Episode Overview
Podcast: Bannon’s War Room
Episode: WarRoom Battleground EP 911: Buckley And The Conservative Revolution
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Guest: Sam Tanenhaus, author of Buckley: The Man and the Revolution
This episode centers on the life and legacy of William F. Buckley Jr., as detailed in Sam Tanenhaus’s major new biography, Buckley, exploring how Buckley catalyzed the modern conservative movement. The discussion traces Buckley’s early influences, his foundational work at Yale, confrontations with elite culture, and his creation of the National Review, connecting these threads to broader themes in the American right—from McCarthyism and anti-communism to the roots of Trump-era populism.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Setting the Scene: Why Buckley Now?
- Bannon frames the episode in the context of ongoing ideological battles, positioning Buckley as a foundational figure ("primal scream of a dying regime") [00:02].
- Tanenhaus describes an unexpected surge in book sales after War Room exposure, illustrating audience hunger for conservative intellectual history [03:50].
Buckley’s Early Influences & Family Background
- Buckley’s Catholic upbringing in an elite but outsider family shaped his worldview. Tanenhaus notes, "The BUC EE's were Catholic. They were super devout Catholics... That's the beginning of Buckley's connection with what later was called the silent majority" [08:40].
- Buckley’s father fought in the Mexican Revolution, organizing resistance because of his fierce Catholicism and anti-communism [11:46].
Notable Quote:
“Buckley’s father was a financier of the Cristero counter revolution…This is the atmosphere, the world Buckley’s raised in. Very unusual. It’s not Kennedy style Irish Catholic—it’s almost Spanish Mexican, Counter Reformation Catholicism.”
— Sam Tanenhaus, [12:37]
Yale Years & Confronting Elites
- Buckley’s experiences at Yale placed him at odds with the WASP establishment, which Tanenhaus illustrates through stories of University life and the reaction to Catholic outsiders [08:40–12:37].
- His book God and Man at Yale (1951) exposed progressive academia, questioning the university’s secular drift and criticizing its rejection of inherited faith and free-market principles.
Notable Quote:
“He was the first student journalist to call out his professors by name. And so he named this guy who he said is treating the classroom as a pulpit to try to persuade Christians like Bill Buckley that their religion doesn’t count for anything.”
— Sam Tanenhaus, [16:18]
- Despite initial doubts about its appeal, the book became a surprise bestseller, demonstrating broad interest in the “woke academia” debate even in the 1950s [19:28].
Notable Quote:
“Life magazine, which was huge then—7 million readers—says Buckley is like the kid you invite to your son’s birthday party and tells you the son is a dope addict...he’s blowing up the whole thing. And he does it with style and wit.”
— Sam Tanenhaus, [19:28]
Outsider Status: Religion and Elitism
- The Yale establishment dismissed Buckley’s critique, attributing his outsider status to his Catholic roots:
“One of the problems with Buckley is he doesn’t quite get our program at Yale...because he’s the ultimate outsider. The two ultimate outsiders at the time were Catholics and Jews.”
— Stephen K. Bannon, [24:04]
- Guest notes: “Catholic baiting is the anti-Semitism of the liberal.”
— Peter Barrett, quoted by Sam Tanenhaus, [25:01]
Buckley’s Heroes: Whitaker Chambers and Christian Anti-Communism
- Whitaker Chambers (ex-communist, Christian) was a major influence, demonstrating the importance of lived faith and bearing witness to the dangers of communism [32:53].
- Bannon and Tananhaus discuss how the fierce anti-communist stance in midcentury conservatism was often led by Christians not from mainstream white Protestant denominations but from the margins (Catholics like Buckley, or Quakers like Chambers).
Notable Quote:
“Two of the stalwarts against the communists were not simply Christians, but not mainstream...the power structure in our country was WASP...What does it tell you that two of the fiercest warriors against the communists were kind of on the margins of Christianity?”
— Stephen K. Bannon, [33:47]
Military Service and the CIA: Shaping Buckley the Man of Action
- Buckley’s wartime service and later work for the CIA in Mexico City (under E. Howard Hunt’s supervision) hardened his resolve and extended his worldliness [36:49–39:57].
- E. Howard Hunt: “power player, wild man…behind the scenes” [38:50].
Burnham and the Managerial Revolution
- James Burnham’s The Managerial Revolution anticipated the rise of a “deep state”—ideas which George Orwell adapted for 1984 [39:57].
Notable Quote:
“Orwell actually has an entire manuscript, if you remember 1984, that circulates underground—that’s kind of his version of James Burnham. So Burnham was huge.”
— Sam Tanenhaus, [39:57]
Buckley & McCarthyism: The Conservative Counterattack
- Buckley was a staunch defender of Joseph McCarthy, as were future giants like Nixon, the Kennedys, and Roy Cohn. Bannon and Tanenhaus highlight how McCarthy’s passion for anti-communism (however flawed) inspired loyalty among rising conservative leaders [43:55–49:38].
Notable Quote:
“McCarthy, whether he’s right or wrong, or exaggerating or mixing up the facts...he means what he says. Book is when not many people are doing that.”
— Sam Tanenhaus, [49:38]
- Buckley faced not only left-wing criticism, but accusations of serving a “Catholic conspiracy” against the Protestant establishment [43:55].
- He became “a one-man opposition,” founding National Review at age 29, going on TV, and becoming a public intellectual crusader.
Notable Quote:
“He starts National Review at the age of 29...because he knows to win the argument you have to shape the terms of the argument.”
— Sam Tanenhaus, [47:13]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 08:40 | “That's the beginning of Buckley's connection with what later was called the silent majority. Middle Americans today we call them MAGA.” | Sam Tanenhaus | | 12:37 | “Mexican Revolution...was bitter and almost went back to the French Revolution of being anti clerical, you know, the Freemasons...Buckley's father, not just about oil and material goods but he was an ardent Catholic.” | Stephen K. Bannon | | 19:28 | “Life magazine...says Buckley is like the kid you invite to your son's birthday party and tells you the son is a dope addict...” | Sam Tanenhaus | | 25:01 | “Catholic baiting is the anti Semitism of the liberal.” | Peter Barrett/quoted by Sam Tanenhaus | | 32:53 | “Chambers is really important because he was the guy who'd been far left...who defected, realized he was a Christian and that Christianity was the only faith that had the conviction and the values to contest totalitarianism.” | Sam Tanenhaus | | 39:57 | “George Orwell's 1984 came directly out of James Burnham...He'd been totally impressed by Burnham's argument that there was a secret deep state, what Burnham called the managerial elite.” | Sam Tanenhaus | | 47:13 | “He starts National Review at the age of 29...because he knows to win the argument you have to shape the terms of the argument.” | Sam Tanenhaus | | 49:38 | “McCarthy, whether he's right or wrong...he means what he says. Book is when not many people are doing that.” | Sam Tanenhaus |
Segment Timestamps
- Buckley’s family background and Catholic roots: [08:10–12:37]
- Yale years, early activism, and God and Man at Yale: [12:37–19:28]
- The surprise reception of God and Man at Yale, outsider status: [19:28–25:01]
- Influence of Whitaker Chambers: [32:53–33:47]
- Christian anti-communism, outside WASP establishment: [33:47–36:05]
- Military service, CIA years, Burnham's influence: [36:49–39:57]
- Buckley and McCarthyism, forming National Review: [43:55–49:38]
Tone and Style
The conversation is lively, reverential toward Buckley, and steeped in the lore of the conservative movement. Both Bannon and Tanenhaus spotlight the intersection of faith, outsider status, and anti-communist activism as defining threads in American conservatism—with plenty of anecdotes and a literary, historical style. Bannon insists on the relevance for today’s audiences: “The revolution that brought not just Ronald Reagan, but also Donald Trump…”
Final Thoughts
This episode offers a detailed, humanizing portrait of William F. Buckley Jr. that ties his intellectual legacy not simply to the Cold War but also to ongoing questions about elite power, religious identity, and the populist rebellion on the right. The conversation between Bannon and Tannenhaus demonstrates Buckley’s lasting influence—from shaping debates about religion in public life to founding enduring institutions—while drawing provocative connections to the present.
For more, listeners are urged to read the full book (Buckley) and follow Sam Tanenhaus’s writings at samtanenhaus.com.