Podcast Summary: THE WAR ROOM WITH STEPHEN K. BANNON (EP. 4935)

Date: November 18, 2025
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Guests: Megan Basham (Evangelical Analyst & Author), Mark Mitchell (Rasmussen Polling), Daniel Buck, Others

Episode Overview

This episode of "The War Room" centers on a deep-dive into the current state of the American evangelical movement, the growing divide between its leadership and laity, and the influence of progressive forces—including major philanthropic foundations—on evangelical institutions and politics. The show also covers the arrival of the Saudi Crown Prince at the White House, Israel’s political dynamics, shifting generational attitudes among Christians, and the production of a new album by the J6 Prison Choir.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. The Saudi Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit and Middle East Realignment

[00:06–01:30, 24:01–24:56]

• The broadcast begins with live coverage of the Saudi Crown Prince (MBS) arriving for a formal White House ceremony, highlighting Saudi-U.S. relations, major weapons and economic deals, and U.S. strategy in the Middle East.
• Stephen Bannon contextualizes this event as a turning point, citing the ongoing negotiations around the Abraham Accords and a possible two-state solution for Israel-Palestine, with implications emerging from the recent U.N. Security Council developments.

Memorable Quote:
"We're giving it all back, 100 years later... Now you're going to have a semi-official [Palestinian state] that came out of the UN Security Council meeting yesterday with the Turks... the Muslims, the Arabs united with the United States of America."
— Stephen K. Bannon [14:08]

2. The “Third Way” and Evangelical Leadership’s Political Shift

[02:17–13:42]

• Megan Basham exposes a growing rift between evangelical churchgoers—who remain staunchly conservative—and a leadership class influenced by progressive NGOs and secular foundations.
  • Left-leaning foundations (Soros, Clinton, Rockefeller, Zuckerberg, Gates) have funneled funding into evangelical “front groups” with the goal of shifting the movement leftward.
  • The “Third Way,” popularized by theologian Tim Keller, counsels political neutrality but in practice, biases leaders toward progressive issues (e.g., climate, immigration, racial quotas), undermining traditional biblical stances.

Key Points:

• Seminaries and large church media outfits enforce Third Way orthodoxy, often pressuring pastors to avoid speaking on contentious social issues from the pulpit.
• Basham claims about 40% of newly trained pastors now “self-censor” on core issues, even when personally conservative.

Notable Quotes:

• "There’s a real divide between the ordinary evangelical in the pews...and where their leadership is." — Megan Basham [02:17]
• “What it functionally means is we punch right and coddle left.” — Megan Basham [03:08]
• "They will say things like climate change is not a political issue, it’s a gospel issue… but at the bottom, it’s politics." — Megan Basham [06:30]
• “Even though these are the guys that would tell you they’re conservatives.” — Megan Basham [08:33]

3. Progressive Foundation Infiltration and Astroturf Movements

[09:24–13:42]

• Russell Moore and other high-profile evangelical leaders are named as working closely with Soros/Open Society, Zuckerberg, and left-leaning funders, often channeling money into organizations or research that aim to moderate or dilute evangelical political influence.
• Concrete case: The “Evangelical Immigration Table,” a Soros-funded group associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, advocated for progressive immigration policies (against building a border wall), and only recently severed ties after persistent grassroots pushback.

Memorable Quote:
"They are basically telling you if you want to be a good Christian, you need to set your politics to the side... take up this other set of policies—amnesty on the border, cap-and-trade, you must take the shot (COVID)."
— Megan Basham [12:17]

4. Polling: Evangelicals, Abortion, and Political Engagement

[24:56–26:53]

• Mark Mitchell from Rasmussen offers polling data:
  • Atheists now have the strongest (if pro-choice) “worldview consistency” in America.
  • Evangelical Christians remain notably pro-life (by 30 points), but other denominations mirror general public sentiment on abortion.
  • A direct link exists: Those who want the church more involved in politics are far more likely to be pro-life.
• The “Third Way” is effective because by persuading churchgoers to ‘stay out of politics,’ it indirectly promotes left-leaning positions.

Notable Quote:
"People who say the church should stay out of politics are pro-choice by 40 points."
— Mark Mitchell [25:45]

5. Foundation-Driven Curriculum and Influence on Evangelical Voting

[26:53–30:20]

• Basham describes how the Rockefeller and Hewlett Foundations funded “The After Party”—a political Bible study—disseminated to pastors as a nonpartisan alternative for election-season instruction.
  • Curriculum tells Christians abortion is “complex,” but mandates “racial justice” action—a subtle leftward push.
  • Top “Third Way” advocates receive prominent roles in major evangelical seminaries and universities (Wheaton, Baylor, Biola).

Quote:
"They made it very clear what they were trying to accomplish... Don't vote when it comes to abortion, but do vote to end racial injustice." — Megan Basham [29:03]

6. Generational Shifts: Evangelicals & Support for Israel

[30:20–36:05]

• Mitchell and Basham detail rapidly changing evangelical attitudes toward Israel, especially among younger believers.
  • After the October 7th attacks in Israel, national support peaked but then sharply declined among under-30s, who now favor Palestinians (21% support Israel; 59% of seniors do).
  • LifeWay polling: Only 29% of evangelicals under 35 believe Jews are “God’s chosen people,” compared to 49% of all evangelicals.

Memorable Exchange:

Bannon: “Don’t bury the lead—give that last polling again. What?”
Basham: “49% of all evangelicals say Jews are God’s chosen people. But only 29% of those under 35 believe that.” [34:13]

• The change flows “bottom up”—younger students in seminaries are the main source of these shifting beliefs, not leadership.

7. Evangelical Institutions: “A Cold Civil War”

[36:05–38:35]

• Bannon and Basham discuss generational conflict within evangelical institutions—older, more progressive or “comfortable” leadership vs. younger, reform-oriented members.
  • Rise of "Gig Eva": Independent critics (podcasts, blogs) challenging "Big Eva" (establishment evangelicalism) with massive followings.
  • Institutional “rot” and calls for reform echo broader conservative dissatisfaction with traditional organizations.

Notable Quote:
"There's a bit of a cold civil war going on right now in evangelicalism."
— Megan Basham [38:27]

8. Broader Trends: Mainline Churches and Institutional Collapse

[39:22–40:55]

• Daniel Buck and Bannon reflect on the broader collapse in mainline Protestant denominations (Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist) due to progressive social doctrine—foreshadowing possible decline in evangelical institutions unless major reforms occur.

"They’ve weaponized every one of these institutions. Presbyterian Church fell, Episcopal Church fell, the Methodist Church’s probably going to die out in 10 or 20 years."
— Daniel Buck [40:07]

9. J6 Prison Choir: Album Launch and American Storytelling

[44:40–51:09]

• Production update on the “J6 Prison Choir” album "Justice for All," featuring orchestral accompaniment and stories from J6ers.
  • Music as therapy and storytelling: Emotional testimony from jailed choir members about their incarceration.
  • Album and performances to debut at Amfest and be promoted across conservative media, reflecting the show’s blending of culture, politics, and activism.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "There’s a real divide between the ordinary evangelical in the pews...and where their leadership is." — Megan Basham [02:17]
• "What it functionally means is we punch right and coddle left." — Megan Basham [03:08]
• "They will say things like climate change is not a political issue, it’s a gospel issue… but at the bottom, it’s politics." — Megan Basham [06:30]
• "They’re basically telling you if you want to be a good Christian, you need to set your politics to the side." — Megan Basham [12:17]
• "49% of all evangelicals say that they believe that the Jews are God's chosen people. But only 29% of those under 35 believe that." — Megan Basham [34:13]
• "There’s a bit of a cold civil war going on right now in evangelicalism." — Megan Basham [38:27]
• "They've weaponized every one of these institutions. Presbyterian...Episcopal...Methodist...gone." — Daniel Buck [40:07]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:06–01:30: Show open, Saudi Crown Prince arrival
• 02:17–13:42: Megan Basham on evangelical leadership & Third Way theology
• 24:56–26:53: Mark Mitchell on evangelical polling, worldview divide
• 26:53–30:20: Basham on foundation-funded political Bible curriculums
• 30:20–36:05: Israel/Palestine, generational polling, theological divides
• 36:05–38:35: Institutional erosion and rise of "gig eva"
• 44:40–51:09: J6 Prison Choir recording, music storytelling

Conclusion

This War Room episode delivers a hard-hitting analysis of the ideological battles within American evangelicalism, exposing how philanthropic infiltration, subtle leadership “neutrality,” and generational divisions threaten its traditional political power. Shifts in attitudes about Israel, abortion, and institutional trust highlight the urgency for reform—and the depth of the “cold civil war.” The show also highlights Real America’s Voice’s cultural activism (J6 Choir) and ongoing engagement with shifting U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Resource Links:

• Megan Basham: @JournalistMegan | “Shepherds for Sale” (Amazon)
• Mark Mitchell: Rasmussen Poll on X

For more: Subscribe to Real America’s Voice, catch Bannon’s updates on Getter, and stay tuned for further coverage of evangelical polling and political realignment.