s use carrots a little bit more than sticks…That would be my recommendation.”
  — Philip Patrick (on US approach to Brazil & BRICS) [39:40]

• “Debt is the problem of the West today…we have the most to lose from this. So I’m getting concerned, to say the least.” — Philip Patrick [45:54]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Opening: Government crackdown/WWIII risk: [00:02]-[06:30]
• New Jersey & Pennsylvania politics — Affordability crisis: [08:17]-[22:35]
• Energy grids & climate agenda in swing states: [11:55]-[17:45]
• Property taxes and Democrat voter shift: [18:23]-[20:36]
• Trump, golf, and public symbolism: [23:36]-[26:54]
• Gold, debt, and global finance shifts: [31:01]-[41:40]
• Central bank moves, weaponization of USD, BRICS response: [34:54]-[41:40]
• Debt crisis & US fiscal mismanagement: [45:54]-[49:28]

Conclusion: Takeaways for Listeners

• Affordability is now a bipartisan issue—and a potent weapon for Republicans in blue strongholds like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as voters from all parties become disillusioned with Democratic governance, climate-driven energy hikes, and runaway local taxes.
• The West’s approach to Russia and currency weaponization is driving a global shift away from dollar reserves to gold. Central banks are diversifying rapidly as a hedge, reshaping global finance and threatening the dollar’s dominance.
• BRICS and Global South cohesion is growing, demanding a new U.S. strategy.
  Patrick: “Carrots, not sticks.”
• Underlying all: acute risk from global debt, energy shortages, and political polarization.
  As Bannon and his guests argue, a reckoning is coming—economically and electorally.

For more, follow Sophia Georges (FTGOP.org), Dave Walsh (@DaveWalshEnergy), and Philip Patrick (BirchGold.com/Bannon).