Podcast Summary: Bannon’s War Room – Episode 5019

Title: Does New Polling Reveal Christ Is Alive In The US
Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Steve Bannon
Guests: Mark Tepper, Neil McCabe, Rick Santelli, Richard Baris, Taj Gill, Trevor Comstock, Fallon Gallagher

Overview

In this Christmas-season episode, Steve Bannon focuses on newly released economic data, the political implications for President Trump, the role of faith and belief in the U.S. (highlighted by Richard Baris' Christmas poll), and the impact of a Supreme Court ruling limiting presidential authority over National Guard deployments. The conversation weaves together economic optimism, cultural commentary, and urgent policy debates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. GDP Growth and Economic Optimism

• Strong Economic Data:
  • The actual U.S. GDP growth number hits 4.3%, beating expectations of 3.3%.
  • Mark Tepper credits Trump-era policies, particularly tariffs and capital expenditure incentives, for this surge.
    • Quote (Mark Tepper, 00:17):
      “President Trump’s trade agenda is working... the artificial intelligence productivity boom is really clearly in the data.”
  • AI is referenced as a major productivity driver, compared to the technological leaps of the 1990s.
  • The panel suggests that mainstream economists and business media are consistently underestimating performance.
    • Quote (Mark Tepper, 01:17):
      “If 94% of Wall Street economists are getting the macro trends wrong... maybe the fake news... should reconsider and grab their pencil and redo their economics.”
• Bond Market and Inflation:
  • Rick Santelli explains bond yields’ reaction and expresses skepticism that 2% inflation is attainable, attributing good/strong economies to increased rate competitiveness.

2. Political Implications and Media Narrative

• Democrats at a Disadvantage:
  • Bannon argues that robust growth strips Democrats of their core “economic misery” talking point against Trump, making them “more dangerous” politically (05:37–07:00).
  • The War Room frames the economic rebound as a result of “populist nationalist” priorities, not mere Republican orthodoxy.
    • Quote (Steve Bannon, 06:50):
      “As a populist nationalist movement, we’re not like traditional Republicans... we’re a country and a culture and a society.”

3. Richard Baris’ Annual Christmas Poll: Faith in America

• Religious Identification Trends:
  • 92% still celebrate Christmas; about 80% of Americans believe in God.
  • Of those, 93% affirm that Jesus Christ was the son of God.
  • The “nones” (religiously unaffiliated) are declining, not rising—contrary to media claims. Down from 24% at peak to 18-19%.
    • Quote (Richard Baris, 20:32):
      “The rise of the nones... has flatlined and somewhat reversed.”
  • A notable gap exists between belief in God/Christ and formal church identification: only 40–45% Protestant, 25–30% Catholic.
    • Quote (Richard Baris, 23:44):
      “You have this gap of people who don’t want to identify with one of those traditional Christian denominations yet are saying they believe in God. So something is wrong.”
• Spiritual Confusion and Church Critique:
  • Many “nones” are “spiritual but not affiliated” and distrust church leadership due to scandals or political distractions.
  • Baris critiques both Catholic “money-making” in immigration and mainstream Protestantism for losing focus.
    • Quote (Richard Baris, 26:14):
      “People are just walking around in the wilderness looking for God and there’s nobody to tend the flock.”

4. Supreme Court Ruling – National Guard and Deportations

• Major Decision Against Trump Administration:
  • In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court blocks Trump from federalizing the National Guard in Illinois to support ICE and deportation efforts (33:07).
  • Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito dissent; Barrett and Roberts side with liberal justices.
    • Quote (Fallon Gallagher, 33:25):
      “The court... ruled against the Trump administration, saying he cannot deploy or federalize the National Guard in Illinois.”
• Panel Reaction and Historical Context:
  • Bannon and Neil McCabe warn of the precedent, contrasting it with Lincoln, Eisenhower, JFK using the Guard for national purposes.
    • Quote (Neil McCabe, 38:11):
      “If you can’t exercise control over the army, then what are we doing here? ... There’s not a lot of nuance in commander in chief.”
  • Taj Gill and Neil McCabe propose workaround strategies, like surging Border Patrol instead, and voice concern over politicalization of law enforcement (46:06–47:19).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Steve Bannon (04:49):
  “Pray for our enemies because we’re going medieval on these people. You’re just not going to free shot all these networks lying about the people. The people have had a belly full of it.”

• Richard Baris (19:29):
  “We have a bunch of spiritual, or would-be spiritual people who want to believe in God, but wandering around in the wilderness because church leaders are too busy shilling for their favorite foreign policy or whatever it is.”

• Neil McCabe (41:16):
  “If the president cannot control the military, then what are we doing here? The party’s over. You know, the judges have no role in the military. It just isn’t in the Constitution.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:00–02:40: Reaction to GDP report and macroeconomic trends
• 04:44–05:37: Political/media implications; Bannon’s populist framing
• 16:38–26:33: Deep dive into Richard Baris’ Christmas/faith polling
• 33:07–41:56: Supreme Court ruling discussion, historical parallels, and practical fallout
• 46:06–47:19: Proposed workarounds for immigration enforcement post-ruling

Additional Insights

• Data & Methodology:
  • Baris explains his poll’s large sample size (almost 4,000), mixed-mode data collection, and year-over-year consistency.
• Institutional Distrust:
  • Both the economic and religious discussions circle back to an argument that American institutions—media, mainstream economists, church leadership—are out-of-step with “the people.”
• Show Tone:
  • Defiant, combative, optimistic about “America First” policies, critical of both traditional church and political establishment.

Conclusion / Takeaways

This episode offers a double Christmas message: economic news is (in the War Room’s account) better than the establishment media admits, largely due to Trump’s enduring policies, and—contrary to a narrative of secular decline—a broad majority of Americans still believe in God and, specifically, in Christ as the Son of God. However, this faith is increasingly divorced from formal religious affiliation, blamed on institutional failures. Politically, the Supreme Court’s decision marks a rare and significant setback for Trump’s enforcement agenda heading into a pivotal election year.

For more polling details:
Richard Baris, @PeoplesPundit on Locals: peoplespundit.locals.com

For guest and panel social links:

• Neil McCabe: @reportermccabe on social platforms

Note: Non-content commercial segments and product plugs have been omitted per instructions.