Bannon's War Room, Episode 4925: "Federal Criminal Probe Into Swalwell; Gene Editing And Creating Your Own Future"

Date: November 13, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Key Guests: Mike Davis, Natalie Winters, Ben Berkwam, Jake, Katie, Claire

Episode Overview

This episode centers around several major themes: the federal referral for a criminal probe of Congressman Eric Swalwell related to alleged mortgage and tax fraud; ongoing legal battles around high-profile interim US attorneys; alleged lawfare by "dark money" progressive networks; the contested role of activist judges in immigration enforcement; and deep concerns around gene editing and the ethics of emerging biotech backed by Silicon Valley. As always, the War Room blends frontline political commentary with calls for accountability, action, and scrutiny of institutional power.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Eric Swalwell's Federal Criminal Probe

[00:00–02:49, 13:21–18:22]

• Referral Details: Stephen K. Bannon reports that Eric Swalwell, a California congressman, has been referred by FHFA chief Bill Pulte for a federal criminal probe into alleged mortgage and tax fraud regarding a DC property, per NBC News.
• Political Context: Jake and Mike Davis point out that most politically adversarial Democrats are now under investigation, suggesting a pattern that critics label as targeting.
• Swalwell's Response: Swalwell issues a defiant statement, referencing his vocal criticism of Trump and affirming he will not back down:

  "As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him... Of course I will not end my lawsuit against him and I will not stop speaking out against the president." — Eric Swalwell (read by Bannon at 01:49)

• Mortgage Details Unclear: Legal nuances about the residency mortgage claims remain murky. Jake highlights the complexity:

  "A lot of members of Congress have homes in DC... I'm not familiar enough with the law to know what defines a primary residence." — Jake (02:49)

• Dark Money Ties & “Lawfare”: Natalie Winters links the accusers and lawsuit filers to networks like Arabella Advisors, suggesting coordinated fundraising and activism:

  "It's linked to the Arabella Advisors dark money network... It's the campaign for accountability..." — Natalie Winters (06:47)

2. Legal Maneuverings Against High-Profile Democrats and Interim U.S. Attorneys

[03:42–12:58, 25:08–27:19]

• Lindsey Halligan's Appointment Challenged: Discussion with Katie and Mike Davis on the legal attempts to remove Halligan as interim U.S. attorney, focusing on allegations her appointment was invalid.
• Judge’s Skepticism: Judge Curry's probing about the "declination memo" indicates a suspicion that procedural errors may be more than paperwork—potentially substantial missteps in prosecutorial discretion.
• Mike Davis Defends DOJ Actions: The Trump-aligned DOJ is characterized as having amassed substantial evidence, particularly against James Comey:

  "Lindsey Halligan working with Kash Patel and Dan Bongino... have unearthed tremendous evidence of guilt against James Comey..." — Mike Davis (09:43)

• Lawsuits, Appeals, and the Supreme Court: Expectation that efforts to remove Halligan (and by extension other Trump DOJ officials) will result in a back-and-forth between lower courts and eventual Supreme Court clarification.

3. Judicial Activism and Immigration Enforcement

[13:08–23:50]

• Release of ICE Detainees: Controversy over federal judges in Chicago and elsewhere potentially ordering the release of hundreds of ICE detainees, allegedly overreaching their authority.
• ICE Agents’ Morale: Ben Berkwam describes on-the-ground ICE agents as demoralized and angered by activist interference:

  "These guys want to be able to do their job... They love President Trump and that's why we have more applications for ICE than we've ever had." — Ben Berkwam (22:43)

• Root of the Challenge: The episode frames these judicial decisions as part of left-wing lawfare, with non-profits linked to groups like Indivisible and Arabella Advisors coordinating legal obstruction.

4. Dark Money, Lawfare, and Color Revolution Tactics

[24:44–35:50]

• Progressive Funding Networks: Bannon, Winters, and guests discuss how coordinated funding between NGOs, law firms, and activist groups creates formidable opposition to the Trump agenda.

  "The right has nothing like this apparatus that the left has — this very, very constant money machine..." — Bannon (24:53)

• Comparison to Statecraft Abroad: Winters connects the progressive legal and activist strategy to tactics deployed in US-backed color revolutions overseas, warning:

  "They're talking about how they're working on this global anti-authoritarianism movement... it's the gateway drug into opening the Pandora's box of the color revolution tactics." — Natalie Winters (33:28)

5. USAID, Elite Merger, and Chinese Competition

[28:44–42:15]

• USAID as a Hotbed for Anti-Trump Coordination: Claire explains how, post-2024 election, USAID's internal networks prepared to resist the incoming administration, even launching encrypted chats and "simple sabotage" tactics.

  "We are a cautious community and well prepared for... the attacks that were already happening during the election cycle..." — Claire (30:47)

• Geopolitics & Chinese Threat: Winters highlights failures of US "soft power" versus China’s infrastructure diplomacy and laments bipartisan support for USAID-style programming.
• US Funding Chinese Tech: New revelations show US government agencies (Army, DOE, NIH) inadvertently funding Chinese military-linked semiconductor labs; Bannon and Winters see this as systemic elite-driven "managed decline."

  "How can we possibly be doing this? They're using the rare earths against us and we're actually funding the Rare Earth Institute studies." — Bannon (36:36)

6. Gene Editing, Biotech, and the 'New Future'

[44:45–51:03]

• AI & Genetic Engineering: Summarizing recent investigative reports, Bannon and Winters expose how major Silicon Valley figures, like Sam Altman (OpenAI) and Brian Armstrong (Coinbase), are now funding companies—such as "Preventive"—who are actively pursuing creation of genetically engineered babies. The goal: using controversial science "to shock the world into acceptance."

  "The guy they set up to do in secret a genetically engineered from a test tube, a complete baby... just drop it on the world to shock the world into acceptance. This is how these guys think." — Bannon (49:48)

• Ethics and Regulation: Bannon calls for urgent regulation to prevent "going down a very dark path on AI and genetic engineering."
• Silicon Valley's Role: Winters is skeptical of tech leaders' motivations:

  "I think this is really the real reason why so many of these people have pretended to be MAGA... they want us to continue to underwrite..." — Natalie Winters (47:06)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Lawfare and Political Prosecution:

  "No one's above the law. So if he (Swalwell) violated federal law with mortgage fraud, then he should be held accountable for it... but it smells pretty bad right now." — Mike Davis (17:05)

• On Color Revolution Tactics in the US:

  "They're working with their international colleagues... the language is the gateway drug... the Brookings Institution's 'democracy playbook'—originally drafted for use abroad—is now being used here." — Natalie Winters (33:28)

• On the New Biotech Shock:

  "A plan to produce this baby in secret... just drop it on the world to shock the world into acceptance." — Stephanie Ruhle (quoted at 49:19, 49:27)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Eric Swalwell Probe & Political Context: 00:00–02:49, 13:21–18:22
• Legal Battles Over DOJ/Interim US Attorneys: 03:42–12:58, 25:08–27:19
• ICE, Immigration, and Judicial Activism: 13:08–23:50
• Dark Money & Lawfare Machinery: 24:44–35:50
• USAID as Resistance Network & China Issues: 28:44–42:15
• AI, Genetic Engineering, and Tech Power: 44:45–51:03

Tone and Style

The episode delivers its content with an urgent, combative tone. Bannon and guests are relentless in critiquing the motives and methods of political adversaries, focusing on lawfare, institutional capture, and “managed decline.” Both righteous indignation and conspiratorial rhetoric pervade segment transitions, with an emphasis on exposing and countering perceived elite schemes.

For listeners new to these topics, this episode is a dense and provocative mix of investigative reporting, political polemic, and insider strategizing about the nexus of law, technology, and raw political power in 2025 America.