Bannon's War Room – Episode 5153

Fighting To Keep Diego Garcia; Live Coverage Of Fulton County

Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Key Guests/Contributors: Captain James Fanell, Cleo Paskal, Felicia Cook, Mike Lindell, and Georgia election board participants

Episode Overview

This episode of Bannon’s War Room intertwines crucial geopolitical and domestic themes: the U.S./UK struggle over Diego Garcia's strategic military control, live developments as Georgia’s state election board moves to possibly take over Fulton County’s elections, and broader concerns about election integrity ahead of the 2026 elections. Bannon offers fiery commentary, expert analysis, and live coverage, blending legal, political, and military insights for his audience.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Landmark Trial: Social Media Addiction & Section 230

• [00:00-03:30] The episode opens on a major ongoing trial in Los Angeles concerning social media companies’ liability for user safety—dubbed a potential “Big Tobacco moment” for tech. The trial could challenge Section 230 protections if platforms are found responsible for knowingly designing systems harmful to youth.
  • "This case hinges on the idea that these companies may have made choices in how they build their systems... encouraged terrible choices in the kids that wound up on them." (A, 00:38)
• Plaintiff’s lawyer presses Zuckerberg on child access to Instagram; courtroom optics become tense after Meta’s team arrives wearing camera-equipped Ray Ban glasses, prompting the judge to order all recordings deleted.

2. Fulton County Election Board Showdown – Georgia’s 2020 Election Under the Microscope

• [03:30–33:00, resumed at 97:30+]
• Live updates from the Georgia State Election Board monthly meeting, focusing on:
  • Whether Republican-aligned board members will move to seize administration of Fulton County's elections, leveraging claims of 2020 ballot irregularities.
  • The meeting’s stakes include potential precedent for state takeovers of local election boards, which could shift voting standards and site availability in heavily Democratic areas.
  • Quote:
    "If the Fulton County Board of elections has taken over by the state election board, then it would be sort of the herald [of] the end of local elections in Georgia." (A, ~04:40)
  • Board members press Fulton officials about data discrepancies, “double votes,” and voter roll maintenance; officials blame system transitions (from Enet to Jarvis). A citizen activist, Mr. Frazier, claims to have found 10,000 duplicate registrations, highlighting weaknesses in recordkeeping and auditing.
    • Notable Exchange:
      • "I as a citizen, found 10,000 people registered more than once in Fulton County." (Mr. Frazier, ~103:00)
  • Frustration mounts: state officials are accused of dodging responsibility, leading to a board motion to subpoena Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for an explanation.
    • “I am tired of having to hear from people who are like, I'm doing my best... when the person that's supposed to ensure that they have all they need ... is not only not providing that, but also not showing up." (Board Member, ~109:40)

3. Crime, Advocacy, and Political Narratives

• [06:30–09:00]
• Emotional testimonial from Felicia Cook, whose grandson’s murder in DC inspired her to advocate for harsher crime policies. Cook credits President Trump—and criticizes Democrats—for listening and responding:
  • “Thank God for this president. I am filled — my cup runneth over because he allowed his constituents... to come to my house to interview me, to talk about the murder of my grandson. ... Get off the man’s back. Let him do his job.” (Felicia Cook, ~07:30)

4. Geopolitics: The Strategic Battle for Diego Garcia

• [37:30–55:15]
• Detailed analysis of the escalating struggle over Diego Garcia, the U.S. air and naval base on a British-controlled island in the Indian Ocean.
  • Guest: Captain James Fanell details U.S. military deployments and the region’s rising tensions—highlighting the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Group’s positioning.
    • "They’re getting both the naval assets and the air assets together. ... The array of forces continues to build. That's the bottom line." (Fanell, ~41:30)
  • Trump’s Statement is read on-air: warning UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to negotiate a lease with Mauritius, cautioning against surrendering Diego Garcia, and linking base control to deterrence against Iran and ongoing U.S.-UK alliance integrity.
    • "Do not GIVE AWAY Diego Garcia." (Trump, via Bannon, ~43:30)
  • Cleo Paskal asserts that ceding the island would harm U.S. security and potentially allow Chinese influence, casting suspicion on the integrity of UK negotiators and their ties to China.
    • "This was selling out — knowing, selling out — of U.S. Security interests with possible corruption overtones." (Paskal, ~51:10)
• Paskal and Bannon emphasize that the entire Chagos Archipelago must stay British to prevent adversaries from encircling Diego Garcia through "tourism or fisheries" ventures.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Section 230/Meta Trial:
  • "Are you expecting a nine year old to read the fine print? Is that truly your claim under oath here that kids under 13 are not allowed on your platform?" (Plaintiff’s Lawyer, ~02:30)
• Georgia Election Board Hearing:
  • "[Election] data shows votes and the data shows no votes. ... What I can say is the data shows votes and the data shows no votes. So really, what we need is a clean system where everybody knows who voted, how they voted, and anybody can do an audit of the election." (Mr. Frazier, ~104:40)
• On Fulton County's Defense:
  • "'I was just retained on Monday.' This shows you. This is just. This is Fulton County. Cover up, they panic. They've got nothing. None of the records match." (Bannon, ~112:30)
• Bannon’s Commentary:
  • “You are not. Those incompetent clowns in Fulton County are not going to steal another election. ... We're going to have ICE outside to make sure no illegal aliens vote and we're going to take over places like Fulton county and Maricopa county." (Bannon, ~115:05)
• On Diego Garcia:
  • “Diego Garcia is about 22 miles... It's an atoll, it's got a 12,000-foot runway, it's quite large, can take any aircraft in U.S. inventory. ... If we lose Diego Garcia, [we’re] cut out of the entire Central Asian area of operations.” (Fanell, ~49:00)
• On U.S.-UK Relations and Chinese Influence:
  • “[This] wasn't just a bad policy decision. This was selling out of knowing, selling out of US Security interests with possible corruption overtones. ... I have some very deep concerns about what's going on in the UK right now.” (Paskal, ~51:05)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–03:30 – Social media addiction trial, Section 230 immunity challenged
• 03:30–09:00 – Fulton County election board: state takeover debate and Cook’s emotional crime advocacy testimony
• 37:30–55:15 – Diego Garcia: military buildup, Trump’s warning, UK-Mauritius negotiations, and expert breakdown of island’s significance
• 97:30–117:30+ – Extended Georgia board hearing: duplicate voter records, system flaws, live procedural debate, and high tensions; culminates in subpoena motion for Secretary of State
• 115:05+ – Bannon’s unsparing commentary and call for grassroots enforcement in future elections

Additional Key Takeaways & Tone

• The tone oscillates between urgent, combative, and emotional—Bannon’s style merges breaking news, advocacy, and outrage.
• The Georgia election segment is technical and gritty, showcasing friction between grassroots watchdogs, bureaucratic inertia, and recurring suspicions about data integrity.
• The Diego Garcia discussion puts U.S. strategic interests in context of global rivalry, with experts and Bannon warning of “woke” policies endangering American security.
• Testimonies and call-ins reflect the show's cross-section of populist grievances, direct legal challenges, and militarized patriotism.

Summary for Non-Listeners

For listeners seeking the pulse of the MAGA movement’s priorities, this episode delivers an unfiltered assessment of perceived internal and external threats. The War Room hammers home the perils of complacency in election oversight (with live coverage of Georgia’s election board), the possible tectonic shift in legal standards facing tech giants, and the sky-high geopolitical stakes in holding onto Diego Garcia. Through expert interviews, citizen activism, and political testimony, Bannon’s War Room ties local, national, and international events together, escalating calls for vigilance and action in 2026 and beyond.