Podcast Summary: Bannon's War Room – Episode 4812

Title: Breaking Up The Psychiatric Corruption in The US; Taking Back New Jersey
Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Key Guests: Steve Cortez, Colonel Derek Harvey, Governor Spencer Cox (clips), Governor Jared Polis (clips)

Overview

This episode dives into several intertwined topics: rising political violence—particularly in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the polarization of American society, the role of social media algorithms in fueling division, the perceived corruption and influence of the psychiatric industry (“Therapeutic Society”), Big Pharma’s impact on mental health and trans issues, and the growing movement among working-class and ethnic voters in New Jersey to shift away from the Democratic Party. Bannon and guests argue for a more forceful (though nonviolent) approach to countering what they view as leftist radicalism, organized violence (e.g., Antifa), and establishment complicity, with discussions extending into the international scene (government shutdowns, BRICS, and Ukraine).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Charlie Kirk Assassination & the Failure of "Kumbaya Politics"

• Bannon rails against “Kumbaya” unity messaging in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, criticizing Utah Governor Spencer Cox and others who call for reconciliation and dialogue.

• Bannon insists the left are "radicals" who cannot be reasoned with, equating Kirk’s murder with martyrdom and framing it as evidence for the need for a more aggressive stance.

  • Memorable Quote:

    “We cannot reason with them. We’ve tried that. Charlie Kirk gave his life trying to reason with them.”
    (Steve Bannon, 01:16)

• Spencer Cox (clip): Advocates for lowering rhetoric and seeking to end violence, acknowledging divisions and mistakes by politicians on all sides.

  • Memorable Quote:

    “I just want people to have a Kumbaya moment... I’m trying to get people to stop shooting each other. That’s it. And I think what I’m doing ... is the best way to do that.”
    (Spencer Cox, 00:35)

• Bannon sharply categorizes this approach as infantilizing, and links it to “therapeutic society” failings (e.g., counseling stations with stuffed animals post-tragedy).

2. Social Media, Outrage Algorithms & Division

• Cox blames social media:

  • Quote:

    “I do believe that social media is a cancer. ... These algorithms that have captured our very souls, they've captured our free agency. ... absolutely leading us down a very dark path.”
    (Spencer Cox, 02:34)

• The discussion pivots to the ways in which online platforms accelerate polarization and outrage, driving wedge issues and making civic dialogue nearly impossible.

3. Law and Order, Antifa, and the “Therapeutic Society”

• Portland National Guard Story:

  • Reports of Trump deploying troops to quell leftist protests in Portland, with Bannon/guests arguing local officials downplay the scale and violence of Antifa and affiliated movements.

• Colonel Derek Harvey’s Perspective:

  • The radicalized left’s violence is organized, not spontaneous—groups like Antifa and offshoots are “revolutionary” in intent.

  • Harvey argues past DOJ/FBI failures (specifically under Bill Barr) to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization impeded law enforcement.

  • Memorable Quotes:

    “We are underestimating the scale and scope of what we're confronting across this country... There is organization. ... You just have to understand what you're looking at, be curious and understand their tactics, their techniques and their procedures.”
    (Colonel Derek Harvey, 34:28 and 37:04)

• Therapeutic Society Critique:

  • Bannon and guests lambast psychological professionals and Big Pharma for allegedly fueling violence through over-medication and grooming vulnerable youth (especially in trans care), pushing for systemic investigations.
  • Bannon insists there is “not an empathy crisis but a good order and discipline crisis.”

4. Trans Violence, Mental Health, and Big Pharma

• Discussion fueled by polling presented by Steve Cortez showing broad consensus—including from Democratic voters and non-religious citizens—around the belief that there is a systemic problem with “trans-inspired or trans-adjacent” violence.

  • Memorable Quotes:

    “Seventy percent of Kamala Harris voters admit that there is a systemic trans violence issue... Even the hard left understands this...”
    (Steve Cortez, 18:07 / 19:11)

• Attack on Medical Establishment:

  • Calls for criminal and civil action against psychiatrists, therapists, and pharmaceutical companies, referencing puberty blockers and other drugs associated with trans care.

  • Memorable Quote:

    “We have to stop celebrating mental illness. ... These big pharma companies... They need to be shamed and they need to be sued.”
    (Steve Cortez, 46:57)

5. Taking Back New Jersey & Ethnic Voter Shifts

• Feature on New Jersey:

  • Steve Cortez previews his new documentary about working-class “ethnic citizens” in New Jersey—Italians, Hispanics—disaffected with the Democratic Party, increasingly supporting Republicans.

  • Focus on economic dislocation, high taxes, open borders, and loss of small businesses.

  • Notable Quote:

    “Ethnic citizens here in New Jersey, many of whom are working class people, turn to the political right. They have had it with a crooked globalist economic system that works against their interests.”
    (Steve Cortez, 50:18)

• Emphasized youth alienation from homeownership, reinforced by economic malaise and outsider job competition.

6. Broader Themes: Civil War Rhetoric, Administrative State, and Global Realignment

• Bannon continually uses civil war framing:

  • Positions current unrest as reminiscent of America’s 1850s, referencing the John Brown Society and warning of kinetic escalation unless radical left organizations are aggressively countered.
  • Laments “managed decline” overseen by both Republican and Democratic party elites.

• Deconstructing the Administrative State:

  • Applauds efforts by Russ Vought (OMB Director) to use impending government shutdown for mass administrative layoffs.
  • Champions dismantling the bureaucracy as essential to MAGA’s project.

• International Volatility:

  • Remarks on BRICS “Rio Reset,” dollar decline, and the risk of European economic collapse.

Timestamped Notable Moments

00:03 – 01:34:
Bannon lambasts Cox’s Kumbaya politics post-Kirk assassination and equates leftist violence to martyrdom.

02:34:
Cox blames social media algorithms for exacerbating division and hate.

05:19 – 06:33:
Cox and Polis (public service announcement) urge Americans to “disagree better”—Bannon immediately mocks this segment, equating it to Chinese social engineering.

07:37 – 09:00:
Bannon frames national events as the “primal scream of a dying regime”—blames therapeutic society for coddling people and unleashing chaos.

18:07 – 19:11:
Cortez shares poll numbers: high percentages (even among progressives) see “trans violence” as systemic, not isolated.

21:59 – 27:44:
Colonel Derek Harvey details Antifa organizational infrastructure, critiques past law enforcement inaction, calls for “exposure” and RICO-style crackdowns.

34:28 – 37:30:
Harvey shares specific findings from Portland: 2,000 Antifa-linked federal detainees, organized network revealed via open-source tracking.

39:04 – 42:44:
Bannon & Harvey criticize Bill Barr/DOJ for failing to designate Antifa as a terror group; blame establishment complicity for accelerating “managed decline.”

46:57 – 49:38:
Cortez and Bannon reinforce the need to investigate, shame, and sue the psychiatric industry and Big Pharma for their role in fueling violence and mental health crises.

50:18 – 52:23:
Cortez’s documentary on New Jersey’s ethnic working class shifting right, ascribed to Democratic policy failures and changing priorities.

Quotes & Attribution

• Steve Bannon:

  • “We cannot reason with them... now it's time to get very focused and play smash mouth.” (01:16)
  • “This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people.” (06:47)
  • “No, you have a good order and discipline crisis in Utah. ... The therapeutic society is crashing and burning around us.” (10:15–11:30)
  • “We're on the cusp of a civil war in this country. I could argue it's already started with the violence.” (37:30)

• Steve Cortez:

  • “Seventy percent of Kamala Harris voters admit that there is a systemic trans violence issue...” (18:07)
  • “They need to be shamed and they need to be sued. And if we do that concurrent with law enforcement operations ... then I'm confident ... we can defeat these leftist terrorists.” (46:57 et seq.)
  • “Ethnic citizens here in New Jersey, many of whom are working class people, turn to the political right.” (50:18)

• Colonel Derek Harvey:

  • “We are underestimating the scale and scope of what we're confronting across this country.” (34:28)
  • “There is organization. ... You just have to understand what you're looking at, be curious and understand their tactics, their techniques and their procedures.” (37:04)
  • “Because the facts and the truth were absolutely inconvenient to the institution.” (38:34, re: DOJ/FBI failures)

• Governor Spencer Cox:

  • “I just want people to have a Kumbaya moment. … I’m trying to get people to stop shooting each other. That’s it.” (00:35)
  • “I do believe that social media is a cancer...absolutely leading us down a very dark path.” (02:34)

Structure Recap

• Opening: Bannon rejects unity post-Kirk assassination, labels therapeutic/empathetic responses as infantilizing.
• Social Media Section: Cox/POLIS anti-polarization PSA mocked, social media’s toxic influence dissected.
• Law and Order Focus: Reports on Antifa, Portland, and calls for radical law enforcement reforms.
• Therapeutic Society: Psychiatric industry and Big Pharma blamed for violence, especially around trans issues.
• Data & Polling: Cortez provides polling “proof” that even progressives see “trans violence” as a crisis.
• Taking Back New Jersey: Preview of Cortez’s documentary about working-class shift to the GOP.
• Civil War/Administrative State: Bannon frames the era as pre-civil war, praises moves to dismantle the bureaucratic deep state.
• Closing: Urges further investigation into psychiatric corruption, reiterates the risk of escalation, and previews further coverage on shifting political dynamics in the Rust Belt and Northeast.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Rising Political Violence: The podcast presents the Kirk assassination as evidence of escalating leftist violence and the failure of dialogue-based solutions.
• Polarization Root Causes: Blames media algorithms, therapeutic/psychocratic institutions, and establishment elite management for societal chaos.
• Call to Action: Advocates not only for law enforcement crackdowns on leftist organizations, but also systemic investigations and legal actions against the psychiatric industry and Big Pharma.
• Cultural Shifts: Highlights a significant political realignment among ethnic and working-class voters in New Jersey as emblematic of broader trends.
• Civil War Rhetoric: Warns of the risk of civil conflict unless decisive, unified (conservative) force is exerted—positioning the MAGA base as the last line of defense for American order and tradition.

“There's a healthy way to deal with conflicting opinions. Actually, it’s okay to disagree.”
(Jared Polis, 05:43 — quoted ironically by Bannon)

“We need to do something we never do on our side... [build] something financed on our side that... help[s] the FBI and others understand what they're really dealing with.”
(Colonel Derek Harvey, 25:39)

This episode is a clarion call to the War Room audience: no more dialogue or therapeutic band-aids, but a demand for systemic, forceful (though not violent) dismantling of perceived leftist corruption in everything from law enforcement to psychiatric care to party politics, with an eye toward seizing back both civil stability and political ground.