Podcast Summary: Bannon's War Room

Episode 4860: "So Goes Texas So Goes The Country"

Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Key Guests: Peter Navarro, Lee Wamsburg, Aaron Reitz, Amanda Head (Camp Pendleton), various legal and policy analysts

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the political and policy battles in Texas, underscoring the state’s influence on national trends (“so goes Texas, so goes the country”). The discussion ranges from U.S. military aid and classified information scandals to deep dives into Texas state politics and the upcoming elections, with a particular focus on border security, property taxes, law enforcement, and grassroots conservative activism. The episode also highlights Peter Navarro’s fiery address at the Council on Foreign Relations and previews a major Marine Corps 250th celebration. Throughout, the narrative amplifies the role of MAGA populism in reshaping political and institutional power both in Texas and nationally.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Military Aid and National Security Concerns

• Opening Exchange: Concern over sending Tomahawk missiles and other resources to Ukraine, with Bannon and guests questioning priorities and the sufficiency of U.S. defense resources if America faces its own crises.
  • Bannon (00:08): “We don't want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country… I want to get this war over.”

2. John Bolton Indictment and Legal Analysis

• Security Leak: Analysis of John Bolton’s alleged sharing of classified information through insecure channels, with significant exposure to Iranian intelligence.
  • Susan (00:56): Reveals U.S. discovered classified documents via Iranian hack, sparking tough internal debates about prosecuting Bolton.
  • Legal Panel (01:39–03:10): Debates evidentiary hurdles, the Fifth Amendment, and the political implications of compelling testimony from Bolton or his family. Discussion highlights the rarity and risk of major intelligence prosecutions.

3. Hollywood, Tariffs, and Economic Nationalism

• Film Industry & Tariffs: Brief foray into tariffs on foreign films possibly impacting Hollywood’s competitiveness, with Navarro noting global subsidies and loss of domestic productions.
  • Peter Navarro (04:58): “It became almost impossible to produce a medium to low budget film in Hollywood…off to Czechoslovakia and Canada the industry went.”

4. Texas Politics in the National Spotlight

a. Senate Race—Lee Wamsburg’s Campaign

• Introduction: Lee Wamsburg, described as a grassroots legend, discusses his campaign for Texas Senate District 9 and challenges from establishment Republicans and out-of-state money.

  • Wamsburg (06:29, 22:15): “If good people don't get in the game, who's running the show? Right? Bad people…Texas matters. If Texas goes, so goes the country.”

• Top Voter Concerns in Texas:

  • Property taxes (described as “out of control”)

  • Security and policing, especially border control and crime

  • Growth pressures from rapid population expansion

  • Wamsburg (25:30): “Two top issues: property tax and security and policing…President Trump has done…amazing [work]…closing [the border].”

• Campaign Dynamics:

  • Out-of-state funding dominates opponent’s campaign (93% of funds)
  • Endorsement from Fort Worth Firefighters Association just announced
    • Wamsburg (29:27): “These are the men and women running in a burning building when we're running out of it…they are a powerful force…”

b. Grassroots vs. Establishment in Texas

• Discussion on Ken Paxton's Impeachment:

  • Bannon and Aaron Reitz (Paxton’s former right hand, running for Texas AG) delve into the bitter fight between MAGA and “establishment” (Bush) factions within Texas GOP.
  • Reitz (32:40): “Somebody's gotta do the fight…we're not just fighting the demonic left, but…duplicitous rhinos on the right as well.”

• Reitz’s Vision as Attorney General:

  • Cites record of lawsuits against Biden administration (85% win rate)
  • Promises robust partnership with Trump administration and tough local enforcement against “leftism, corruption, violence, fraud, waste, abuse” in Texas
  • Targeted opposition to Soros-funded DA’s, Sharia law entities, radical elements on college campuses
    • Reitz (35:46, 36:55): “We don't have an existential enemy in the White House. In fact, we have a very close ally…we can coordinate and cooperate with the Trump administration…to really, really root out leftism…”

c. Legislative and Fiscal Priorities

• Texas Senate Dynamics:

  • Explains conservative edge in Senate vs. perceived liberal drift in House
  • Notable turnover—5 of 20 GOP Senators stepping down
    • Wamsburg (39:29): “Leadership in the Senate is significantly more conservative than…the House.”

• Budgetary Concerns:

  • Surpluses followed by increases in spending; calls for budget cuts, targeting waste, fraud, and abuse in education and health services
    • Wamsburg (48:27): “Our two biggest budget items…are education and health and human services. And there's a lot of waste, fraud and abuse in both…”

• Education Reform and Cultural Issues:

  • Focus on underperformance in public schools, need for state intervention in failing districts, and opposition to DEI and transgender policies in K-12 and higher education
    • Wamsburg (49:16–50:31): “Kids deserve good education…these kids deserve better…women and girls, privacy, dignity, and safety is worth the fight."

5. Election Security and Second Amendment

• Security Reforms:

  • Bannon presses on the shift of election oversight from AG to local DA's, and room for improvement post-2020.
    • Wamsburg (44:46–45:03): “After…the COVID election… authority moved away from AG to…local DAs…where this stuff [fraud] happens are in blue counties.”

• Gun Rights Battle:

  • Despite Texas’s reputation, Wamsburg argues for further protection of gun rights and civil liability reforms.
    • Wamsburg (45:34): “I have fought to ban unconstitutional red flag laws…We finally banned red flag laws in Texas this session, but we missed the mark on civil liability…”

6. National Security and Economic Warfare

• China Supply Chains and Rare Earths:

  • Navarro highlights mounting tensions and supply chain vulnerabilities, arguing for rapid domestic “onshoring.”
    • Navarro (12:30): “What China's doing is making my job…a Heck of a lot easier. I don't have to convince anybody anymore inside the White House that we need to do this…”

• Populism vs. Globalism:

  • Navarro recounts his Council on Foreign Relations speech, touting tariffs as central to U.S. “economic security as national security.”
    • Navarro (07:25): “You can't trade our economic security for national security. Economic security is national security…If you don't have a manufacturing base, you can't defend anybody.”

• Navarro on Treatment of MAGA Figures vs. Opponents:

  • Frustration over prosecutorial double standards for conservatives vs. establishment/“Deep State”/Democrats.
    • Navarro (13:32): “It does provide a stark contrast between how those bastards treated you and me and how we're treating them.”

7. Marine Corps 250th Celebration Preview

• Amanda Head (Camp Pendleton, 18:40):
  • Details massive joint Marine and Navy drills, flyovers, and demonstrations planned for the anniversary.
  • Head: “It is American might and patriotism on display. Tomorrow is going to be absolutely spectacular.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bannon (10:01): “I think we've broken the back of the resistance on tariffs and trade as it is now, because Donald Trump has succeeded beyond anybody's wildest dreams…all without creating inflation or recession.”
• Navarro (12:30): "As the boss says, let's see what happens. We'll know by November 1st, after President Trump meets with President Xi Jinping."
• Lee Wamsburg (22:15): “If good people don't self-sacrifice and get involved, you have the other type of candidate who is in it for themselves. And that never works out well for the people.”
• Aaron Reitz (32:40): “…we're not just fighting the demonic left, but we're fighting the squish rhino, lying, duplicitous, deceptive rhinos on the right as well…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:08 – Bannon and Reitz discuss U.S. military aid to Ukraine
• 00:56–03:10 – Legal roundtable on Bolton indictment
• 04:44 – Hollywood tariffs and global subsidies
• 06:29 – Lee Wamsburg on Texas Senate race and campaign landscape
• 07:25–09:05 – Peter Navarro’s CFR speech and “economic security”
• 11:47–13:58 – Navarro: Trump foreign and trade policy; Bolton case
• 22:15 – Wamsburg on grassroots vs. establishment, MAGA’s importance in Texas
• 25:30 – Voter priorities: taxes and border security
• 29:27 – Wamsburg announces endorsement from Fort Worth Firefighters Association
• 32:40 – Aaron Reitz on Ken Paxton impeachment and MAGA battles within GOP
• 35:46 – AG’s role in Trump era: coordination/aggressive enforcement on the left
• 39:00–40:21 – Wamsburg on Texas Senate turnover and legislative priorities
• 44:46 – Election security and Attorney General’s diminished authority
• 45:34 – Gun rights and failures to fully protect the Second Amendment
• 48:27 – Budget/bureaucracy reform: targeting fraud and inefficiency in education
• 49:16 – Failing school districts and state interventions
• 50:07 – Transgender policy loopholes and new privacy protections

Tone & Style

The episode maintains Bannon's signature combative, populist tone—often skeptical of establishment motives, fiercely supportive of MAGA-aligned candidates, and focused on grassroots mobilization versus technocratic or elite influence. Guests frequently cite personal experience, invoke duty and patriotism, and blend local Texas issues with national implications.

Conclusion

Episode 4860 draws a direct line between the battles being waged in Texas and the broader direction of American politics. Key Texas races are cast as ground-zero for MAGA’s ability to reshape government, secure borders, reform schools, and battle both progressive and establishment GOP factions. The show spotlights upcoming events such as the Marine Corps 250, promising both patriotic spectacle and further opportunities to rally the conservative base.

For those following Texas politics, MAGA activism, or the intersection of economic nationalism with foreign policy, this episode offers deep insider commentary and a roadmap for the battles ahead.