Bannon's War Room: Battleground EP 908
"Slander And Pedophilia, Both Receiving The Same Sentence"
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Steve Bannon
Guests: Jenny Holland, Frank Walker
Episode Overview
This episode of WarRoom Battleground delves into the intersection of Christianity and politics, both in the United States and Europe, the state of free speech and culture wars in the UK, and the rising spiritual revival among Generation Z. The discussion heavily critiques judicial overreach and the institutional church's inability to handle a spiritual resurgence, as well as analyzing the new U.S. National Security Strategy and the Pope’s evolving political role.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Trump's Peace Plan for Ukraine and European Alliances
- The episode opens with hesitancy from one commentator to speak on Trump's proposed Ukraine peace plan, noting a growing rift between the U.S. and Europe, stoked by recent remarks from both President Trump and European leaders.
- Bannon highlights how the plan challenges longstanding transatlantic alliances.
“What I think needs to be a very important alliance today and in the future. So it's a program that President Trump and his advisors put together…” – Unnamed Commentator [00:15]
- Segment sets the tone for later critiques of political leadership, both secular and religious.
2. Slander, Pedophilia, and Imbalanced Justice in the UK
- Jenny Holland (~[04:17]): Shares a shocking recent UK case where ex-footballer Joey Barton received a six-month suspended prison sentence for "mean tweets"; the very same judge had also sentenced a convicted pedophile to the exact same terms.
"So there you go, that's the UK for you." – Jenny Holland [05:35]
- Central theme: Legal system equates online speech with heinous crimes, exposing the warped priorities and politicized justice in the UK.
3. Christian Revival Among Generation Z
- Jenny Holland becomes the “resident expert on good news” [07:17], recounting a Washington Post article and other sources documenting a return to faith among youth, especially those seeking meaning and community in an atomized, digital world.
- Bannon and Holland stress the intensity of this revival – not just numbers, but quality and fervor of belief:
"There is a surge in belief not just in Christianity...the main takeaways here are...these young people are looking for meaning and community. This is what is driving them into the arms of God, quite literally." – Jenny Holland [07:48]
- The revival is attributed to reactions against “materialism, transgender ideology,” and the emotional emptiness of online life.
- Notable student quote:
"His generation were test dummies for social media and Internet and that is leading directly to...a spiritual revolution." – Jenny Holland [12:08]
- Bannon notes a divergence: wider decline in religious identification, but a parallel intensification among the new faithful.
4. Institutional Church Maladaptation
- Bannon openly doubts whether institutional churches can handle or will mishandle this revival:
"It's an epoch-defining opportunity and I don't think our institutional churches are prepared for it...in fact, I think they're actively going to handle it so maladroitly they're going to offend people..." – Steve Bannon [11:39]
- He predicts that newcomers encountering "Marxist/communist" or "latently homosexual" church leadership will flee, underscoring an urgent need for new, lay-driven communities.
- Jenny Holland highlights peer-to-peer and influencer-driven faith journeys as the authentic way forward.
5. Youth Rebellion Against ‘Woke’ Ideology
- Holland attests to a strong reaction among young men against being villainized for masculinity, fueling a renewed appetite for “harder forms of devotion” and community-led initiation:
"Young men are as, what they say, based. They are tired of being called racist, they are tired of being called toxic, they're tired of being called violent simply because they're boys...they are rather unapologetic about it, I'm very happy to say." – Jenny Holland [15:45]
6. Pope Leo XIV (fictional successor) and the Politicization of the Papacy
- Frank Walker criticizes ‘Pope Leo XIV’ for vague platitudes to Catholics but sharp political statements against Trump and in favor of existing European power structures:
"That's the kind of thing that Leo says when he's talking to Catholics...when it comes to Trump, Leo is very specific. He knows exactly what to say..." – Frank Walker [19:49]
- The discussion brands Leo as a “neocon Pope” — pushing NATO, opposing Trump’s security strategy, aligning with anti-Russia sentiments, and keen on keeping old alliances.
- Bannon describes his rhetoric as “Papal bull” and warns Catholics to “pay no attention to it whatsoever.” [25:10]
7. Free Speech Crisis and Cultural Suppression in the UK
- Jenny Holland illuminates two shocking cases:
- A primary school teacher fired and police-investigated for telling Muslim students Britain is a Christian country [33:07].
- A Royal Marine banned from coaching his daughter's football team due to a right-wing Facebook post, despite acquittal [36:10].
- She ponders the use of safeguarding laws, originally for sexual abuse prevention, weaponized as political tools against working-class and right-leaning individuals.
"This is a campaign against white working-class speech. Let's be very clear here..." – Jenny Holland [33:21]
- The bureaucracy is described as a “longhouse” of humiliation and social atomization, with the police serving as enforcers of the speech codes.
8. Evangelical Influence and the UK’s ‘Christian Political Reawakening’
- Frank Walker ([42:39]) references Guardian coverage on a growing overlap between anti-Islamist sentiment and Christian political activism in the Reform Party and among UK conservatives, with figures like Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson, and Pete Hegseth blending U.S.-inspired evangelical methods into British politics.
- Notes skepticism about the overall conservative strength of UK evangelicals but sees potential in cross-Atlantic organizing for Christian politics.
"What I noticed...Pete Heg says evangelical groups are very much active in politics and not apologetic about it. They're just pushing forward..." – Frank Walker [43:11]
- Predicts laity will need to fill the void left by institutional churches that have, in his view, failed or become hostile to authentic faith.
9. Call for Lay Initiative and ‘Taking Back the Church’
- Bannon and Walker spotlight resources like Canon212.com (Walker’s site) and Substack collectives as essential platforms for the laity to organize, inform, and enact reform independent of church hierarchies.
"We, the laity, are going to need to take the church back in order to do this." – Steve Bannon [49:33]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On British Justice:
"He got the same prison sentence for a few spicy tweets as an actual practicing pedophile. That is, that is the state of the British state right now." – Steve Bannon [39:55]
On Papal Ambiguity:
“That's the kind of thing that Leo says when he's talking to Catholics...that's meaningless... but when it comes to Trump, Leo is very, very specific... So Leo is very aggressive when it comes to Trump...” – Frank Walker [19:49]
On Institutional Religion:
"I don't think our institutional churches are prepared for it...they're going to handle it so maladroitly they're going to offend people..." – Steve Bannon [11:51]
On Youth Revival:
"This gives me a huge amount of faith that even though there's very large obstacles still standing in the way...there's something in the human spirit here that is irrepressible and cannot be cut off essentially from a belief in a creator." – Jenny Holland [13:42]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan & European Alliances: [00:00–01:00]
- UK Justice: Slander vs. Pedophilia Sentencing: [04:17–05:52]
- Gen Z Christian Revival: [06:20–13:50]
- Institutional Church Analysis: [09:25, 11:39, 14:20]
- Young Men and Reaction to Woke Ideology: [15:05–17:03]
- Pope Leo XIV Critique: [18:22–26:00]
- British Free Speech Crackdown: [32:30–39:30]
- Rise of Evangelical Influence in UK Politics: [42:18–46:26]
- Lay-Led Church Renewal: [49:21–50:41]
Resources & Where to Find the Guests
-
Frank Walker:
- Canon 212: canon212.com
- Twitter: @Canon212
-
Jenny Holland:
- Substack: jennyeholland.substack.com ("Saving Culture from Itself")
- YouTube: [Saving Culture from Itself]
- Free Speech Union: @SpeechUnion on X/Twitter
Summary
This episode painted a vivid global picture of cultural, political, and religious transformation. Featuring sharp criticism of UK legal and bureaucratic harassment, a clarion call for lay revival of authentic Christianity, skepticism towards both political and religious leadership, and a conviction that a new, challenging spiritualism is rising among the young—a movement largely outside institutional structures. The tone is urgent, combative, and ultimately hopeful, arguing that the tide of revival and truth cannot be suppressed by regimes, bureaucracies, or decadent institutions.