Bannon’s War Room: Special Election Night Coverage 2025

Date: November 5, 2025
Podcast: Bannon’s War Room
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Episode Theme:
All-night live coverage and analysis of 2025’s pivotal elections across Virginia, New Jersey, New York, California, Texas, and more. The episode dissects Republican defeats, Democratic advances, and the implications for the MAGA movement and Donald Trump, spotlighting voter turnout, ground games, party strategies, and the impact of progressive coalitions.

Episode Overview

This special episode provides granular, raw, and rapid-fire analysis as real-time election results roll in from key states. Steve Bannon is joined by political commentators, pollsters, campaign operatives, and grassroots activists, reacting to dramatic victories and defeats, with primary focus on Republican struggles, Democratic mobilizations, and what these results portend for the MAGA movement’s future—and Trump’s standing in national and local politics.

Key Segments and Analysis

Virginia: A Republican Meltdown

[00:03 – 00:15]

• Bannon brings in Britt McHenry and Mark Serrano at Sears headquarters.
  • Glenn Youngkin’s Leadership Critiqued: Serrano blames Youngkin for engineering a disastrous campaign by handpicking Winsome Sears and distancing from Trump/MAGA, leading to an 11.4% defeat.
  • Contrast in Results: Jason Miyares (Trump-backed AG candidate) outperforms the governor’s race by +10 points, but still loses, highlighting a collapse in coalition-building.
  • Broader Ramifications: Without MAGA and Trump, GOP can’t build winning coalitions. Youngkin/party consultants are faulted for holding Trump at arm’s length.
  • REDISTRICTING ALERT: Democrats’ wins mean they’ll rush to create a “10-to-1” map to maximize Democratic seats, part of a strategic plan to impeach Trump in 2026.
  • Quote: “Youngkin ought to be ashamed of himself for what happened here tonight. 19 minutes after the polls closed… catastrophe.” — Steve Bannon [00:11]

New Jersey: Turnout and MAGA Disconnect

[00:24 – 00:32]

• Mike Crispi gives recap on NJ’s quick Democratic call (race called in 13 minutes).
  • Urban Turnout: Highest since 1997, Dems run huge turnout in inner cities.
  • GOP Infighting & Consultant Blame: Internal turf wars and “never Trump” consultants are blamed for suppressed turnout and failure to harness MAGA.
  • Trump’s Absence Felt: Despite prior massive rallies and a Trump endorsement, his lack of direct engagement cited as a missed opportunity.
  • Quote: “You gotta get these bad, rotten consultants out of the game. Trump coming back to Jersey, we would’ve seen higher turnout.” — Mike Crispi [00:30]

National Strategy Failure

[00:36 – 00:44]

• John Solomon, Just the News Anchor:
  • GOP lessons unlearned: The party failed to replicate the successful 2024 Trump playbook, particularly around early/mail voting and coalition outreach.
  • “Don’t Run From MAGA:” Only candidates embracing Trump/MAGA (e.g., Miyares) performed well.
  • Economic Populism Ignored: GOP lost middle/lower-class focus, which gave Trump his edge; fixating on abstract issues like foreign policy didn’t resonate with struggling voters.
  • Redistricting Drums: Solomon echoes that Democrats will now force aggressive redistricting to “impeach President Trump.”
  • Quote: “You don’t run from the thing that got you there... Republicans have to wake up tomorrow morning and say we gotta go back to the strategy of 2024. That’s the lesson of tonight.” — John Solomon [00:42]

Polling & Data: The Lost Coalition

[00:47 – 00:54]

• Richard Barris, pollster:
  • GOP “dead until Trump resurrected” them. Lack of connection to Trump’s base, coalition of first-time and working-class voters, led to failing margins, especially in blue states that could have been competitive.
  • Excuses Rejected: “This idea…we were underdogs to begin with…that is a cop out. That is loser speak.” — Richard Barris [00:50]

New York City: Progressive Takeover

[01:00 – 01:15]

• David Zier and Steve Bannon on Zoran Mamdani’s landslide:
  • Ground Game Triumph: DSA/Working Families Party assembled an immense volunteer/canvass operation—far outstripping establishment campaigns reliant on advertising.
  • Social Media & Demographics: Mamdani’s youth, multicultural outreach, and online prowess (6M followers) energized turnout.
  • Quote: “He kind of took the Trump playbook to the Working Family Party and DSA. Have a monster, have a beast of a ground game.” — Bannon [01:03]
  • Generational Shift: Gen Z attracted to bold promises, frustrated by affordability and status quo.
  • Red-Flag for GOP: Business/financial establishment’s attempt to orchestrate a Cuomo-Adams alternative falters; Republican Party is “irrelevant” in NYC.
  • Quote: “New York City, the global financial capital… now in the hands of a Marxist jihadist.” — John Solomon [01:11]

California: Smashmouth Partisan Power

[01:22 – 01:44]

• Joel Pollak breaks down Prop 50 and redistricting:
  • Democratic Aggression: California Dems redistrict to crush GOP seats (could fall from 9 to 4 out of 48), regardless of Republican voter share (~42%).
  • Newsom’s Presidential Run Launched: Redistricting is strategic for both 2026 House control and Newsom’s 2028 ambitions.
  • GOP Outmaneuvered: Reforms for “good government” backfire, “independent” commissions gamed by activists.
  • Quote: “Democrats figured out how to game that one as well... Now that’s not even good enough. They’re just going for pure gerrymandering.” — Joel Pollak [01:35]

Texas: Last Stand for Red America?

[02:01 – 02:17]

• Patriot Mobile team discusses saving Texas:
  • Low Turnout Warning: Only 8% turnout so far—if that trend continues, Texas could be at risk.
  • Republican Infighting: Statehouse run by moderates/Dems despite majorities; only strong conservative grassroots can hold the line.
  • Quote: “We gotta be prepared for the post-Trump country… If we don’t save Texas, this country's lost.” — Glenn Story [02:07]

Reaction from the Republican Base

[02:35 – 02:50]

• Damon, Studio 6B/America First Warehouse:
  • “Is there a viable Republican Party, or is it just the Trump party?”
  • Frustration at consultants, calls to cut ties with those who distanced themselves from MAGA, and admiration for Trump’s ability to turnout voters and win.
  • Mark Robinson’s loss in NC contrasted with Democratic winner J. Jones, despite controversial statements, as evidence of Democratic ruthlessness.

The Message from Virginia and New Jersey

[02:52 – 03:00]

• Mike Crispi recaps with strong language:
  • "The consultants really didn't want Trump involved, and now you're seeing the carnage that is wrought by that."
  • Calls to “eradicate” elements of the party who “run away from Trump.”

The Progressive Victory Speech: Zoran Mamdani, Mayor-elect NYC

[03:49 – 04:08]

• Full Speech Key Points:

  • Calls for aggressive policy—rent freezes, free municipal services, universal childcare.
  • Celebrates coalition of working-class and immigrant communities; directly addresses Trump (“Turn the volume up”).
  • Presents himself as unashamedly a “Muslim, democratic socialist”—“I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
  • Declares the defeat of oligarchy/establishment politics and the birth of a new era for leftist populism in NYC.

  Notable Quote:

  "After all, if anyone can show a nation between Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him... So, Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you. Turn the volume up." — Zoran Mamdani [04:05]

Bannon’s Response to Mamdani

[04:10 – 04:16]

• Bannon:
  • Declares Mandami’s win as the result of decades of progressive groundwork (“the Progressive left got tonight delivered what they've been working on for decades”) and mass migration.
  • Critiques both establishment Republican donors and so-called “populist” Democrats—labels Mamdani “neo-Marxist” and warns of forthcoming radical transformation for New York.
  • Calls out Trump’s disengagement in blue states as a strategic error.
  • Trump Responds—Live:
    • Tweet: “And so it begins.”
    • Panel agrees: The gloves are off, Trump will re-engage as the leader of the only viable GOP coalition.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Steve Bannon:

  • “Youngkin ought to be ashamed of himself for what happened here tonight. 19 minutes after the polls closed… catastrophe.” [00:11]
  • “Game on right now, guys… Mao Tse Tung said a revolution is not a garden party. And you know who knows that? Mamdani and his radical followers.” [03:08]
  • “President Trump, he called you out… He couldn't have been more in your grill.” [04:15]

• John Solomon:

  • “Republicans abandoned economic populism… You could see this disaster happening. And tonight we had it.” [00:42]

• Richard Barris:

  • “This idea…we were underdogs to begin with…that is a cop out. That is loser speak. End of story.” [00:50]
  • “This is going to be a populist left-wing or a populist right-wing country. The Republican Party wants to go back to the old ways… they’re going to have to soul-search.” [04:09]

• Zoran Mamdani:

  • “I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.” [04:07]
  • “So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.” [04:05]

• Mike Crispi:

  • “Everybody here tonight is saying, what could we have done different? …We need to rip this thing down and rebuild it.” [02:55]

Timestamps by State/Topic

• [00:03] – Virginia fallout; blaming the lack of MAGA/Trump engagement
• [00:24] – New Jersey quick loss; blame on bad consultants, low turnout
• [00:36] – John Solomon: National Republican strategy breakdown
• [00:47] – Pollster Barris: Republicans “dead” until Trump; blue states could have flipped
• [01:00] – New York City: Mamdani’s win, analyzing ground game and messaging
• [01:22] – California: Newsom’s smashmouth play, redistricting, Prop 50
• [02:01] – Texas: Patriot Mobile’s warning, low turnout dangers
• [02:52] – NJ and VA: failure to engage Trump equals political “carnage”
• [03:00] – David Zier: implications for New York, youth and Jewish vote trends
• [03:49] – [04:08] Mamdani’s victory speech (full text, key excerpts above)
• [04:10+] – Panel’s reaction to Mamdani, Bannon calls for Trump/MAGA to respond
• [04:16–end] – Reflections; Lee Wambsgans (TX) grassroots win; notes on California/NYC implications for national GOP

Tone and Atmosphere

• Urgency, frustration, and a “call to arms” atmosphere dominate, with panelists oscillating between commiseration, anger at GOP party elites, and determination to rebuild via MAGA populism.
• Frequent dark humor and gallows banter (“Are we all ready to fast for Ramadan here, Steve?” [03:07]) reflect a sense of epochal shift.
• No-holds-barred language towards the establishment GOP, consultants, and especially Democratic activists; notable for tactical candidness and overt alarm about the “end of America as you know it.”

Final Takeaways

• MAGA’s centrality: Panel agrees that only unabashed engagement with Trump and his movement brings Republican success—any attempt to moderate or sideline MAGA results in catastrophic losses, as seen in every major race dissected.
• Grassroots vs. consultants: The consultants’ culture is blamed for recent failures and declared obsolete and damaging.
• Democratic coalition strength: The rise of organized, youthful, and diverse progressives (modeled by Zoran Mamdani) is noted as both a warning and a blueprint for future political success.
• 2026 Impeachment & Redistricting: All eyes turn to rapidly shifting district maps and a Democratic plan to impeach Trump again after retaking legislative strongholds.

Overarching theme:
The battle lines are redrawn—Republicans must either go full Maga/trumpian, build coalitions on economic populism and aggressive outreach, or risk permanent minority status as Democrats perfect their urban, progressive ballot-chasing and ground-game machine.

For more:

• John Solomon: justthenews.com / @jsolomonreports
• Mike Crispi: @MikeCrispi
• Richard Barris: peoplespundit.locals.com
• Lee Wambsgans (TX): leefortexas.com
• Joel Pollak: @joelpollak
• Ben Berkwam: FrontlineAmerica.com

Trump’s closing words as the night wraps:

“And so it begins.”