Podcast Summary: WarRoom Battleground EP 898

Title: Promises Made Promises Kept With Reducing Housing Cost; Free Tina Peters
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Guests: Gail Slater (DOJ Antitrust Division), Peter Tickton (Attorney for Tina Peters)
Date: November 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of WarRoom Battleground focuses on two central themes:

1. Federal efforts to reduce housing and living costs through antitrust enforcement and economic policy—primarily discussed with DOJ antitrust head Gail Slater.
2. The status and legal battle of Tina Peters, a political activist held in Colorado, with an in-depth update from her lead attorney, Peter Tickton, who also outlines a novel constitutional argument for federal intervention.

The tone is combative, urgent, and deeply critical of establishment, state, and federal authorities, championing both government oversight for affordability and grassroots legal/political action.

Key Discussions & Insights

1. Antitrust Enforcement and Reducing Housing Costs

Guest: Gail Slater, Head of DOJ Antitrust Division

Segment Start: [01:06]
Key Points:

• Role of Antitrust Division
  Slater defines her office as "the cop on the beat for the free enterprise system," emphasizing law enforcement over regulation [02:52].

  “We're law enforcers, we're the cops on the beat. And no one believes in capitalism and free market capitalism more than we do here at the division.” – Gail Slater [02:52]

• Focus on Big Tech, Affordability, and Wage Fixing
  Primary presidential directive: tackle Big Tech monopolies. Two landmark cases against Google are in progress, with more focused on market competition and affordability (rental markets—RealPage case) [04:48].
  Wage fixing prosecution: first-ever DOJ antitrust wage-fixing conviction for underpaying nurses in Las Vegas [08:48].

  “The wage fixing case that he brought to trial is the first time in the history of the division at the DOJ that we've won a wage fixing case.” – Gail Slater [09:28]

• Crackdown on Market Consolidation
  Critique of consolidation under both Trump and, especially, Biden: Big Pharma, Big Tech, Wall Street [04:05].
  Investigation into the "big four" meat packers dominating 85% of the market—two of which are Brazilian, raising national security concerns [08:16].

• Polling and Public Support
  Slater cites bipartisan support for antitrust efforts at historic highs (70s–high 70s in percent support) [04:48].

• Collaborations and Approach
  Works with FCC, FTC, USDA, and criminal prosecutors; focus is both criminal and economic [04:05]-[09:28].

• Challenges with Market Pricing
  Bannon raises issue: even as federal policy lowers input costs (energy, commodities), retail prices aren’t falling. Justice is considering deeper dives into retail pricing [11:06].

• Personal Reflection
  Slater highlights bonding with Larry Kudlow over shared Catholic faith, referencing Kudlow's personal journey and humor [12:00].

  “He and I bonded over his conversion to Catholicism... He had the zeal of a convert. And I love that about Larry.” – Gail Slater [12:00]

Notable Timestamps:

• [01:06] – Slater introduction; her background under Trump
• [04:48] – DOJ focus: Big Tech, RealPage, affordability
• [08:16] – Meatpacking consolidation; national security
• [09:28] – Wage fixing criminal cases
• [11:43] – DOJ’s approach to persistent high retail pricing
• [12:00] – Slater’s personal anecdote on Larry Kudlow

2. Tina Peters Case: Legal Battle and Political Prisoner Allegation

Guest: Peter Tickton, Lead Attorney for Tina Peters

Segment Start: [13:29]

Situation Update:

• Solitary Confinement Incident
  Peters, in her 70s, was placed in solitary after filing a grievance against a GED teacher accused of provoking hostility against her [13:54].
  Her solitary confinement conditions were “cement, awful”; she was at least allowed to call her lawyers [13:54]-[15:30].
  She was released after signing a statement indicating she was not in danger [16:34].

• Prison Environment
  Bannon and Tickton describe the dangers of mixed-security women’s prisons—with “white collar” inmates like Peters housed among violent offenders [19:25].

  “You’ve got Tina Peters... together with your monsters... and don’t think that some women aren’t monsters, believe me.” – Peter Tickton [19:25]

• Health Concerns
  Peters, a cancer survivor with most of a lung removed, is in extremely poor health; mold and poor ventilation in prison exacerbate her chronic cough—raising fears of cancer recurrence [21:13].

  “She’s compromised... She says it’s the same cough that she had before they diagnosed her with cancer.” – Peter Tickton [21:13]

• Appeal Status
  Appeal is set for argument in January, but process is likely to be slow [23:27].

• Political Prisoner Framing
  Bannon and Tickton fiercely characterize Peters as a political prisoner, targeted by Colorado’s Secretary of State and Governor Polis, asserting her role as a scapegoat and deterrent for others challenging election integrity [23:46]-[24:44].

  “Isn’t the reality, Peter, Tina Peters is a political prisoner and has been used by the Secretary of State there as a political prop…This is outrageous.” – Stephen K. Bannon [23:46]
  “I may be a gentleman, but I know when somebody’s pissing on my leg and telling me it’s raining.” – Peter Tickton [24:44]

Legal Offensive: A New Constitutional Argument for Federal Pardon

• The Legal Theory:
  Tickton argues the President might have constitutional power to pardon crimes prosecuted at the state level by interpreting the phrase "offenses against the United States" in the Constitution the way the Founders intended it—referring to the states collectively, not just the federal government [35:18]-[41:50].

  “When the Constitution speaks of the United States in terms of the power of pardon, they’re speaking of the states and the crimes that are done against the states, as well as any that would be against the federal government... There’s nothing that says that this isn’t the way the law should be interpreted, because you have to look at what was meant by the Founders.” – Peter Tickton [40:00]

• Proposed Strategy:
  If a presidential pardon is issued and rejected by Colorado, immediate legal action would be sought at federal level, potentially driving the issue to the Supreme Court [43:37].

• Potential for Federal Intervention:
  Tickton and Bannon joke (but with serious undertone) about using federal force (e.g. “send in the 101st Airborne” as Eisenhower did in Arkansas during desegregation) to enforce Peters’ release [47:00].

  “Are you saying that you believe the president should call out the 101st Airborne? They should go to her prison in Colorado and say, hey boys, the pros from Dover are here. Back off. We’re taking Tina Peters…” – Stephen K. Bannon [47:25]
  “These are my thoughts…For who I am? Yeah, I’d love to see that happen.” – Peter Tickton [47:59]

3. Rhetorical Highlights & Calls to Action

• Cause Célèbre:
  Tina Peters’ imprisonment is framed as a defining battle for MAGA and election integrity, compared poignantly to freeing hostages in Israel [48:25].

  “For this audience, a higher priority is the hostage of Tina Peters in Colorado... Tina Peters is as high a priority as the hostages in Israel that Hamas took.” – Stephen K. Bannon [48:25]

• Systemic Critique:
  Both Bannon and Tickton decry not just state authorities but the broader legal, cultural, and media system as corrupt, weaponized, and “psychotic” in pursuit of political enemies [24:44]-[49:19].

• Action Steps:
  Support avenues provided:

  • For legal updates/support: legalbrains.com, tinapeters.us [51:12].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No one believes in capitalism and free market capitalism more than we do here at the division…We love it so much, we do it full time.” – Gail Slater [02:52]
• “She’s a 70 year old lady. She’s not used to being put into situations like this…this is, even after being in there for over a year, it’s still a very difficult thing.” – Peter Tickton [13:54]
• “I know when, you know, when somebody’s pissing on my leg and telling me it’s raining outside.” – Peter Tickton [24:44]
• “If I can get a judge to agree with me that she should be released…there will be marshals at least knocking on their door and requiring that she be released. It’s going to happen once we get that order.” – Peter Tickton [49:19]
• “Sometimes I think I’m standing in the Matrix...and somehow I woke up and pulled my tubes out. And then I find people like you and other people…that are seeing reality.” – Peter Tickton [50:19]

Structured Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:06] DOJ Antitrust initiatives; guest intro (Gail Slater)
• [04:48] Big Tech, meatpacking, affordability, wage fixing explained
• [11:06] Market pricing, DOJ approach, Kudlow anecdote
• [13:29] Tina Peters update; solitary confinement, health, prison conditions
• [23:27] Status of appeal; discussion of political prisoner framing
• [35:18] Tickton’s new constitutional “federal pardon” argument
• [47:00] Discussion of direct federal intervention (“send in the 101st Airborne”)
• [51:12] Where to donate/support: legalbrains.com, tinapeters.us

Conclusion

This episode combined a substantive policy discussion on antitrust as a lever for economic populism with a passionate legal–political campaign to defend and free Tina Peters, amplifying populist grievances and framing the struggle as emblematic of broader battles over justice, sovereignty, and political freedom. The conversation was punctuated by deep distrust of authorities, vivid rhetoric, and repeated calls for audience engagement and action.