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Episode 5174: Declaring A National Emergency Over Our Elections To Stop Foreign Interference - Bannon`s War Room | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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Episode 5174: Declaring A National Emergency Over Our Elections To Stop Foreign Interference

Bannon`s War Room

Fri Feb 27 2026

Episode 5174: Declaring A National Emergency Over Our Elections To Stop Foreign Interference ...

Summary

Bannon’s War Room – Episode 5174 Summary

Title: Declaring A National Emergency Over Our Elections To Stop Foreign Interference
Date: February 27, 2026
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Panelists: Sam Faddis, Brian Glenn, Garland Favorito, Jim Hoft, Patty Murray, Neil McCabe

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the growing calls within the Trump-aligned political sphere to declare a “national emergency” over alleged vulnerabilities and foreign interference in the U.S. electoral system. The conversation covers White House deliberations about new executive orders, recent investigative reporting on election integrity, state-level actions, and fears of abuse of executive powers. Panelists detail supposed election system flaws, foreign influence—especially via China—and make the case for stringent federal action, including voter ID and elimination of mail-in ballots. The episode also discusses related developments in Texas, pending military action in Iran, and persistent conflicts over party establishment resistance.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. Escalating Rhetoric on Election Integrity & Executive Power

Current White House Deliberations:
- Reports that Trump’s team is exploring an executive order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and imposing voter ID nationally.
- Draft executive order being circulated by pro-Trump activists claims Chinese interference in 2020 and seeks to declare a national emergency to broaden presidential powers over elections ([00:00–02:55], [05:59–08:52]).
Warnings of Democratic Backsliding:
- Bannon references America’s tradition of peaceful transfers of power, suggesting the country is moving closer to a constitutional crisis (“point Z”) ([00:00]).
- Anxiety that unilateral federal actions could disrupt elections and disenfranchise voters.
Quote:

“It is difficult to pinpoint precisely where we are...on that sliding scale between A and Z. But this afternoon’s developments make it abundantly clear we are straying...ever closer...to point Z.” – Steve Bannon [00:00]

2. State and Local Countermeasures

Different Approaches in Key States:
- Georgia: Three of five state election board members identified as Trump allies, with local officials preparing for new challenges ([02:55]).
- Arizona (Maricopa County): GOP supervisors aggressively challenging claims of voter disenfranchisement.
- Panelists emphasize that vigilant local and state actions could check federal overreach.
Quote:

“There is the recorder who’s in charge of Maricopa county elections...his office claimed that there were disenfranchised voters...They called him in...saying, you're not going to get to election day claiming that voters are disenfranchised. We’re holding you accountable.” – Sam Faddis [03:46]

3. Legal and Constitutional Constraints

State vs. Federal Powers:
- Constitutionally, states run elections; Congress can pass national legislation, but the president has no direct authority ([04:44]).
- Prior Trump executive actions on elections were blocked by courts.
- Panel highlights court readiness to check unconstitutional executive action.
Quote:

“...Presidents have no role. And already this year, as we've seen this campaign to try to undermine the midterms, courts have stepped up...There is no legal basis for any of these things that are being reported.” – Brian Glenn [04:44]

4. Allegations and Narratives of Fraud and Foreign Threats

Connect Software and Chinese Influence:
- Garland Favorito and Sam Faddis claim that U.S. election software company Konnech has Chinese nationals in key roles and connections to Chinese intelligence/influence operations; allege transfer of voting data to servers in China ([12:35], [18:25]).
- Konnech’s CEO indictment and subsequent legal developments referenced as evidence of cover-up and ongoing vulnerabilities.
Quote:

“Konnech documented to have lied, to have sent data to Communist China, to have stored data on servers in Communist China...super admin access was also given to Chinese nationals inside China.” – Garland Favorito [12:35]

Implications for 2020 and Beyond:
- Broad claims that 2020 was “obviously stolen” via mail-in ballots, absent signature verification, and fraud in battleground states ([17:02–18:25]).
Quote:

“They stole the 2020 election in Wisconsin, in Michigan, in Pennsylvania, in Georgia and Maricopa County. And we can prove it. And we’re going to prove it. And that’s why you need this executive order.” – Steve Bannon [17:02]

5. Election Integrity Investigations: Michigan Case Study

FOIA and Ballot Auditing:
- Patty Murray describes the acquisition and ongoing review of nearly 1M Detroit 2020 election records, finding absentee ballot envelopes with missing signatures, missing official receipt stamps, and ballots counted despite these flaws ([23:20], [30:03]).
- Claims, without scale context, that 36% of reviewed ballots had physically impossible postmark and receipt timing.
Quote:

“We have almost a million documents...we have all the ballot envelopes, absentee ballot envelopes, the applications...What you're looking at...is absentee ballot envelope...that...is not signed...and no official stamp of when the ballot was received...that absentee ballot was indeed counted.” – Patty Murray [23:20]

6. Pushing for Federal Action: Voter ID, End Mail-in Voting, Hand Counts

Proposed Solutions:
- Advocates for:
  - National voter ID requirement
  - Banning mail-in ballots
  - Public, hand-marked paper ballots
  - Elimination of electronic voting machines ([34:47])
- Calls for a “designated deliverer” with ID for absentee ballots.
Quote:

“We really need to stop mail in voting and get rid of the machines. Let’s do publicly recorded hand counts and hand marked paper ballots. That solves the security risk. Nobody can hack a piece of paper.” – Garland Favorito [36:19]

7. Resistance from Political Establishment & ‘Patriot’ Networks

Struggles with Party Establishments:
- Panelists describe limited or no help from state or national GOP organs; credit grassroots networks and independent media (e.g., Gateway Pundit) for maintaining investigative pressure and “not quitting” ([25:30], [26:14], [37:14]).
- Promote volunteer and donation opportunities for ongoing efforts (VoterGA.org, Gateway Pundit).

8. Other Segments: 2026 Texas Elections, Iran, and Global Tensions

Trump in Texas:
- Coverage of Trump’s campaign events in Corpus Christi, emphasis on energy and the importance of Texas races for national control ([40:35–41:51]).
Iran War Discussion:
- Neil McCabe describes military movements (placement of the USS Gerald R. Ford, Abraham Lincoln), likely structure of potential U.S. kinetic operation against Iran, and strategic considerations ([45:16–49:33]).
- Sam Faddis expresses skepticism of benefit and warns against rushing into war at Israeli urging ([39:29]).
Quote:

“I am really hesitant about this idea that we are going to bomb Iran and then the regime will collapse and something wonderful will replace it. I don't see the plan.” – Sam Faddis [39:29]

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Federal Election Power:

“Presidents have no role. And already this year, as we've seen this campaign to try to undermine the midterms, courts have stepped up.” – Brian Glenn [04:44]
On Perceived Systemic Election Fraud:

“They stole the 2020 election in Wisconsin, in Michigan, in Pennsylvania, in Georgia and Maricopa County. And we can prove it...We are never, ever again going to allow you people to do what you did in November of 2020.” – Steve Bannon [17:02]
On ‘Patriot’ Persistence:

“The lessons here, folks, for your agency is that...heroes and Patriots...have been working and have not quit in six years.” – Steve Bannon [25:30]
On Potential for Confusion Over a Stolen Election:

“He doesn’t need to steal it. He needs to throw it into confusion. And if you throw it into confusion and you are the federal government...” – Sam Faddis [08:43]
On Cybersecurity and Ballot Security:

“Connect software stores passwords on all equipment, all voting equipment. That means voting machines. Connect direct access to voter records.” – Garland Favorito [18:25]
On the Iran Conflict:

“...once things are in place, it has to be a go, because too much has been spent and too much has been put into place. And so it’s almost like we can’t do all of this and not throw the party.” – Neil McCabe [47:53]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00-02:55 | Bannon overview; latest developments in White House election plans | | 02:55-04:28 | Sam Faddis on state/local responses (Georgia, Arizona) | | 04:44-05:59 | Brian Glenn on constitutional basis and legal resistance to executive overreach | | 12:35-14:59 | Garland Favorito details allegations against Konnech and Chinese influence | | 17:02-18:25 | Bannon on “stealing” of the 2020 election; push for executive order | | 23:20-25:30 | Patty Murray recounts Michigan ballot envelope audit and findings | | 30:03-31:32 | More Michigan findings: vote timing “impossibilities,” data scale | | 34:47-36:53 | Garland and Jim Hoft: case for emergency, calls for banning machines/mail-in ballots | | 39:29-40:12 | Sam Faddis warns against hasty Iran intervention | | 45:43-49:33 | Neil McCabe: military posture for possible Iran strike | | 50:50-52:06 | Texas political races, implications for MAGA, ties to national outcomes |

Conclusion & Calls to Action

Throughout the episode, Bannon and guests urge listeners to support volunteer, citizen-led efforts for election investigations and legal challenges, plug their associated organizations, and stoke urgency around the possibility of significant federal action to reshape election systems before the 2026 election. They present these efforts and possible executive actions as necessary “antibodies” to what they characterize as systemic fraud and elite subversion, drawing upon narratives of foreign interference and government cover-ups.

Tone:
Combative, urgent, and conspiratorial, with recurring appeals to patriotism, volunteer organizing, and distrust of both the Democratic opposition and segments of the GOP establishment.

For more information or to get involved:

VoterGA.org (Garland Favorito)
Gateway Pundit (Jim Hoft, Patty Murray)
Ann Magazine Substack (Sam Faddis)
Patty Murray on Twitter: @PrettyLovesTruth
Brian Glenn: [Brian Glenn TV on Twitter/Instagram/TruthSocial]

End of Summary

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Transcript

Steve Bannon (0:00)

The safe and secure presidential elections, national elections we have enjoyed in our country without interruption over the course of this century. And then point Z. That is the nightmare scenario. A president who has already exhibited a willingness and interest and effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, encouraging violence if it's necessary, with an unfettered control over our election systems. It is difficult to pinpoint precisely where we are today, right now, this hour, on that sliding scale between A and Z. But this afternoon's developments make it abundantly clear we are straying further and further from point A and lurching ever closer and closer to point Z. The latest reporting from Ms. Now quote, Donald Trump has directed his White House counsel's office to explore the feasibility of an executive order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and photo identification at polling locations nationwide, even as his own lawyers have warned the moves would likely run into legal trouble. According to senior White House official who spoke anonymously. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vogt and White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf are among those overseeing the effort to determine whether a legally viable path forward on this stuff exists. It is the latest sign that Donald Trump intends to reshape American elections and unilaterally and without congressional buy in, test the limits of his executive authority. The only part of that that is more chilling, more chilling than the idea of a unilateral executive order that could disenfranchise a large number of American voters with the stroke of a pen, was that phrase toward the end of the reporting, quote, the latest sign. Because it is, as we've been chronicling here, just a piece, albeit a very important one, of that drift ever closer to point Z on the spectrum. Case in point, brand new reporting in the Washington Post out late this afternoon. Quote, pro Trump activists who say they're in coordination with the White House are circulating a 17 page draft executive order that claims China interfered in the 2020 election as a basis to declare a national emergency that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting. Donald Trump has repeatedly previewed a plan to mandate voter ID and to ban mail in ballots in November's midterm elections. The activists expect their draft will figure into Trump's promised executive order on the issue. The White House declined to elaborate on Trump's plans. Considering those two pieces of reporting from today as a pair, you can ask yourself in our nation's 250 year history, have there been 250 days more important to the health and well being and survival of our democracy than the span between this afternoon and and Election Day Because Point Z is calling and we might be closer to it than you think.

Sam Faddis (2:55)

I think that, number one, all of the folks that are at the top echelons of the White House were there in 2021, 2022, 2023, during the indictment, during the January six committee hearings. All of them know exactly what took place if they were not even working in the White House themselves. So they know what they've signed on to and they know what their boss is capable of doing here. They also understand that people like Steve Bannon can pass along documents directly to key aid and get into Donald Trump's ear and suddenly he's posting it overnight. Here's the one thing that I think is different from our reporting that's go around. I've been talking to local officials too here. You know, if you look at Georgia, right, the folks understand that three of the five Georgia state election board members are MAGA Trump allies. And they are preparing, understanding the enormity of the power that those three election board members have. And so folks on the ground are preparing. Out in Arizona, Maricopa county, there are several Republicans on the Maricopa county board as supervisors. They've lived through this before and they're preparing. There is the recorder who's in charge of Maricopa county elections. Justin Heap, for example, he said just a couple of weeks ago that his office claimed that there were disenfranchised voters. You know what that Republican led Board of Supervisors did? They called him in and made him go and testify to his claim, essentially saying, you're not going to get to election day claiming that voters are disenfranchised. We're holding you accountable. Now, he and his office were unable to answer the question. I think that is going to be the difference is at the local and state level here because we know exactly what the White House and Donald Trump have up their sleeve.

Sam Faddis (6:53)

And Donald Trump is ultimately going to get what he wants. Right? You can talk about Cash Patel and whether his job is on the line or not, but guess what? Cash Patel is going and executing an FBI search of Fulton county, his director of national intelligence. He doesn't have to agree with her assessment about Iran's nuclear capabilities, but she's down there in Fulton County. And if you are looking here at the ways in which they can impact this election ahead, that from the sources that we have talked to, it is these very folks that Donald Trump continues to turn to, those that are willing to execute on this here. And if you go back, I think we have to go back to 2020. If you go back to the dissent of Justice Sotomayor, she was very clear in the question there of whether the president had absolute immunity. She said organizes a military coup to hold on to power immune. That was her interpretation of the opinion of the Supreme Court in the president of the United States could potentially use his military trying to use emergency powers which the Brennan Senator has done a great job in understanding that there are no legal statutes that allow him to move forward with that. But that doesn't mean that Donald Trump is not going to try, because we have seen him try before, and especially in the hours before the election. There's a big question here of, especially if they try to lay claim to Iran or China trying to use foreign influence, the president could try to make the case that there is a foreign threat here domestically, that it makes it incumbent upon him to, whether it be, seize voting machines, which he considered doing. Michael Schmidt did a great report there in real time about that. And this is a moment here where the President of the United States is more eager than ever, clearly based off of our reporting, to push the ball forward on this. In simply having Congress not pass a save act, that's not going to satisfy it. He doesn't need to steal it. He needs to throw it into confusion. And if you throw it into confusion and you are the federal government and

Patty Murray (23:20)

Yeah, so I think you saw the report that came out yesterday on the Gateway Pundit. We have a team of leading election integrity experts who are working on pouring through almost a million documents that were FOIA'd by Yehuda Miller. Actually, the FOIA was rejected and he had to sue the city of Detroit for the documents. So we have all the documents, we have all the ballot envelopes, absentee ballot envelopes, the applications. We have all the ballots, the tapes. We have everything from the 2020 election in Detroit, which nobody thought we would ever get. The findings that we're making are just incredible. We have over right now 100 and we have 200 volunteers signed up to pour through these documents. What you're looking at on the screen is absentee ballot envelope. And what's important to note about this is that on the right where it says sign here, you can't, you can't. A ballot cannot be counted unless that's signed. Doesn't have to be dated, but it has to be signed. This particular envelope is not signed. And to the left of that is an area where the official city clerk stamp should go that shows when this envelope was received. It's also missing that underneath in the for clerks use only section, you can see that a ballot number was assigned to this voter. We have redacted his name. We have the name and we know who it is. We've looked it up and that absentee ballot was indeed counted. So no name or no signature, which is required in order for the ballot to be counted says clearly on the envelope it needs to be signed. And no official stamp of when the ballot was received could have been received the day after the election. We don't know. We do know because of the Gateway Pundit reporting that a white van did deliver tens of thousands of ballots to the TCF center in Detroit that the morning after the election. So who knows? This could have been part of that dump. But what I can tell you is that we're finding a lot just with the ballot envelope investigation that we've done so far. The things that we're finding are just crazy.