Bannon’s War Room: Episode 4999

Date: December 16, 2025
Title: Trump Continues To Go After Cartel; Was The Brown University Shooting Targeting Christians

Overview

This episode centers around the Trump administration’s aggressive actions on border security and drug cartels, particularly the recent executive order designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. The discussion also covers the rise in anti-Semitism and targeted violence against Christians and conservatives, with particular focus on the Brown University shooting and potential political motivations behind it. The episode further explores the global impact of right-wing movements, the media landscape in Hispanic communities, and concludes with an analysis of U.S. fiscal and monetary policy headwinds for economic growth in 2026.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Trump’s Executive Actions: Fentanyl and Cartels (00:00–05:40)

• Donald Trump opens by highlighting military successes at the border and the legal designation of drug cartels as enemies of the state.

  • Declares military and border patrol operations have drastically cut illegal crossings.
  • Announces the end of “catch and release” and a policy of immediate deportation or imprisonment for offenders.
  • “We're formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is. No bomb does what this is doing.” (04:19, Trump)

• Tom Holman (former ICE Director) offers firsthand testimony on the impact:

  • Shares recent border visits, stating: "Hundreds upon hundreds of miles of border. I didn't see one illegal alien. Not a single one... No one has done more than President Trump. What he has done is gave us the most secure border in the history of this nation. Hard stop." (01:32)
  • Critiques the Biden administration, calling it “inhumane,” and praises Trump for saving lives by reducing border crossings, trafficking, and related crimes.

• Trump criticizes Colorado’s governance and highlights political prisoners, segueing into broader claims of election fraud (04:16–05:40).

2. Rising Bigotry and Anti-Semitism (05:40–07:40)

• Cash Bondino discusses global increases in all forms of bigotry, focusing on anti-Semitism and its links to far-right and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
  • “Jews are not responsible, regardless of what they think about Israel, they are not responsible for what Israel does.” (06:05, Bondino)
• Bannon and panel reflect on attacks against minorities (Chinese Americans during COVID, Muslims post-9/11), emphasizing the need for equal treatment regardless of ethnicity or religion.

3. War on Multiple Fronts: Domestic and International Threats (09:10–14:10)

• John Solomon (Investigative journalist) underscores the non-traditional warfare America is facing:

  • “America is currently at war, not in the traditional sense... but our enemies are trying to create death and destruction on our soil. They do it with fentanyl... They do it with terror attacks.” (09:11)
  • Highlights a foiled left-wing terror plot in Los Angeles and links between drug cartels, terrorism, and foreign actors (China, Venezuela, Mexico).

• Solomon reports on what he describes as ongoing corruption and resistance within federal law enforcement (the “deep state”) regarding Clinton investigations, laying out timelines and recent grand jury developments.

  • “Inside the FBI, 16, 17, 18, it kept getting shut down. Andy McCabe kept shutting it down, kept putting pressure there. Shut it down.” (13:03)

4. The Hispanic Right and Media Landscape (16:31–26:37)

• Javier Negray, a Spanish-language correspondent, interviews Trump and discusses the alleged impact of MAGA influence in Latin America and Spain.
  • Trump: "We just had a good one in Honduras... in Chile, the person I endorsed who was not leading ended up winning quite easily." (16:44)
  • Javier explains that left-leaning mainstream Spanish-language media in the US (Univision, Telemundo, CNN Español) misrepresents Trump to Hispanic voters and is funded by globalists and Democratic-aligned interests.
    • “So it's really important to show how the reality is in the Hispanic community… we have to fight against [fake news].” (20:01, Javier Negray)
• Discussion of new conservative Spanish-language media channels as a corrective voice.

5. Fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction: International Collaboration (27:21–32:48)

• Oscar Blue Ramirez, reporting from Mexico, supports Trump’s policy as a major step:
  • “It is a great accomplishment and I hope that every single country and the whole continent recognizes this… as a weapon of mass destruction.” (27:26)
  • Calls for “immediate pressure to the Mexican government,” exposing corrupt politicians, and acting against fentanyl labs.

6. Alleged Targeted Violence Against Christians and Conservatives: Brown University Shooting (34:48–41:35)

• Steve Bannon and Caroline Wren discuss new details and disturbing patterns in the Brown University shooting, noting the victim, Ella Cook, was a prominent conservative and Christian leader on campus.
  • Wren: “Less than 1% identify as conservative... and somehow the vice president of the College Republicans died in the shooting. It makes it very hard to believe that this was not targeted.” (35:48)
  • Criticizes lack of transparency and urgency in the investigation, raising suspicion about media disinterest and possible political motivations.
  • Bannon: “It’s just too random, right? It just doesn’t make sense. Maybe it is, but we gotta get there.” (37:56)
  • Wren contextualizes as part of broader political violence against right-wing figures and Christians nationwide.

7. Economic Headwinds: Demand-Side vs. Supply-Side Policy (41:35–50:38)

• David Malpass (former World Bank President) analyzes the Federal Reserve’s entrenched demand-side economics.
  • “The system is set up with models... they think growth causes inflation. So they ought to tamp down growth with high interest rates—that's getting locked in... It fights against growth.” (42:36)
  • Warns this will hinder potential economic expansion under Trump’s policies, creating a persistent headwind into 2027.
  • Advocates for a return to supply-side tax cuts and monetary policy favoring growth and lower interest rates.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump on Fentanyl:
  "We're formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is. No bomb does what this is doing." (04:19)

• Tom Holman’s Testimony:
  "Hundreds upon hundreds of miles of border. I didn't see one illegal alien. Not a single one... Most secure border in the history of this nation. Hard stop." (01:32)

• Cash Bondino on Bigotry:
  "Jews are not responsible, regardless of what they think about Israel, they are not responsible for what Israel does any more than a Chinese American... is responsible for what China does." (06:05)

• Solomon on Deep State:
  "Inside the FBI...it kept getting shut down. Andy McCabe kept shutting it down, kept putting pressure there. Shut it down." (13:03)

• Javier Negray on Hispanic Media:
  "We have to fight against fake news. The best place to do it is Real America's Voice en Español every Sunday." (21:34)

• Oscar Blue Ramirez on Action Steps:
  "Immediate pressure to the Mexican government...and ultimately at the end of the day, more pressure to dismantle these fentanyl laboratories that has been growing in Mexico." (30:39)

• Caroline Wren on Brown University Shooting:
  "It makes it very hard to believe that this was not targeted. And why we don't know much about this also is because no one in the media is talking about it." (35:48) "There's a pattern here and it is a pattern of left wing violence against conservatives, against Christians, and we have got to stop it." (39:17)

• Malpass on Economic Models:
  "We want the short rates down for small businesses, but we also want the long rates down for mortgages. And that's not going to happen under their current models." (47:24)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:29 — Trump outlines military successes and anti-cartel actions
• 01:29–04:16 — Tom Holman on border effects and humanitarian issues
• 05:40–07:40 — Anti-Semitism, global bigotry, and ethnic scapegoating discussion
• 09:10–14:10 — John Solomon: Internal and external threats, FBI/DOJ deep state
• 16:31–26:37 — Spanish-language conservative media, global MAGA movement
• 27:21–32:48 — Fentanyl designation, Mexican government, Hispanic conservative media
• 34:48–41:35 — Brown University shooting: details, suspicions, conservative targets
• 41:35–50:38 — Malpass on Fed resistance to pro-growth economic policy

Final Thoughts

This episode pivots between the international (cartels, foreign policy, global right movements) and the domestic (border security, targeted violence against conservatives), meshing policy analysis with claims of cultural warfare. The panel emphasizes the supposed effectiveness of Trump-era strategies on border security and crime, voices frustration with alleged left/media bias, and calls for an expanded conservative presence in Spanish-language media to counter Democratic narratives. The tragic events at Brown University are framed within a broader narrative of anti-conservative violence, demanding higher law enforcement attention and stricter accountability from authorities. The episode closes with a warning about enduring “deep state” and economic institutional resistance to the populist-conservative agenda.

For the full list of segments and to follow these stories, visit warroom.org.