Bannon’s War Room – Episode 4902: Election Night Tee Up; Injustice Meltdown

Podcast: Bannon’s War Room
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Steve Bannon
Guests/Contributors: Eric Bolling, Britt McHenry, Cliff Maloney, Julie Kelly, among others

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on real-time analysis and commentary on Election Night 2025 in the U.S., with discussions centering around turnout, key races, Republican strategy (or lack thereof), criticisms of Democratic candidates and policies, as well as deep dives into ongoing investigations related to political and judicial figures. Bannon and his guests dissect the implications of low and high voter turnouts, discuss missed opportunities for Trump-aligned engagement, raise alarms over alleged progressive and socialist advances, and preview the “Injustice Meltdown” surrounding investigations involving the likes of James Comey and Jack Smith.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Election Night Dynamics and GOP Strategy

• Bannon’s Critique of GOP Establishment

  • Bannon criticizes the Republican establishment for not leveraging Trump’s popularity and methodology, especially in states like California, New Jersey, and Virginia, suggesting that Trump’s absence from these campaigns is central to lackluster GOP performance.
  • Quote: “If President Trump had been engaged on this from the beginning, particularly in California, I think there'd be a very different outcome.” (Steve Bannon, 01:15)
  • Both hosts and guests stress the importance of mobilizing low-propensity voters, a lesson learned and adopted, in their view, by left-wing groups from Trump's 2016 campaign.

• The “Trump or Nothing” Argument

  • Bannon and Bolling argue that without Trump’s involvement and MAGA energy, Republican campaigns falter.
  • Quote: “What you're going to get tonight is you're going to get to the Republican Party without Trump. That’s what you're going to see tonight...” (Steve Bannon, 05:26)

2. Progressive Ground Game and Voter Turnout

• Discussion of the organizational effectiveness of the Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America in urban areas, modeling their campaigns on successful Trump strategies.

• Eric Bolling and contributors note the increased turnout among low-propensity and foreign-born voters, implying this is swinging key races.

• Field Reports on Voter Sentiment

  • Reporter Katie describes high turnout in the South Bay Area (California) precincts, driven largely by Democratic messaging and a sense of urgency among their base, particularly as a response to Republican redistricting in other states.
  • Quote (Katie): “Most of the Democrats, at least that I’m talking to, are really kind of excited about an opportunity finally to sort of fight fire with fire…” (08:04–09:21)

3. The New York City Mayoral Race & Progressive Politics

• Bannon and guests repeatedly characterize the Democratic NYC mayoral candidate, Mamdani, as a “Marxist jihadist” and question his citizenship, reflecting both political and culture war narratives.

• Concerns over policy positions such as NYC’s sanctuary status, funding for gender transition treatments, and approaches toward migrants are used by Bannon to illustrate his perception of Democrats as being out of touch with mainstream voters.

  • Quote: “You know what you get by the progressive Democrats in a feckless Republican Party, a gutless Republican Party in New York City...You get a Marxist jihadist as your mayor.” (Steve Bannon, 06:49)

• Discussion of national implications, such as Republicans needing to frame themselves as the only check on the perceived overreach of Democratic policies.

4. Election Mechanics, Turnout, and Key States

• New Jersey

  • Cliff Maloney provides detailed updates on voter turnout and the mathematical path for GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli’s possible victory, emphasizing the importance of squeezing out every last ballot, especially mail-in and dropbox returns.
    • Quote: “If we get north of 3.2 million total votes in the entirety of this general election, Jack Cittarelli will be the next governor.” (Cliff Maloney, 22:51)
  • Focus on local issues (taxes, affordability, crime) that are thought to drive turnout.

• Virginia

  • Britt McHenry reports on the Loudoun County watch party for GOP candidate Winsome Sears, noting record early voter turnout and hard battles in key districts. Bannon raises issues around a lack of MAGA support for Sears and contrasts with previous cycles, mentioning turnout strategies focused on Trump-country in southwest/central Virginia.

• General consensus that Republicans need a surge of Election Day votes to stand a chance.

5. “Injustice Meltdown”: Investigations of Federal Officials

• Julie Kelly Segment
  • Breaks the news of a House Judiciary investigation into telecom companies’ cooperation with subpoenas for Congressional members’ cell records.
  • Details indictments and court filings against former FBI Director James Comey, with revelations about leaks and media coordination.
  • Emphasizes the persistence of corruption under Merrick Garland and Jack Smith, arguing that the Republican-appointed judge (Aileen Cannon) has seen through DOJ tactics.
    • Quote: “Jack Smith is finally being portrayed as the loser that he is...even Democrats and establishment DOJ sycophants from MSNBC...now admitting that there were so many mistakes made that delayed the case...” (Julie Kelly, 47:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On GOP’s Relationship to Trump:

  • “They think Trump’s a passing summer storm. Look at Dick Cheney...The Republican establishment hates Trump.” (Steve Bannon, 01:15)

• On Election Turnout:

  • “If 3 million people end up voting in total, we will lose this race. If roughly 3.1, we're at least in play. If we get north of 3.2 million...Jack Cittarelli will be the next governor.” (Cliff Maloney, 22:51)

• On Perceptions of Democrats:

  • “The problem Democrats have right now nationally, is that people think they’re too far to the left, that they care about far left progressive issues much more than things that average people talk about.” (Political Analyst, 10:24)

• On Allegations of Voter Fraud:

  • “Baseless allegations of voter fraud. Baseless allegations of voter fraud. You hear that? It's going to start already. And wait till he wins tonight. Wait till he wins tonight. You're going to have your nose rubbed in it.” (Steve Bannon, 30:29)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment / Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------|------------------| | Bannon & Bolling discuss GOP, Trump, and election stakes | 00:00–05:49 | | Ground reporting from California: turnout & voter energy | 08:04–10:11 | | NYC mayoral race, progressive narratives | 06:49; 14:07+ | | Cliff Maloney on New Jersey turnout & strategy | 21:48–27:34 | | Britt McHenry reports from Loudoun County, VA | 31:56–36:52 | | Julie Kelly on DOJ, Comey indictment, Jack Smith scrutiny | 39:44–48:49 | | Cliff Maloney on MAGA turnout, New Jersey strategy recap | 25:45–27:13 |

Flow and Tone

The episode retains Bannon's signature combative, populist tone. The hosts and contributors deliver rapid-fire critiques of Democratic policies and GOP establishment positioning, while exalting Trump, driving their base to urgent election participation. There's a sense of being embattled but optimistic, provided Trump's full engagement and a MAGA grassroots surge. Commentary on ongoing legal battles and alleged corruption weaves through with a conspiratorial tone, sometimes verging into accusations of criminality.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a comprehensive, energetic Election Night “pre-game” show with heavy emphasis on Trump’s role (or lack thereof) in GOP fortunes, the alleged peril of rising Democratic socialism, and the need for a full-throated MAGA resurgence. It features real-time voting updates from key battlegrounds, deep dives into legal wranglings at the federal level, and a strong dose of anti-establishment rhetoric. Key races in New Jersey and Virginia serve as focal points for broader arguments about American political direction, while reporting from the ground and expert panels give color to the numbers and national stakes.

Listen if you want: Immediate, unapologetic MAGA perspectives on the 2025 election stakes, on-the-ground turnout evidence, strategy debate, and the right’s narrative around ongoing federal investigations.