Podcast Summary: Bannon’s War Room Episode 4966

“Empathy: The New Battleground Against The Church”
Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Steve Bannon
Notable Guests: Matt Van Epps, Garrett Galile, Dave Brat, Megan Basham, Jack Posobic

Episode Overview

This episode of Bannon’s War Room centers on the intersection of political dogfights and cultural issues, with a particular focus on how empathy is being wielded as a wedge within the American church and conservative Christian communities. The show includes discussions about crucial ongoing and upcoming political battles—namely, key elections in Tennessee and a high-stakes redistricting fight in Indiana—alongside a deep dive into how “empathy” is being politicized and weaponized in mainstream evangelical circles. The broader context is the existential struggle for the direction of American conservatism, inside and outside the church.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tennessee 7th Congressional Race: Mobilization Push

[00:52–05:00]

• Matt Van Epps, Army combat veteran and Republican candidate, joins to rally final Election Day turnout in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
  • Early voting is strong, but the margin is slim.
  • Van Epps emphasizes the race’s significance for the “America First” agenda, noting strong support from Speaker Johnson and President Trump.
  • Quote: “Your vote might be the one that decides this election and it decides the direction we're gonna move this country. And that's an America first direction.” —Matt Van Epps [02:54]
  • Socials and Mobilization: Voters directed to matt4tn.com for info, urged to use social media as “force multipliers.”
  • Bannon underscores urgency: “Matt, with your shield or on your shield.” [04:46]

2. Indiana Redistricting: National Stakes in Local Fights

[05:00–13:50]

• Garrett Galile (Turning Point Action) discusses Indiana’s redistricting, which could reshape House control for years.
  • Aims to shift from a 7:2 to a 9:0 GOP congressional split.
  • Some GOP legislators hesitant for "petty or self-righteous” reasons, despite Dems’ aggressive gerrymanders elsewhere.
  • Quote: “Leftist states go hard in the paint on this stuff. Conservative states should do the same… there is no reason a 9-0 map should not pass.” —Garrett Galile [08:19]
  • Turning Point Action rally planned for Friday, December 5, at Indiana State Capitol; high-level state officials attending.
  • Activism Update: Galile reports personal doxxing after rally announcement:
    "When you're over the target, you become the target." [10:56]
  • Young voters, energized by Turning Point, see through establishment foot-dragging.
• Call to Action: “Force multiplier” messaging—Bannon encourages mass turnout for both Van Epps and the Indiana rally.

3. The Weaponization of Empathy in the Church

[21:14–34:05]

Megan Basham Segment:

• Basham outlines how progressive movements and establishment church leaders are using “empathy” as a lever to shift evangelical Christians leftward.
  • Distinguishes empathy vs. compassion:
    Empathy demands uncritical alignment with another’s feelings, suspending questions of truth or justice.
  • Key Example: The National Association of Evangelicals’ advocacy for refugee resettlement, opposition to stricter vetting, and the aftermath of a recent fatal attack.
    • Quote: “Empathy demands that we don't ask questions, that we don't look at issues of justice... that's the empathy steering mechanism. It's a steering wheel on your back, as my friend Joe Rigney has said.” —Megan Basham [22:02]
  • Empathy is deployed selectively—instructing Christians to sympathize with certain groups (e.g., LGBTQ+, migrants, BLM activists), but not with others affected by progressive policies (women’s spaces, police, communities disrupted by migration).
    • Quote: “They're really directing you to say, here's who you are supposed to feel empathetic for… and you're not supposed to ask simple questions of justice or truth.” —Megan Basham [25:13]
  • Draws a parallel to Marxism: superficial claims of global empathy mask personal neglect.

Dave Brat’s Response:

• Emphasizes that “empathy” and “values” are not central biblical teachings, but modern/subjective terms.
  • Argues the left elevates these terms to attack core Christian doctrine.
  • Quote: “Empathy is a modern psychological term… The goal of modern liberalism and the leftist is to get everything to be subjective because then it leads to openness.” —Dave Brat [27:19]
  • Biblical focal points: Kingdom of God, repentance, Gospel, obedience.

4. Evangelical Leadership vs. Laity: The “Great Rehab Tour”

[30:39–34:05]

• Basham describes a growing rift between evangelical grassroots (more conservative) and leadership (more liberal, often shaped by progressive seminaries).
  • Leadership now attempting to reposition post-2020/BLM, sometimes without acknowledging past errors.
  • Quote: “Unless there is repentance, we can’t let this great rehab tour happen because they will do it again.” —Megan Basham [33:10]
  • Advocates for accountability and discernment: those who “bent the knee” should lose platform privilege unless they admit error.

Bannon’s Framing:

• The evangelical community is the “lone bulwark” on many issues, making it a deliberate target of progressive strategies.
• Calls for vigilance in pushing back against manipulative empathy narratives.

5. National Security, DC Intrigue, and Young Conservatives

[38:22–42:54]

• Jack Posobic reports live from the Pentagon, previewing a press briefing concerning Venezuela, military investigations, and internal GOP-Democrat alliances.

  • Concerns raised over Republicans joining Democrats to investigate Trump’s Pentagon appointees and military actions.
  • Quote: “If Pete Hegseth, on the orders of Donald Trump, is conducting these types of kinetic strikes...the entire Beltway is totally against that. They want liberal hegemony. That’s what this fight is about.” —Jack Posobic [41:41]

• Bannon signals a brewing battle within GOP ranks between MAGA and establishment over control and direction, paralleling church and political divides.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 02:54 | “Your vote might be the one that decides this election... an America first direction.” | Matt Van Epps | | 08:19 | “Conservative states should do the same... there is no reason a 9-0 map should not pass.” | Garrett Galile | | 10:56 | “When you’re over the target, you become the target.” | Garrett Galile | | 22:02 | “Empathy demands that we don’t ask questions… that’s the empathy steering mechanism. It’s a steering wheel on your back…” | Megan Basham | | 25:13 | “They’re really directing you to say, here’s who you are supposed to feel empathetic for… and you’re not supposed to ask simple questions of justice or truth.” | Megan Basham | | 27:19 | “Empathy is a modern psychological term… the goal of modern liberalism is to get everything to be subjective because then it leads to openness.” | Dave Brat | | 33:10 | “Unless there is repentance, we can’t let this great rehab tour happen because they will do it again.” | Megan Basham | | 41:41 | “If Pete Hegseth, on the orders of Donald Trump, is conducting these types of kinetic strikes… the entire Beltway is totally against that. They want liberal hegemony. That’s what this fight is about.” | Jack Posobic |

Important Timestamps

• [00:52] – Tennessee 7th Race, Van Epps mobilization segment
• [05:42] – Indiana redistricting fight and Turning Point activism
• [21:22] – Megan Basham: Empathy as a wedge in the church
• [30:39] – Accountability in evangelical leadership, “lone bulwark” theme
• [38:22] – Pentagon/Pentagon press room, DC establishment intrigue

Tone & Language

Intense, urgent, and combative—Bannon and guests employ martial metaphors (“force multipliers,” “with your shield or on your shield”) and frame their cultural critiques with religious and philosophical references, blending realpolitik with theological and ideological context.

Conclusion

Episode 4966 of Bannon’s War Room is a strategic overview of political and spiritual battlegrounds for 2025, with “empathy” identified as the latest front in efforts to fracture the evangelical base and dilute conservative resolve. Through calls to action, ideological diagnostics, and inside scoops from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon, Bannon’s camp urges their audience to engage, resist, and hold leaders—both political and ecclesiastical—accountable to conservative principles and truth.