Podcast Summary: Bannon's War Room — Episode 4874

Date: October 24, 2025
Title: Texas Goes After Woke Professors; The Battle Continues In Ukraine
Host: Natalie G. Winters (filling in for Steve Bannon)
Guests: Mike Howell, Rep. Brian Harrison, Sam Fatis, Mike Lindell, with commentary from Steve Bannon, Norm Eisen, J.B. Pritzker, and others.

Overview

This episode of Bannon’s War Room tackles two major issues:

1. Texas’s legislative push to curb “woke” influences in state institutions, with a focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) initiatives and election integrity.
2. The Trump administration’s evolving strategy in the Ukraine conflict and its intersection with U.S.-Russia-China economic maneuvering.

The show features commentary, debate, and updates from government officials, legal experts, and investigative journalists, blending fiery rhetoric with insider perspectives on lawfare, migration, campus politics, and foreign policy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media, Lawfare, and the “Dying Regime”

• Norm Eisen (00:00–01:34):

  • Expresses concern over declining Trump approval ratings and the erosion of government “human infrastructure” due to political firings.
  • Emphasizes public repudiation of Trump, highlighting efforts by the Democracy Defender Fund and labor unions to halt improper dismissals of federal employees during government shutdowns.
  • “He’s tearing down the building, but he’s tearing down the human infrastructure. He’s attacking the government employees in this shutdown.” (00:20)

• J.B. Pritzker (01:34–03:39):

  • Announces Illinois Accountability Commission to document alleged abuses by Trump’s federal agents and create a record for future actions and justice.
  • “We hope to reveal to the public...the facts on the ground about what is happening here. We intend to create a detailed record of the truth.” (02:39)

• Steve Bannon (03:39):

  • Frames resistance to Trump as “the primal scream of a dying regime,” warning critics: “Pray for our enemies because we’re going medieval on these people.”

2. Texas Versus “Wokeness” & The Push for Accountability

• Natalie G. Winters (04:30–07:03):

  • Sets up the narrative of blue-state politicians appropriating conservative rhetoric of “accountability” but frames War Room as leading the real push for retribution, especially around immigration and donor-backed NGOs.
  • Introduces Mike Howell to dig into the Illinois commission, left-wing NGOs, and the ongoing governmental and legal battles.

• Mike Howell (07:03–09:44):

  • Critiques Pritzker’s commission as an attempt to “document your crimes away,” predicting legal challenges.
  • Decries the federal funding of NGOs under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act as a left-wing slush fund—“pushing the wokest furthest left DEI policies to the tunes of millions of dollars from the government.” (08:00)
  • Warns these NGOs are working to “obstruct the enforcement of actual immigration law” and are entwined with far-left, even communist, groups.

• On “No Kings” Protests & NGO Ecosystem (09:44–12:27):

  • Points to the role of activist money, tech oligarchs, and unvetted partner organizations in fueling mass opposition, street protests, and what he terms “domestic terrorism.”
  • “They’ve opened the gates of hell essentially on the far left, and a lot of people are walking through it. And that’s why you’re seeing so much violence.” (11:50)

3. Federal Security Policy: National Security Strategy & Law Enforcement

• Mike Howell (13:54–19:10):
  • Describes National Security Policy Memorandum Seven, directing the DOJ to “zero tolerance” prosecution of those obstructing immigration law and left-wing groups.
  • “If you can prosecute, you must prosecute. In other words, zero tolerance. We don’t care what the DOJ policy preference are...If you can, you must.” (19:00)
  • Critiques “mainstreaming” of violence against ICE and accuses the Democratic Party of legitimizing “domestic terrorist” tactics.

4. Texas Voter Integrity and Republican Leadership

• Rep. Brian Harrison (21:50–34:19):

  • Shares frustration at Texas Republicans for blocking amendments to defund DEI and “liberal indoctrination” in universities.
  • Accuses so-called conservative leadership of perpetuating the “myth” of Texas as a right-wing bulwark.
  • “The Texas government might well be the biggest funder of pretty much everything the Democrat party has been pushing for.” (24:44)
  • Details voter rolls reportedly featuring thousands of non-citizens, attributed to data sharing from a Trump initiative.
  • Highlights unity between establishment Republicans and Democrats, notably through Speaker appointments, undermining true conservative governance.
  • “If freedom is lost here in Texas, we’ll never get a conservative Republican back in the White House again. The entire future of our country is on the line here.” (25:37)

• Jalanda Jones (Democratic TX Rep) Clip (30:49):

  • Advocates a no-holds-barred approach to partisan battle, “If you hit me in my face, I’m not going to punch you back in your face. I’m going to go across your neck.” (31:03)
  • Harrison responds by condemning “unity” that empowers radical Democratic legislation over conservative priorities.

5. The Ukraine Conflict: Arms, Oil Sanctions, and Geopolitics

• Sam Fatis (36:08–41:54):
  • Analyzes the Trump administration’s approval of long-range missiles for Ukraine, asserting it’s part of maximizing leverage on Putin and Zelensky for a negotiated settlement.
  • “Trump has been very clear to Zelensky, you’re not getting all your territory back. You need to just bite the bullet and accept it…” (38:38)
  • Spotlights US efforts to sanction Russian oil globally, with the goal of crippling Russia’s war financing.
  • Predicts that “the time to make a deal is fast approaching” as Russia’s war machine depletes.

6. China, Rare Earths, and Economic Warfare

• Sam Fatis (44:54–48:00):
  • Outlines the challenge of applying pressure on China over its role in Russian oil markets due to US dependency on Chinese rare earths.
  • “Mean our whole economy at this point is essentially dependent upon technologies that require rare earth minerals...the Chinese have a virtual complete lock on all of those minerals and we’ve done nothing to break it.” (45:54)
  • Highlights progress—deals with Australia, new US mining efforts—but describes the delicate balancing act between sanctioning Russia and keeping China engaged.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Norm Eisen:
  • “He’s tearing down the building, but he’s tearing down the human infrastructure...That is why we at the Democracy Defender Fund have gone to court.” (00:20)
• J.B. Pritzker:
  • “The commission and the records they gather will shine more light on the misconduct of Trump’s federal agents.” (02:10)
• Steve Bannon:
  • “This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies because we’re going medieval on these people.” (03:39)
• Mike Howell:
  • “It’s a really dumb idea to write down all the crimes that are being committed by Chicago and Illinois officials that are obstructing ICE every single day and trying to create the conditions for basically nullification.” (07:15)
  • “There are people like Norm Eisen who are popping up, being like, give me your money, I’ll do a meaningless lawsuit to stop the demolition of an old building...” (09:17)
• Rep. Brian Harrison:
  • “The Texas government might well be the biggest funder of pretty much everything the Democrat party has been pushing for. Transgender indoctrination, DEI crony corporatism, corporate welfare.” (24:44)
  • “Radical leftist Democrats are actually empowered...Their legislation is prioritized over Trump supporting liberty loving conservative Republicans.” (32:57)
• Sam Fatis:
  • “Trump has been very clear to Zelensky, you’re not getting all your territory back...Things are going to end up at best with, with everybody where they are right now...Putin is already scraping to keep this thing going.” (38:38, 40:00)
  • “The Chinese have a virtual complete lock on all of those minerals and we’ve done nothing to break it.” (45:54)
• Jalanda Jones (Clip):
  • “If you hit me in my face, I’m not going to punch you back...I’m going to go across your neck because we can go back and forth fighting each other’s faces. You’ve got to hit hard enough where they won’t come back.” (31:03)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment |
|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 00:00–03:39 | Norm Eisen & J.B. Pritzker on lawfare, Trump’s “human infrastructure” | | 04:30–07:03 | Natalie Winters sets up “accountability” & introduces Mike Howell | | 07:03–12:27 | Mike Howell: NGOs, TVPA, “No Kings,” Antifa, far-left financing | | 13:54–19:10 | NatSec Policy Memo 7—DOJ prosecution strategy (Howell) | | 21:50–26:28 | Rep. Brian Harrison on Texas House vote, DEI funding | | 26:28–34:19 | Harrison: Voter rolls, Republican “myths,” Democratic unity | | 30:49–31:51 | Jalanda Jones clip—no-holds-barred politics | | 36:08–41:54 | Sam Fatis: Ukraine policy, missile aid, oil sanctions | | 44:54–48:00 | Sam Fatis: China, rare earth minerals, US geopolitics |

Tone & Language

The language throughout is highly charged, partisan, and combative, mixing legal/legislative specifics with punchy soundbites and pointed accusations. The War Room hosts and guests lean into a tone of urgency, warning of imminent existential threats and framing themselves as embattled truth-tellers and defenders of American sovereignty.

Conclusion

Episode 4874 showcases the War Room’s blend of nationalist populism, institutional skepticism, and aggressive confrontation with both the Biden-era bureaucracy and establishment Republicans. The show underlines perceived deep state opposition, the dangers of “woke” policies in universities and government, the necessity of legal retribution and accountability, and a hawkish, yet transactional, stance on global conflict—especially the war in Ukraine. Listeners are left with a rallying cry for vigilance, unity against the left, and preparation for a protracted ideological and political battle across domestic and international fronts.