Bannon’s War Room – Episode 4934

Title: The New Rise Of Christianity In The West; Cold Civil War In Evangelicalism
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Steve Bannon
Key Guests: Eric Trump, Mark Mitchell (Rasmussen pollster), Brian Glenn (White House Correspondent), Unidentified Analysts/Commentators

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the ongoing political and cultural turbulence in the United States following a period of significant violence and controversy. The conversation centers on themes of deep institutional crisis, the politicization of American justice, and the perception of persecution against the MAGA movement and the Trump family. The episode mixes political analysis, personal testimony (notably from Eric Trump), and thematic exploration of historical cycles—grounded in “The Fourth Turning” theory.

The episode balances discussions of headline political developments (Trump's current legal and political battles, assassination attempts, policies, and Middle East diplomacy), with Mark Mitchell lending polling-based insights into voter sentiment and populist discontent. Historical frameworks are used to contextualize present crises.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Weaponization of the American Justice System

• Bannon’s Framing: The show opens with Bannon’s critique of the Biden administration, accusing it of “abuse of the Department of Justice” for targeting political opponents while shielding allies.

  • “Trump is in the process of building his own parliamentary force...” [00:40]
  • Perceived normalization of authoritarian tactics and disregard for law or norms.

• Unnamed Analyst: Argues that the U.S. is experiencing “the early stages of a police state,” characterizing current developments as “soft authoritarianism” that may soon escalate.

  • “It’s a multifront attack…on the civic political institutions of America, on the rule of law.” [01:54]
  • “We’ve never seen anything like it in American history.” [01:34]

2. Trump’s VP Pick Dynamics and MAGA Media Ecosystem

• VP Selection Drama: Vivid recounting of the Trump VP selection, detailing the tension between establishment figures (Rupert Murdoch, Lindsey Graham) and populist voices (Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump Jr., Elon Musk). The establishment supported Marco Rubio, while MAGA insiders pressed for J.D. Vance.

  • “If you pick somebody like Marco Rubio that the establishment likes, they’re going to assassinate you.” – Tucker Carlson (as relayed by commentator) [03:13]
  • Eric Trump: “They hate JD Vance as much as they hate you.” [04:13]

• Media Battles: Bannon rails against networks and legacy media, embracing a siege mentality:

  • “This is the primal scream of a dying regime… Pray for our enemies, because we’re going medieval on these people.” [05:43]

3. "Under Siege": Eric Trump’s Account and the MAGA Narrative

• Eric Trump's Perspective: The heart of the episode is his detailed testimony about the magnitude of attacks endured by his family—legal, financial, personal, and literal (i.e., assassination attempts).
  • “I became the most subpoenaed person in American history for doing absolutely nothing wrong.” [08:41]
  • Details sequence of “hoaxes,” impeachments, de-platforming, indictments, ballot challenges, property raids, assassination attempts, and the “martyring” of Donald Trump.
  • On his book: “We sold 135,000 copies in the first five days… It shows the sentiment of this country. This country was pissed off.” [11:38]
  • Recounting a pivotal conversation with his father after Trump’s conviction:
    • “He looks at me, he goes, ‘Honey, I’m not sure how, but somehow we’re going to win this whole thing…’” [13:34]
    • Stakes described as “White House or jail.” [13:56]

Notable Quotes

• “Thank God the entire country realized what they were doing to him. And they didn’t like it. Be careful of the law of unintended consequences in life.” – Eric Trump [14:56]
• “Sometimes the things that you think are going to make sense for a whole lot of reasons…they actually turn the guy into a martyr.” – Eric Trump [15:13]

4. Assassination Attempts and Security Lapses

• Discussion Triggered by Charlie Kirk’s Killing: Bannon and Eric Trump scrutinize assassination attempts (Butler, golf course), suggesting inadequate investigations by federal agencies, connecting alleged perpetrators to “radical transgender ideology.” [17:17]
  • “130 yard shot with a modern day rifle…is a chip shot. The fact that he hit my father’s ear and missed his head is by the grace of God…” – Eric Trump [17:28]
  • Criticizes high-level Secret Service figures and demands full information disclosure about the attackers.

5. Commercialization and Alleged Suppression of Pro-MAGA Content

• Retail Suppression: Eric Trump claims bookstores like Barnes & Noble are “playing games,” hiding his bestselling book, unlike Amazon. [20:26]
  • “I’m done with the woke crap…Amazon has been incredible…just go on Amazon, pick up your book.” – Eric Trump [21:07]

6. Saudi Visit & Middle East Policy

• White House Correspondence: Brian Glenn previews the state visit of the Saudi Crown Prince, highlighting unprecedented security, press restrictions, and the symbolism of military pageantry (F35 flyovers, horses).

  • “Big, big pageantry laid out for this Crown Prince.” – Glenn [25:31]
  • Discussion of linkage between arms deals, the Abraham Accords, and Palestinian statehood. No major Middle East peace agreement expected at this event. [25:31–26:27]

• Discussion on Geo-Politics Messaging: Bannon and Mark Mitchell argue Trump’s messaging on foreign policy lacks domestic translation.

  • “He was supposed to end the wars, get us out of all these foreign entanglements, and focus solely on the domestic front. And I think he’s done a lot of work domestically, but they aren’t bringing people along for the ride…” – Mark Mitchell [35:19]

7. Populist Rage, Economic Pain, and Polling Insights

• Economic Alienation: Mark Mitchell explores disaffection among young and working-class MAGA supporters, citing polling that under-40 voters (even Trump voters) increasingly back policies like Universal Basic Income due to fear of job loss from AI and corporate oligarchy.

  • “We have a corporatist oligarchy that’s built all the wealth out of the American people.” [36:14]
  • “People hate the fact that it’s… junk food…and the companies are making all the money.” – Mark Mitchell [37:58]

• Polls Indicate Trouble for GOP: Decline in generic ballot for Republicans, with D+8 signal, dissatisfaction with issues like redistricting, and frustration at establishment’s lack of fight. [39:20]

  • “They’re just not in the fight. They’re playing checkers when the Democrats are playing chess.” – Mitchell [39:44]

• Asset Bubbles & the “Fourth Turning” Lens: Bannon, Mitchell, and others apply generational theory (“The Fourth Turning”) to current US crises—arguing the country is cycling into a period of upheaval and foundational change.

  • “A series of turnings…launched by a so-called crisis war…” – Bannon [49:12]
  • “That’s really the key to understanding what happens next.” – Mark Mitchell [49:36]

8. Historical Frameworks and Social Despair

• The Fourth Turning Explained: A pre-recorded segment or expert lays out the theory of turnings: High, Awakening, Unraveling, and Crisis; each about 20 years, culminating in societal transformation via generational conflicts and reconstruction.

• Real World Consequences: Mitchell offers an emotional example of disenfranchisement among loyal Trump/tech supporters laid off in favor of foreign workers:

  • “I'm at the end of my rope… now it's turning. This company’s turning over all of their IT to India… I did what they told me to... If Trump tells me essentially I'm stupid, I deserve this… probably should just die already so his billionaire buddies can make a few extra bucks.” [54:34]
  • “There’s a lot of severity in the MAGA movement and they're looking at all these optics and there’s pain. And Donald Trump needs to feel that pain.” – Mark Mitchell [55:09]

• Policy Demand: Bannon advocates:

  • “We’ve gotta shut down all the visa scams…All HB1 visa holders should say, hey, look, we love you guys, but you got to go back home and every billet…be filled by American citizens.” [55:12]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Eric Trump: “They tried to make him into a martyr…that’s why we won every swing state, that’s why we won the popular vote…” [15:13]
• Bannon: “This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies, because we're going medieval on these people.” [05:43]
• Mitchell: “We have a corporatist oligarchy that's basically created corporate welfare...decaying our societal fabric, all for a 10% reduction in the cost of goods sold.” [36:14]
• Unidentified Analyst: “We're in the early stages of a police state, sort of soft authoritarianism. And I'm worried we can drop the modifiers pretty soon.” [02:36]
• Eric Trump (re: assassination attempt): “The fact that he hit my father's ear and missed his head is by the grace of God...” [17:28]
• Mitchell (on youth sentiment): “Populist energy in the Trump movement comes from young men who can’t get their foot in the door.” [53:17]

Timeline/Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:36: Weaponization of DOJ, "early stages of a police state"
• 03:13–04:13: Trump’s VP pick drama (Rubio vs. Vance), “They hate JD Vance as much as they hate you.”
• 07:27–15:41: Eric Trump details years of legal/political assaults and transformation of Trump into a "martyr"
• 13:34–15:13: Eric tells Bannon about post-court conversation with Donald Trump; “White House or jail”
• 17:17–19:52: Discussion of security failures and politicized narratives around assassination attempts
• 20:26–21:07: Eric Trump on Amazon vs. Barnes & Noble, “woke crap”
• 22:59–29:18: Brian Glenn previews Saudi state visit, White House pageantry, and press restrictions
• 34:33–36:48: Debate on Trump’s foreign policy messaging and domestic priorities (AI, UBI, SNAP welfare)
• 39:44–40:57: Redistricting failures and declining GOP polling, D+8 generic ballot
• 43:35–45:28: Asset bubbles, AI compared to Dotcom/2008, housing crisis and market speculation
• 48:08–53:17: The Fourth Turning theory explained and applied to the American present
• 54:34–55:09: Real-world MAGA despair, job loss to foreign workers, youth alienation

Tone and Language

The episode blends energized grievance, populist anger, and conspiratorial undertones with a heavy sense of historical crisis and urgency—a signature of “War Room.” The language is combative and emotionally charged, with speakers alternating between outrage, nostalgia, and calls to action. There are moments of somber reflection, especially around personal loss, and a focus on rallying the audience.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode provides an insider’s, emotionally intense look at how the MAGA movement and the Trump family perceive the ongoing legal, political, and cultural battles in the US. The discussion ranges from the sense of persecution and martyrdom of Donald Trump, to polling-based evidence for populist economic despair, to the application of sweeping historical theories that cast the present day as a moment of generational reckoning. Listeners will encounter first-person testimony, behind-the-scenes political strategy, and candid frustration with both establishment Democrats and Republicans. The final note is an urgent call for both intellectual framework (via "The Fourth Turning") and immediate collective action.

For more details, explore the full episode or follow the guests on their social platforms as discussed.