Bannon’s War Room – Episode 5036: WarRoom New Year's Special 2026

Host: Stephen K. Bannon | Guests: Dave Brat, Ben Harnwell
Date: January 1, 2026

Overview: A Reflective and Forward-Looking New Year’s Special

This special episode of Bannon’s War Room departs from daily political combat to mark the new year with reflections on personal renewal, spiritual direction, and the cultural-spiritual challenges facing America and the West. Interlaced with music—including various renditions of “Auld Lang Syne”—the discussion focuses on the need for faith, community, and agency in an age calling for renewed purpose and resistance to cultural decay.

Major Themes & Key Discussion Points

1. New Year Spirit & Personal Renewal

• Reflections on the Passing Year and Hopes for 2026
  • Stephen K. Bannon opens by emphasizing the importance of the annual New Year's reflection, setting the tone for a year he expects to be challenging but full of possibility.
    • "We're starting off with talking about, as we always do on January 1st, do something a little different about the year ahead and kind of what the focus has to be and the energy has to be." [04:41]
  • The participants share their personal traditions, New Year’s resolutions, and approaches to self-renewal, tying these into wider societal concerns.
    • Dave Brat remarks: "Just looking forward to the new year, personal growth, just of all the things we love. We look back on the past year and we just look forward to renewing ourselves and our country and our families and the churches..." [05:39]

2. Spiritual Inventory & Faith as the Foundation

• Dave Brat’s Routine and Spiritual Discipline
  • Brat discusses the importance of continuous prayer and spiritual focus, emphasizing gratitude and worship over mere petition.
    • "I try to pray all day... I don't think we do a good enough job worshiping God, right? We're always asking God for stuff... but I don't think we do enough. So that's kind of one thing I'm trying to push myself." [07:11]
    • "What's the chief end of man?... It's to praise and glorify God. And so, you know, you just want to do that constantly." [07:45]
• Exploring the Practical vs. Spiritual
  • Bannon probes Brat on balancing practical resolutions with spiritual growth.
    • Brat responds by sharing his personal journey, from business to seminary to economics, always seeking God’s purpose._
      • "All of that was linked toward the calling, right?... What does God want you to... No one else can answer that for you..." [09:22]
  • The discussion compares traditions—Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, and Catholic—on the daily living out of faith.

3. Cultural Commentary: Faith, Film, and History

• Film as a Reflection of Societal Values
  • Bannon reminisces about classic films featuring Vivien Leigh, using them to contrast modern culture with the seriousness and depth of the past.
    • "If you ever get a chance to see all three of them, you'll see Vivian Leigh at her height... Gone with the Wind, Waterloo Bridge, and That Hamilton Woman." [21:00]
  • The trio shares a humorous exchange about dour Calvinist cultures, using George C. Scott's roles to illustrate contrasts in cultural temperament.
    • Brat jokes: "The Danes are the happiest people on the earth... because they have the lowest expectations..." [23:59]

4. Observations from Rome: Christianity under Pressure

• On-the-Ground Reporting & Reflections from Ben Harnwell
  • Bannon thanks Harnwell for his live reporting from St. Peter’s Square at Christmas, noting the contrast between the spiritual gravity of tradition and the harsh realities for Christians in the Middle East.
    • Harnwell describes the experience: "It was a solitary experience... I took one for the team in order to bring that one for the War Room posse..." [32:01]
  • Harnwell critiques recent remarks by Pope Leo about Lebanon as a 'model' of Christian-Muslim coexistence, painting a stark picture of Christian demographic decline:
    • "The story of Lebanon is absolutely horrific from a Christian perspective... If Pope Leo thinks that we in the West... are going to tolerate that dynamic... he has no idea of the fighting spirit which is moving right across Europe and especially the United States..." [34:54]

5. Revival and Resistance: Is There Hope for the West?

• Signs of Christian Revival Among Youth
  • The hosts discuss emerging data on Christian revival, especially among young men, even as broader society becomes more secular.
    • Harnwell: "There is something taking place in the 18-24 year old male block in terms of Christian church attendance, a pickup, an uptick... young guys who are going back to the roots of Christianity..." [44:14]
  • They stress that Christianity’s future may rest not on numbers, but on the conviction and integrity of its practitioners.
    • "Jesus Christ never told us in order to win our battles, we need to be a numerical majority... if you live the faith with integrity... that will attract people, guaranteed a thousand percent." [44:14]
• Bannon’s Call to Agency and Community Action
  • "When Ben talks right there about this rejuvenation among young men 18 to 24, it's about the use of agency of God working through you as divine providence does... our accomplishments are unparalleled. Why? Because of your agency and your stick-to-itiveness, your work."[47:50]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Bannon’s War Cry
  "This is the primal scream of a dying regime for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people... The people have had a belly full of it." [03:49]
• Spiritual Purpose
  Dave Brat: "What's the chief end of man? It's... to praise and glorify God... you want to do that constantly." [07:45]
• Cultural Lament
  Bannon: "They didn't pull any punches... Back then I think they realized that adults can handle adult topics and you don't have to do it in a sleazy or perverted way." [26:18]
• On Lebanon and Christian Identity
  Ben Harnwell: "Pope Leo thinks that we in the west... are going to tolerate that dynamic... he has no idea of the fighting spirit which is moving right across Europe and especially the United States, especially with young guys in their 20s..." [34:54]
• On Hopeful Signs
  Harnwell: "Now, Steve, you're going to ask me, is it going to be too little, too late, or will it swing the tide? And I don't know... All I can say is that I think what the Holy Spirit wants us to do is to be the best witnesses to Jesus Christ that we can possibly be..." [44:14]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:41] – Bannon sets the New Year’s theme and welcomes guests
• [07:11-09:22] – Dave Brat on prayer, resolutions, and spiritual calling
• [21:00] – Bannon on Vivien Leigh and classic films as cultural markers
• [23:59-25:37] – Discussion of dour cultural stereotypes and happiness studies
• [32:01] – Harnwell shares about Christmas Eve reporting from Vatican
• [34:54] – Harnwell critiques Pope Leo’s stance on Lebanon & Christian decline
• [44:14] – Harnwell on Christian revival among young men in the West
• [47:50] – Bannon calls for renewed personal agency and spiritual perseverance

Tone & Language

The episode blends earnest spiritual reflection with signature War Room bravado. The hosts oscillate between urgent warnings about cultural and spiritual decline and hopeful calls for renewal, often with humor and personal anecdotes.

Summary

This New Year's special of Bannon's War Room provides a deep, reflective conversation about personal renewal, faith as the bedrock of societal resistance, and the pressing cultural battles over the future of Christianity in the West. Bannon, Brat, and Harnwell underscore the necessity of agency—both individual and communal—to confront what they see as existential threats to Western identity and freedom. They blend cultural commentary, humorous banter, and solemn calls to spiritual arms, inviting their audience to begin 2026 committed to faith, action, and hope.