
WarRoom Battleground EP 766: Rise Of Threat And War With Persia ...
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Stephen K. Bannon
But he can't be bought, unlike most of the politicians in this country. And he is standing here for the American people. I don't know what you know, there's writers like Elizabeth Warren or Robert Reich or saying that President Trump is on this side of the oligarchs. There has never been a president more willing to stand up to the oligarchs than President Donald Trump. I'm very, very proud of you, Mr. President, for your courage, I'll say, because I don't want to be crude. Your intestinal fortitude, your stiff spine and your willingness to stand up for the American people. We have 4.2% of the world's population. We rep. Our country represents 75% of the revenues for pharmaceutical companies.
Courtney Kubi
And Donald Trump will touch down in the Middle east this week, tonight, in fact, stopping in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but not Israel. Over the last few weeks, Trump has gone from being aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues like the war in Gaza and Iran's nuclear weapons access to sidelining him. And according to exclusive reporting from NBC News, it has Benjamin Netanyahu worried. Joining us now, NBC News senior correspondent covering national security and the military, Courtney Kubi. And still with us, Eli Stokels and Stephen Cook. All right, so Courtney, give us the reporting on the the seeming rift between both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Katie
Yeah, Katie. So this is really more of sort of a growing divide now. When President Trump came into office, it seemed that the two leaders, leaders were really on the same page when it came to two pressing issues in the region, that is the war in Gaza and what to do about the threat from Iran. But as time has evolved over the last several months, several of those issues, they seem to be splitting or not seeing exactly eye to eye. So for instance, President Trump, according to officials we spoke with here, and this is reporting by our colleagues Carol Lee, Andrea Mitchell and Dan Delouse and I, President Trump was upset when, when Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to begin another military campaign in Gaza because it was really at odds with President Trump's idea that he was very public about to rebuild Gaza and essentially make it into the Riviera in Gaza. That was one issue that we heard about, but another was just even more recent than that, as recently as several days ago when President Trump said that he wasn't quite sure if it was okay with him whether Iran would be able to produce uranium for so called civilian use or peaceful purposes. Well, that according to the officials we spoke spoke with really rankled Prime Minister Netanyahu of course believes that Iran should not be able to enrich any uranium. And then Katie, to add to that, several days ago, President Trump surprising many, including many people here in this building by saying that the US and the Houthis had agreed to essentially a cease fire where the Houthis would not attack US Ship ships and the United States would no longer conduct airstrikes into Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. Well, this also caught Prime Minister Netanyahu by surprise, leading him to then say, well fine, we'll just defend ourselves against the Houthi rebels, the Iranian backed Houthi rebels. So this, this relationship that really started out after the inauguration as being completely on the same page on most issues does seem to be moving apart now, I should say. Katie the officials we spoke with said look behind the scenes, others sort of below the level of the leaders of these two countries are still working together towards the same aims. But it's really notable given the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump came in believing that they would be on the same page and they would be in a close alliance on many of these issues. Katie.
Steve
This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people's not got a free shot. All these networks lying about the people. The people have had a belly full of it.
E.J. Antony
I know you don't like hearing. I know you try to do everything.
Steve
In the world to stop that, but.
E.J. Antony
You'Re not going to stop it.
Steve
It's going to happen.
Frank Gaffney
And where do people like that go.
Steve
To share the big lie?
Frank Gaffney
MAGA MEDIA I wish in my soul.
Terry Schilling
I wish that any of these people had a conscience.
E.J. Antony
Ask yourself what is my task and what is my purpose?
Steve
If that answer is to save my.
E.J. Antony
Country, this country will be saved.
Stephen K. Bannon
WAR ROOM here's your host, Stephen k. Ban.
Steve
Monday 12th May year of our Lord 2025 historic day just got more historic. If Denver could please put up just as we went to break the Hill newspaper I guess got it leaked the the debt ceiling increase they're going to go part of the big beautiful bill has now been in the Hill and Bloomberg both on a quick and dirty analysis of it. And I want you to lay your number two pencil down right now, okay down don't write this down but just remember I want to go down memory lane and remember where I heard this first. Remember where I heard this first. The debt ceiling request and we're not opining on this currently. We're going to Break it down tonight, talk tomorrow, try to get E.J. and Tony on probably tomorrow. $4 trillion and the duration, wait for it. Right after the November midterm election. Just saying. So folks, that means at least 2 trillion. It's gonna be 2 1/2 trillion this year because we didn't do the work and accepted the Biden Pelosi budget. It's going to be two and a half trillion. Although the tariffs 16 billion help take down the size of the deficit for the month. I think a huge number, massive number. But $4 trillion in 18 months under two years. The model we have in the nation is not sustainable. The political class and Johnson, these guys have to understand this is not a tax cut now. This is a tax shifting because this is going to go into the working class and middle class with higher interest rates. Absolutely brutal. And the generation under 30, 40. If you want to sit here and just steal their future, let's just go down the path of going down. I also don't believe I had not done the math. But the purpose of this, Under Secretary Treasury Besant, remember for the confirmation, all of it in the campaign. You can't eliminate these deficits overnight. We're not going to get to a balanced budget overnight. Now they try to do the Gimmicks on the 10 years. Forget that. I'm talking 25 fiscal year 25 and September 30th, October 1st we start again. Fiscal year 26 that will end September 30th, 2026, 60 days before, no less than 60 days before, I guess 45 days, 47 days before the election, the midterm election, 26, shortly thereafter, that we hit the, hit the debt ceiling. So we won't get involved in the election. That's the old trick. But there you're talking about at least another 2 trillion dollar deficit. I think if you do the math. Because the, the purpose of the game was to get from the 6 and a half to 7% deficits to GDP which are definitely not sustainable. This is why they're meeting in Rio. They're not going down there to party. They're going down there to kind of in their perspective set things right. Just saying. And these are a lot of non good, there's a lot of whole lot of not good hombres are going to be there that don't love the United States of America. Do not tear up when they see Old Glory. Okay, Some guys in Moscow, a couple, three in Beijing, maybe a couple in Persia and Tehran. These mullahs, right, they're all four taking us down, I don't think $4 trillion, if I'm on the path to get to three and a half, which is not great, but somehow it's sustainable. It's not balanced with somehow sustainable. I don't know how you get to 4 trillion. So get ready for another summer, love, because this one's going to be intense as we go through the economic plan here in the United States and the financing of the United States government. E.J. and Tony, I think we get E.J. and Tony on hopefully tomorrow, either morning, afternoon. He's slamming around, but he's been putting tweets up there, although he was gobsmacked when I sent him the thing on the, on the, on the debt ceiling also. And E.J. we're doing some work tonight. I'm not so sure the supply side cuts in this thing, I'm not so sure they're permanent. So we have to make permanent the cuts to the middle class, into the working class, they have to be made permanent. We got to do it now where we got Trump. We also have to make permanent. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime. And we got to figure out. There's no tax on. I can't figure out the Social Security thing. And if I can't figure out. At first glance, I'm not a tax guy, but there's something here doesn't feel right. Maybe it is. I just don't understand. We'll get to that part of the reason you need that $4 trillion, by the way, that will put us at 40. So right after the, we're asking permission. So right after the midterm election of 26, which is a little over 18 months away, we will have 4, 0 or hit the big four zero. $40 trillion this month. We just gave it to you. $101 billion in interest alone at 36. You didn't buy any aircraft carriers. You didn't buy any, you didn't get any Head Start programs. You didn't get any schools or hospitals. You got nothing. You paid bondholders. And then bondholders are going to be asking for a whole lot more. Watch. The bond market is going to have a, they're going to be part of the decision making. We've gone long enough. When they have it, I'm telling you, they're going to look at that and go, I don't know. This is why you had the term, the turmoil you had in the bond market a couple of weeks ago, Gabrielle worked up. That was not because of President Trump's tariffs. That was part Of a just a little part is because they couldn't get their arms around what was going to be the situation with the big beautiful bill. And if anything makes my point about not extending tax cuts to the folks doing the best off in this country and not making them permanent just stands at Grover Norcross, you're served. Okay. Because there's. I've been preaching this gospel, the math doesn't work. And they just showed me the math doesn't work full stop. The math does not work. And the supply cut, the supply side cut of this name, permanent. We're gonna get into it. Games being played on Capitol Hill. It's time for games. And you see them down in Texas, you see them up here, they're gonna fight you every step of the way. We just gotta get into it, get the math right now. One of the things I'm absolutely concerned about is obviously defense spending. I consider myself a hawk. But a trillion dollars worth of true up, and I understand, Russ, vote strategy. We got trued up now so we don't get caught by bum bum. I got it. It's too much. The rent's too damn high and it's too much money in defense, full stop. So I've asked my good friend and colleague and brother in arms, Frank Gaffney, to come on and not talk about numbers today. Frank's quite worked up as a lot of folks that are quite close to me about this situation. The president right now, even as we speak, hurtling towards Saudi Arabia. At first, I think there was going to be Jerusalem at the, at the, at the tail end of this. The first trip we took, and we made it symbolic. Riyadh first, Jerusalem second, Rome third. I think it was a magnificent trip kicked off, which was just a. I thought we had a great run in the Middle east under President Trump's guidance the first time. But, Frank, what is going on here and his kind. What is actually the state of play in your opinion, your assessment, I should say not opinion, your analysis, because you're very good at this. And, and why are you and some of my other colleagues so hepped up on a potential military option against the Persians? Frank Gaffney, the floor is yours.
Unknown
Thank you, Steve. I want to level set a little bit, if I may. I'd like to start with what I think is the Trump Doctrine, if one has emerged, and that is, we don't want to be engaged in endless wars. You say that every day. We don't want to be responsible for regions of the world. We want our allies in those regions to be responsible for them. And yet we also don't want to have our vital interests sacrificed or otherwise squandered. And where the solution set to that problem, which is, you know, in dynamic tension, let's face it exists, is those allies with our support can and we ought to encourage them to defend our vital interests as well as their own. And if that has any exemplar in the world today, it sure is not in Europe. Right. Somewhat inadequate in the Pacific as well. Alas, it is Israel. Israel is prepared to fight her enemies, which just happen to bear a pretty perfect correlation to arm enemies in the region, whether it's the Iranians or Persians, as you like to call them. And I want to emphasize one point, Steve, I've been so proud of you in making the distinction in this other theater that we're both very concerned about between the lai, Beijing, the people of China and the regime that misrules them. We need to and must and certainly can make that same distinction between the people of Iran and the regime that not only brutalizes them them, but threatens us much as the CCP does. So Israel is prepared to do what needs to be done here. And I think just again, to level set it's not a land invasion of a country the size of Iran, especially since all those people are not opposing us.
Steve
Hang on one second, hang on one second. I want to get a level set we got because I gave you, we got some Runway here. I want to go back to October 7th and not talk about the raid, how horrible raid is, but the military actions of the IDF and the Israelis against enemies to the north, enemies to the, to the, to the, I guess to the, to the east, enemies to the south, others. Where do they stand today of what action they've taken and where do you think they stand overall? Whether it's in Syria, you know, potentially against the Turks in Lebanon, Hezbollah, the proxies, Hamas, the Houthis. Where do you think we stand?
Unknown
Well, they're in, I think somewhat dire straits, Steve. I've lost count. Some people have said it's a seven front war. I think it's at least up to eight. But whatever it is, they're fighting all comers. But the comers are all basically animated by or certainly aided by Iran, which is why Iran is the key to unlocking this very dangerous situation again for us as well as the people of Israel. And what I was starting to say is this. If you understand that the Israelis are prepared to take on the Iranians directly and you ask the question, you know so how have they been doing? They've been doing amazingly well. I mean, brilliantly. One might even say that October 7th was a disaster. No doubt about it. That we can talk about why. But since that point, especially since for most of the intervening period, except for the last four or five months, they were having the, you know, chop blocking of the Biden administration at every turn, it didn't want them to win. It wanted their enemies to win, and ours, by the way. So despite that, you know, the, the, the beeper takedown of Hezbollah, for example, what they have now got going in Gaza, finally, when they're taking and holding territory and they're moving people out of the areas where they can be cared for, fed, clothed and so on, without feeding and clothing and housing and otherwise enabling their rulers, Hamas. But the kicker is this, Steve. What Israel, I think is now prepared to do, and I believe must do is not go do whack a molecule on countless. I said not a ground invasion, obviously, but not do whack a mole on these nuclear facilities. Because it's clear, even with the incredible intelligence that Israel has brought to bear on this, including, by the way, taking out of Iran all of the nuclear secrets of Iran's nuclear program up to that point, obviously they still don't have perfect knowledge, we certainly don't, of exactly where everything is, especially if there may be a nuclear weapon somewhere in some rat hole someplace in Iran. But what they can, and I think know they now need to do is to free the people of Iran to crush or at least greatly diminish the power of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, so that the people of Iran finally have a shot at doing what they've been trying to do repeatedly over the past 45 years or so, which is to get out from under these guys, to return to the civilized world, to live in freedom and peace with their neighbors instead of constantly terrifying them or trying to destroy them and, and threaten, as I said, not just Israel, but us. And the interesting thing here is, you know, much is being made now, including that clip that you read on NBC, that there's some, you know, rift between Bibi Netanyahu and Donald Trump. I don't think that's what's going on here personally. For one thing, all of Bibi's enemies are Donald Trump's enemies, whether it's the, you know, the globalists, the global elites, the European Union, of course, all of the Sharia supremacists of both the Sunni and the Shiite stripes. And, you know, it just goes on down that list, including domestic enemies. Enemies now like, oh, I don't know, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Party, they hate Bibi Netanyahu. And until Donald Trump returned to office, Steve, what they were all about was trying to take him down. Why? Because they understood that Bibi Netanyahu, like, guys like Melaye and, you know, our other friends in the world, Orban, Maloney, Wilders, and Bibi, yes, we have people who, like Donald Trump, stand for freedom and are prepared to protect it. But Donald Trump has added a filler. He wants, wherever possible, to have our allies pull their load and do the protecting in the region where they can. So here's the bottom line for me.
Steve
Go ahead, go ahead.
Unknown
Just, just quickly. The very, the very bottom line.
Steve
You're already. You're already scaring me. So go to. Give me your bottom line. Go ahead.
Unknown
Thanks. Thanks to what Israel has already done. Going back to your question, there is now a fleeting opportunity. I think it is very ephemeral. But there is an opportunity for Israel to act militarily with discretion against the IRGC and help free the people of Iran, provided that opportunity is seized. If it is squandered, Steve, I'm afraid that what we're going to have on our hands here is a situation in which they're no longer able to contend with it, and probably neither are we. And we get ourselves in that circumstance into a true endless war. And by the way, it bears saying, if there ever were an endless war, it is the one the Iranian regime has waged against us since Jimmy Carter put the mullahs in business. As I say, it's over 45 years. And don't take my word for it. As we were negotiating with them, Steve Witkoff, the computer, the great negotiator, as he was doing that, Khamenei was in Tehran surrounded by mobs of people, and he was encouraging in the chant their mantra, death to America. We got a clip of it if you'd like to show it. But the point is, this is not a war of our choosing. We ignored our apparel. Can I just leave you with one last thought? This really important. Our mutual friend.
Steve
This is not an Israeli air. An Israeli airstrike that we kind of go, yeah, fine, go ahead. Is not a war of our choosing. It's not a war.
Unknown
It's a war that has been thrust upon us. And we either finish it under our terms and the time of our choosing with the Israelis doing the heavy lifting, or we wind up. My head and I love you.
Steve
I love you like?
Unknown
No, no, no, Just say this because.
Steve
This is actually worse than I thought. This is actually worse than I thought it was. You continue on.
Unknown
Dr. Dr. Karen Sigeman, a dear friend, both of ours, president of her, she's fabulous. Freedom Alliance. She, she did a roadshow, which you helped sponsor and contribute to in the five months leading up to the election. We went all over the swing states and we took the message that we're sharing here, peace through strength, Donald Trump's doctrine, but for victory, not for surrender of our vital interests. And she said, let me just give you a thought experiment. You know, that's an old adage that if a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it, does it make a sound? And she said, try this on. If there is a war underway and nobody's paying attention to it, can you still lose it? The answer to both of those questions, of course, is yes. Over.
Steve
Frank, hang on. I'm actually holding through the break. E.J. and Tony, we got a couple of minutes to get there. EJ, Antonio's going to join me. We're going to talk some finances. And then I'm going to, you're going to stick around. We're going to bring you back. Just a couple observations just on the escalatory ladder. I mean, why, what evidence do you have? And President Trump, I'd assume, has pretty good evidence. And he's got Wyckoff negotiating, I guess, some sort of surveillance. Not even our supervision, not even a taking apart, which I'm, I'm adamantly against any armed conflict, but saying, hey, it can't be surveillance or supervision. It has to be taken apart. You can't trust these guys. But I'm saying we haven't even begun to start the economic warfare part. We haven't started it. What evidence can you put forward to the audience and say it has to be now, this kind of sounds like Iraq. I got yellow cake up in, I got yellow cake in Baghdad and they're about to give me some weapons of mass destruction. I'm getting a feel of 2003, sir.
Unknown
Well, let me put it to you this way, Steve. I believe we have started the economic warfare. Donald Trump put back in place the sanctions on Iran that, that were very successful in his first term. And then Biden, of course, as part of his campaign to prop up the Iranians, took them all off. So that's been underway now for five months or so. I know you've been proposing and I'm okay with it, but I don't think we should kid ourselves that if you start intercepting ships moving Iranian oil out in violation of those sanctions, you're not going to wind up finding some Chinese ships taking that oil out. And then what are you going to do? I'm talking about doing something that I think is very urgent because those. Those air defenses that the Israelis took down, one of the great masterstrokes that they did, are being rebuilt. And those missiles that they took out are being replaced. And there is going to be a nuclear weapon. I don't know. I've been told for several years that it's a couple of weeks away. At some point it's happened, and I think we may be at that point. I'd rather see us with the Israelis leading the fight, taking down, as I say, the people who prop up this regime. And remember a famous example, Nicolas Ceausesc, the President for life.
Steve
Hang on, hang on, hang on.
Unknown
Being dead. It's when his security guards.
Steve
It's too good to cram in. We're gonna wait. EJ on some. You stick around. Frank Gaffney going full doctor Strange Love on us this afternoon. I'm kidding. Frank, you know I love you. And I wanted to get this out for a while because this is, let's say this, there's not a lot of support for this option. But the people that support it support it hard. And the people that support it have been some of the best people we've had in our movement for many, many years. A lot of the strength through defense crowd. Peace through strength. If you want to have peace, prepare for war, as the Romans used to say. Home title lock. The one million dollar triple lock Protection. Don't let anybody get their hands on that piece of paper. That is your title. They can do anything with it. Sell the house, take the house, refinance the house. And you are stuck. Hometitle lock.com promo code. Steve, go check it out. Today. 24 protection. Middle of the night, they'll tell you what's happening. One million dollar restoration project. Short break. Back in a moment.
E.J. Antony
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Stephen K. Bannon
War room.
Steve
Here's your host, Stephen K. Band. Wow, what a lineup. To finish the show, I got EJ on debt, deficits, taxes, everything. Gaffney's back in the bullpen, still limbering up, going full Dr. Strangelove on me this afternoon. And I got D. Terry Schilling, who actually said one of the guys saving Western civilization. So who am I to question that, E.J. and Tony, I don't even know where to start. I'm a toss to you. You put a tweet out, $101 billion in April in interest only. You've got. Oh, by the way, another great article in town hall that says everything you said about the lying Biden administration, Biden regime, about the jobs, all a lie. You were 100% correct. Then I dropped one on you a second ago. The, as we called it, bro, the debt ceiling. $4 trillion. And it. It takes us all the way to, like a week after the midterm elections. I don't know where you. Oh, and you told me even the best part of the tax cuts we got are not permanent. The supply side. I don't know where you want to start, ej but the floor is yours.
Terry Schilling
Oh, Steve, thanks so much for having me.
Unknown
All.
Terry Schilling
All great topics, all really important that the audience have to know about. Let's take that last one first. You know, what we're seeing right now with this latest tax package out of the house, It's a real mixed bag. There are some good provisions in it, but there's some bad stuff, too. And what's really annoying here, Steve, is. And I just can't for the life of me figure out what is going on with the gop, especially Mike Johnson, why they're doing this the way they are. The best provisions, I would say, are things that aren't even being made permanent. So, again, it's not all terrible. I don't mean to make folks think like hey, the sky is falling here if they get this bill through. But I, I just don't understand why some of these bad provisions are in here. The bill could be so much better than it is. So there's, there's good and bad here. We want to see things like, you know, full expensing and R and D. We want to see those different business deductions that are going to help create jobs, and we want to see them made permanent. We don't want to just see them for another year or two. That doesn't let business plan, that doesn't let business do a lot of investing right now and hire a lot of folks, create jobs and grow the economy. Those are the things that we want. That's how you get more income. That's how you get productivity growth. You know, I'm very happy to see that we don't have these additional millionaire taxes in there and all these crazy ideas that have been thrown around where we're actually going to increase taxes. I mean, please, that's a surefire way to slow down growth.
Steve
Crazy ideas like you're in the war room, but continue on, brother.
Terry Schilling
Steve, look, I love you. I am totally fine. I am totally fine with the wealthy paying more. It just depends on how you're going to do it. In other words, do stuff like get rid of salt, get rid of the state and local tax deduction. Don't increase marginal tax rates. Because the problem here, Steve, is not that we don't want certain people to pay more or less in taxes. It's that raising marginal tax rates are not the best way to do it. In fact, if we look at the last hundred years, the history of the income tax, what we find is, is without fail, every time we increase that top marginal tax rate, the overall percentage of taxes paid by the top 1% doesn't go up, it goes down because it provides people a huge incentive to shelter their income. So you get rid of things like deduction on municipality.
Steve
We don't have time to debate this part of it today, but I will, I'll get you back on and we'll give you, just like I'm giving Frank a fair shot here. We're gonna give you a fair shot. And I'll tell you, I'm just saying simply, quite simple. And it's just a snapback. I'm even off my 40% for the millionaires. It's just a snapback to the top bracket. And here's why. You want to get those business. You want to get the supply cut the math doesn't work, brother. Tell me about the debt ceiling. Right now. We haven't cut anything, dude. We're gonna have a two or two and a half trillion. Correct me if I'm wrong, E.J. this fiscal year we're gonna have a two to two and a half trillion dollar deficit. And right now we're not going to the from the six and a half even the glide slope to the three and a half, we're asking for two, four trillion dollars in 18 months. That means we're in November of 18 months from now. We're at $40 trillion. And what happens here monthly? The only way to make the math work is somebody's got to throw something into the kitty and that's going to be the snapback of the upper bracket. You've heard it here first months ago. It's going to happen. It has to happen. It's the only way to do it. I've got all kind of other ideas on, on financial taxes. A little kick into the pot is the is carried interest. I know that's a bone of contention to the wealthy. But do you see any way from the cuts that you've seen or what they're proposing with the taxes you've seen, even some of the great supply side stuff, not permanent, that you get any set of math that doesn't even blow through the $4 trillion they're asking for 18 months for debt ceiling increase. EJ because you're the best guy with the math, sir.
Terry Schilling
Steve, I agree with you 100%. They got to cut spending more. Absolutely. They have cut nowhere near enough. And this is just basically another band aid and this debt ceiling increase, they're just going to bump, bump up against it relatively soon. It's not going to last long enough again because they haven't cut enough spending. We don't have a revenue problem. We're taking in a tremendous amount of revenue. By most measures it's at a record high. Our problem is the spending. In fact, right now, even though the cumulative deficit, in other words for the current fiscal year, which would be from October through April, that that deficit that we've accumulated so far is larger than the same time from the previous fiscal year, except revenue has gone up. So it's again, it's not a matter of us having a revenue problem. We have a spending problem. We have to get the spending down. You have to start again cutting the spending and eventually the deficit takes care of itself. But unless you're going to, unless you're going to do that, all of these debt Ceiling increases. I mean, I'm sorry, you're actually making the problem worse, not better.
Steve
I know you got to bounce. Last thing. This amazing piece you wrote in town hall, you've been on here for four years now hammering this, hammering this about the lies of the Biden regime. I want people to know about these, these employment numbers. What does your analysis show now that they're out the door?
Terry Schilling
Well, Steve, unfortunately, you know, we always get these numbers too late because they're so backward looking. But the latest data that we have, and this is, these are not my numbers. Okay. This is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the Labor Department. They are now admitting that with the best data we have available in the second and third quarter of last year. So this was right before the election, the six months essentially before the election. And it turns out that the economy was not adding hundreds of thousands of jobs. It was actually losing jobs on net. So, yes, there were some job gains, but they were more than offset by all of the job losses. And that's especially true when you look at the private sector. So maybe government was growing, but not enough to make up for the private sector losses. This, I think, is a big reason why President Trump won such an overwhelming victory in November. He won not just the popular vote, or, excuse me, not just the electoral vote, but the popular vote as well. And he managed to pull in every single swing state. Why? Because people looked at all these different news reports, all the mainstream media that told them how great the economy was, and folks just didn't believe it because their own personal finances, their lived experience, as you say, was pretty darn terrible. It genuinely was. They weren't able to find jobs because we weren't adding hundreds of thousands of jobs a month like the Biden administration claimed. And you know, these downward revisions that we always get after the fact, you know, this is something that you very graciously have had me on to talk about, as you said, for several years now. And unfortunately, the pattern continues. And we probably are not going to definitively know. We're not going to get the final estimate until next year, until January or February in terms of just what the actual labor market performance genuinely looked like under the Biden administration. In other words, he's going to be out of, out of office a year before we can finally say, all right, this is what the economy was actually doing. And here are the, here's how many jobs we were losing, not adding before he left office.
Steve
E.J. we're going to get you back on breakdown. All the spending, all the tax, everything. The audience loves you and they should have done such an amazing job. And you're the most senior guy with the biggest brain that's not a Treasury or OMB right now. And we got to use you where we can because you never know when EJ is going to get sucked up over into the administration. E.J. where do they go? You got to get to this guy's Twitter feed. Your head will blow up constantly where they go, sir.
Terry Schilling
Twitter's the best place to find me. The handle there is E.J. antony.
Steve
And you keep it real. Thank you, sir. Appreciate you.
Terry Schilling
Thank you, Steve.
Steve
Gonna be a little turbulence, folks. Make sure to take your phone out right now. Birchgold Text Bannon B A N N O N 989898 the Ultimate Guide to investing in Gold and precious metals in the Age of Trump. Get it today and make contact. You can make contact there through Philip Patrick and the team. Now more than ever. It ain't the price, it's the process. Know why? Gold has been a hedge for, I don't know, 5,000 years of mankind's history. Also, Jim Rickards. Jim, I think is on with us tomorrow morning in the morning Show, Jim Rickards. Rickards war room.com he's got a landing page to get strategic intelligence. If you like the capital markets and intelligence and national security stuff like we got with Frank Gaffney, if he liked that. Want to get even a deeper take on it. The chairman and CEO all over the world. Reed, go to Rickards war room.com you get access to strategic intelligence and he throws in a free book on money and artificial intelligence. Yo, your head will blow up. So make sure Rick is one of the smartest guys around. And Jim will be with us tomorrow morning. Frank, I've only got a couple of minutes because while you're trying to destroy Western civilization, I got Terry Schilling is going to tell me why Axis is saying he's saving it. Just real quickly because I'm going to have you back on. I want you to make this position today. Why? President Trump is kind of the ultimate strategist here, thinking through and that arc of instability all the way from kind of Belarus and Ukraine across Turkey into Syria, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Persia, Afghanistan and, you know, which is a disaster, a breeding ground for terrorists right now. And then Pakistan, India, the line of control, Red Sea, North Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, all of it, brother, it's a tinderbox ready to go up. President Trump is pretty adamant. He doesn't believe in a military solution here at least on the surface and what we're seeing in every pronouncement he makes, every true social he makes. Why is President Trump wrong, at least at this time in his outlook? And Frank Gaffney in the Gaffney ites right, sir?
Unknown
Well, I'm not sure we're saying different things, Steve. I'm not talking about war in the way I think he's thinking about it, the kind of war that he has rightly railed against elsewhere in the world, large numbers of heavy armored divisions and other kinds of kit that is thrown at some hopeless situation that doesn't lend itself to that kind of warfare. He's, I think, clear about making sure we protect our vital interests. And I believe that one of them is something that he has endlessly pledged to do, which is to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons, because that is an intolerable situation. It's the world's leading terror organization. It's got not only these terror proxies that have been raining death and destruction on Israel, but also they're all over the place. They're including in our own country. Talk to Stan Fadis, our mutual friend, about could they have a nuclear weapon smuggled inside our country ready to go? You bet they could. So, Steve, we're on borrowed time is my point. You kind of laughingly called me Strangelove. Far from it. I'm not talking about using nuclear weapons, which is what Dr. Strangelove was doing. I'm not even talking about using our own forces. I'm talking about allowing our friends and allies to defend themselves and us in the process. And if you want to think about somebody who's got a strange, lovian view of the world, let me introduce you to the Ayatollah Khamenei, who thinks that the Mahdi, the messiah figure of his sect of Islam, is going to come out of a well because of the outpouring of lamentations and pleading for his intercession. That sounds an awful lot like the apocalypse. And this guy thinks that's going to happen on his watch.
Steve
This is a kickoff conversation out of 10 of many we have to have. Where do people go right now? Send them to the best site of all the groups you work with to get up to speed on this. There are heads blowing up here. You've got a lot. You've got a hill to climb. But if anybody can do it, we're going to have more people on to make this case. And we'll present opposite facts and see. We want to make sure the posse is fully Informed. Where do they go? To the best set of facts that you can show. Frank Gaffney.
Unknown
Well, let me just say first, Steve, thank you for giving an opportunity for some of those facts to be presented. I think it's overdue. They can find some of the best arguments that we presented over the weekend@victoryco.org that's short for victory coalition.org, it's one of the projects of our Institute for the American future. That's usfuture.org you'll see all kinds of other things that we do, including our favorite, the Committee on the present danger china, presentdangerchina.org and by the way, Steve, you outlined the fires that are being inflamed all over the world. You called it a tinderbox. We have discussed for some time now Xi Jinping's strategic arson, which I believe is why we're in this fix right now with the war against Israel, the war in Ukraine and elsewhere.
Steve
Just let me go, John Paul Jones and naval blockade, no oil and see what they do. Frank, thank you so much, brother. Love you. And we're going to continue this.
Unknown
I got you.
Steve
We're going to get more of this. It's got to, we got to get it all on the table. And I'm going to have the con guys here also. We're going to get people of the Kurt Mills of the world that are not fans of this line of thought. Let's say this, Terry, thank you for hanging. I wanted to get you on this morning to jam. Just quickly, Axios, which is the Washington Consensus. Morning, Joe. Would you know the New York Times and Access boils it down to what they call smart brevity. Why does Mike Allen and Jim Vanderhei, two of the smartest guys in town, why do they highlight Terry Schilling in the fight? They say magus fight to save Western civilization. And they highlight you and a couple others. What is this about? Is it real? Is it meaningful? Are we making progress? Or is the left trying to divert our attention?
Frank Gaffney
Well, thanks so much, Steve. Listen, their article was about how the right wing MAGA is, you know, uttering a call to save Western civilization. We see Western civilization collapsing all over the world. And there are two real threats to Western Civ. There are those that say there are no rules. And that would be, you know, the blue hairs, the, the, the transgender industry, the people that say that, you know, there are no rules, you can change your gender, you can, you know, transition children. Nothing matters at all. But then the other threats are against what the rules are. And that is more coming from ideologies like Islam, right? And you see the uk, where they've created a two tiered justice system where Muslim ideologues can run around murdering and raping and sexually assaulting people. But then the people that notice these things are happening, that call it out and criticize these sexual assaults by those that believe in the ideology of Islam, those are the people that get put in jail. The people outside of abortion clinics that are praying silently in their own heads. Those are the people that get put into jail. And so, you know, I think he kind of caught me off guard because he asked me what Western civilization was. And I haven't been really asked that before. But if I was to summarize it, I would say three things about it. One, Western civilization is the belief that there are rules, there's a natural order to things, and when you go outside of that natural order, bad things happen. And then two, there's a creator to that natural order, right? It's the laws of nature and nature's God. That's what Western civilization has culminated into. But, Steve, third, Western civilization was built by men with families to protect and provide for and feed. And that is essentially what what I talked about. I do think these threats are real. And a lot of people asked me when they saw that article, they didn't understand before I was quoted why I was quoted because we mostly work on culture war. We mostly work on families and fatherhood. But that's what built Western civilization and that's why they've been attacking the family. That's why they've been attacking masculinity, which true masculinity is ultimately becoming a father and providing and protecting. And that's why those things are in tech. It is a way to destroy everything that Western civilization has built. The beauty and the human rights that Western civilization has introduced to the world, those are really bad things for tyrants. Tyrants don't like human rights. They like to be able to use power without any limits. And that's what we're fighting for. So I do think we are making progress. I'm very excited, obviously, for President Trump. I think he's, he's our best last hope. And if we can't continue to make progress under him, I don't know who the hell we're going to make progress under.
Steve
Terry, where do people go for your social media feed? Also your website, you guys, American Principles Project. Where did they go to get all this? And Grace and Mo are going to put the Axios Story out Terry Schilling and other MAGA leaders to fight to save Western civilization. Where they go, sir?
Frank Gaffney
Steve, I'm on all social media channels at Schilling 1776. But Steve, listen, you got to come on my podcast. I'm on episode seven now and it's a weekly podcast. It's called the Terry Schilling Show. It's very original title. But I got to have you on, sir, because my audience needs to see and hear from you. You're a genius. I gotta get you on.
Steve
I'm in. You just tell me. You just talk to Cameron and let's book a time.
Frank Gaffney
All right.
Steve
Sounds for Terry Schilling. Always available to be a hoplite in the war to save Western civilization. Love you, brother. Keep fighting. Wow, what a show today. Still this Texas thing. That's a Patriot Mobile 972 Patriot Glenn story and the team down in Tarrant County. What they've done down there, I don't need to tell you what they've done to support your values. They are the tip of the tip of the spirit. Now we need to make the switch. Best phone service ever because it layers on top of all the big three networks. They get all types of bells and whistles. Call 972 Patriot and find out today or go to patriotmobile.com put the promo code in. Bannon. You get a month's free when you do the transition and do it today. Sign up. Support these guys. This is leading us on the fight to take Texas back. Unbelievable. Also, I think the IRS is going to need some revenue. I understand we don't have a revenue problem. Guest spending problem. Guess what? They still want all their revenue. 800-958-1000 tax network USA. If you haven't filed or if you got a letter from the IRS, do not call the IRS yet. Call these guys. 800-958-1000. Tell them Bannon sent you. Get a free consultation. And if they think they can help you, think about signing them up. They've cured $1 billion of tax issues. Don't let it sit. Don't let that letter sit in a drawer. It's metastasizing. It ain't going away until you make it go away. Tax Network USA guys best guys are doing 800-958-1000. Checking out today. Going to leave you with the right stuff. Wow, what a show tomorrow. Even more on fire. There's so much. We got 20 things we're working on tonight. We're going to break it all down for you at 10:00am Eastern Daylight Time right here when you will be back in the war room.
E.J. Antony
What if he had the brightest mind in the war room delivering critical financial research every month? Steve Bannon here. War Room listeners know Jim Rickards. I love this guy.
Steve
He's our wise man.
E.J. Antony
A former CIA, Pentagon and White House advisor with an unmatched grasp of geopolitics and capital markets, Jim predicted Trump's electoral College victory exactly 312 to 226, down to the actual number itself. Now he's issuing a dire warning about April 11, a moment that could define Trump's presidency in your financial future. His latest book, Money GPT, exposes how AI is setting the stage for financial chaos, bank runs at lightning speeds, algorithm driven crashes, and even threats to national security. Right now, War room members get a free copy of MoneyGPT when they sign up for Strategic Intelligence. This is Jim's flagship financial newsletter, Strategic Intelligence. I read it. You should read it. Time is running out. Go to Rickards War room dot com. That's all one word.
Steve
Rickards War Rooms.
E.J. Antony
Rickards with an S. Go now and claim your free book. That's Rickards War room dot com. Do it today.
I
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WarRoom Battleground EP 766: Rise Of Threat And War With Persia – Detailed Summary
Release Date: May 13, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Podcast: Bannon's War Room by WarRoom.org
Introduction
In Episode 766 of WarRoom Battleground titled "Rise Of Threat And War With Persia," host Stephen K. Bannon delves into the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly focusing on the deteriorating relationship between former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The episode also addresses critical domestic issues such as the U.S. debt ceiling, defense spending, and the economic policies shaping the nation's future. Experts like NBC News correspondent Courtney Kubi, Frank Gaffney, and Terry Schilling join Bannon to provide comprehensive insights into these pressing matters.
1. The Rift Between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
Timestamp: 01:04 – 04:01
Stephen K. Bannon opens the discussion by highlighting the apparent split between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Initially, the two leaders were aligned on key regional issues, including the war in Gaza and Iran's nuclear ambitions. However, recent developments have strained their relationship.
Courtney Kubi, joined by NBC News senior correspondent Eli Stokels and Stephen Cook, reports on exclusive findings from NBC News:
"When President Trump decided to begin another military campaign in Gaza, it was at odds with his own vision of rebuilding Gaza into a prosperous region," (02:15)
Kubi further elaborates on Trump's skepticism regarding Iran's ability to produce uranium for peaceful purposes, a stance that contradicts Netanyahu's firm belief against any uranium enrichment by Iran.
The episode underscores the complexities of international alliances and the shifting dynamics within U.S. foreign policy.
2. U.S. Debt Ceiling Crisis
Timestamp: 04:52 – 37:37
Steve Bannon provides a detailed analysis of the impending U.S. debt ceiling crisis. As of May 12, 2025, leaked information from the Hill newspaper indicates a proposed $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, set to materialize shortly after the November midterm elections.
"This is not a tax cut now. This is a tax shifting because this is going to go into the working class and middle class with higher interest rates," (07:30)
Bannon expresses concern over the sustainability of the U.S. fiscal model, predicting a $2 to $2.5 trillion deficit for the current fiscal year, exacerbating the national debt to an alarming $40 trillion by September 2026. He criticizes the current political leadership for inadequate spending cuts and warns of severe economic repercussions if the debt ceiling is not addressed effectively.
Terry Schilling joins the conversation to dissect the latest tax package, emphasizing the need for permanent tax cuts for the middle and working classes while advocating against increasing marginal tax rates for the wealthy.
"We have a spending problem. We have to get the spending down. All of these debt ceiling increases... they're just going to bump up against it relatively soon," (34:39)
3. Escalating Threats in the Middle East: Iran and Israel
Timestamp: 13:16 – 45:45
Frank Gaffney provides a strategic assessment of the Middle Eastern tensions, focusing on Iran's aggressive stance and its impact on regional stability. He outlines the "Trump Doctrine," which emphasizes minimizing U.S. military engagements by empowering allies like Israel to defend their interests.
"Israel is prepared to fight her enemies, which just happen to bear a pretty perfect correlation to our enemies in the region, whether it's the Iranians or Persians," (14:10)
Gaffney discusses Israel's proactive military actions against various Iranian-backed groups across multiple fronts, including Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. He warns against ground invasions of Iran, advocating for targeted operations to weaken the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and reduce Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Steve Bannon probes the necessity of immediate military action, to which Gaffney responds by underscoring the urgency of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
"We have started the economic warfare. Donald Trump put back in place the sanctions on Iran that were very successful in his first term," (24:40)
4. Defense Spending and Economic Policies
Timestamp: 37:37 – 40:17
The discussion shifts to defense spending, with Bannon expressing concern over excessive military expenditures:
"There's too much money in defense, full stop," (36:11)
Frank Gaffney reinforces the necessity of balancing defense needs with fiscal responsibility, arguing for strategic investments that protect national interests without exacerbating the debt crisis.
Terry Schilling emphasizes the disparity between government revenues and spending, advocating for significant cuts to reduce the national deficit:
"Our problem is the spending. We have to get the spending down. Until you're going to do that, all of these debt ceiling increases... they're just going to make the problem worse, not better," (34:39)
5. Cultural Threats to Western Civilization
Timestamp: 44:45 – 50:14
Frank Gaffney and Terry Schilling delve into the cultural wars threatening Western civilization. Gaffney identifies two primary threats: the erosion of societal rules and the rise of extremist ideologies, particularly those stemming from radical interpretations of Islam.
"Western civilization is the belief that there are rules, there's a natural order to things... and Western civilization was built by men with families to protect and provide for and feed," (45:35)
Schilling echoes these sentiments, highlighting the attacks on traditional family structures and masculinity as detrimental to societal stability. Both experts argue that preserving Western values is crucial in combating these cultural and ideological challenges.
6. Final Thoughts and Call to Action
In the concluding segments, Bannon urges listeners to stay informed and engaged in the ongoing political and economic battles. He emphasizes the importance of taking personal responsibility in financial matters and supporting initiatives that align with their values.
"We got to get into it, get the math right now," (25:00)
The episode closes with a reaffirmation of the mission to protect national interests, reduce the national debt, and safeguard Western civilization from both economic and ideological threats.
Notable Quotes
"There has never been a president more willing to stand up to the oligarchs than President Donald Trump." – Stephen K. Bannon [00:09]
"This is not a tax cut now. This is a tax shifting because this is going to go into the working class and middle class with higher interest rates." – Steve Bannon [07:30]
"Israel is prepared to fight her enemies, which just happen to bear a pretty perfect correlation to our enemies in the region, whether it's the Iranians or Persians." – Frank Gaffney [14:10]
"Our problem is the spending. We have to get the spending down. Until you're going to do that, all of these debt ceiling increases... they're just going to make the problem worse, not better." – Terry Schilling [34:39]
"Western civilization is the belief that there are rules, there's a natural order to things... and Western civilization was built by men with families to protect and provide for and feed." – Frank Gaffney [45:35]
Conclusion
WarRoom Battleground EP 766 offers a deep dive into the intersection of international relations and domestic economic policies. Through expert analysis and robust discussions, Stephen K. Bannon and his guests illuminate the critical challenges facing the United States and its allies. From the strained Trump-Netanyahu alliance to the looming debt ceiling crisis and the threats against Western civilization, the episode underscores the urgent need for strategic action and informed public discourse.
For listeners seeking comprehensive insights into these pivotal issues, this episode serves as a crucial resource in understanding and navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of 2025.