THE WAR ROOM WITH STEPHEN K. BANNON (EP. #5026)

Summary

---

THE WAR ROOM WITH STEPHEN K. BANNON (EP. #5026)

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Guest: Larry Schweikart, historian and co-author of A Patriot’s History of the United States
Date: December 27, 2025

---

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In the final Saturday "War Room" episode of 2025, Stephen K. Bannon hosts historian Larry Schweikart for a deep-dive reflection on political transitions in America, the evolution of the MAGA movement, and current debates on nationalism and foreign policy—specifically in the wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Bannon uses the episode to play and dissect his recent, "controversial" speech at the Amfest conference, focusing on victories and challenges for the populist right, the "Greater Israel" controversy, and what comes next for the movement. The episode is an unfiltered look at American politics through the lens of Bannon’s nationalism and Schweikart’s historical analysis.

---

KEY SEGMENTS AND INSIGHTS

---

1. Bannon’s Amfest Speech: The State of War and the Kirk Legacy

([03:54]-[21:33])

Main Points:

• America at War (Political/Cultural):
  Bannon frames the political landscape as "war"—not merely contest or debate, but a deep, existential struggle. This “cold civil war” is rooted in mainstream media deception, institutional opposition, and threats to American values.
• Charlie Kirk’s Assassination:
  Bannon revisits and breaks down his speech at Amfest, focusing on the significance of Kirk’s death and its impact on the movement. He memorializes Kirk as a "martyr" and "saint," emphasizing action over rhetoric.
• Seven of Eight Election Wins:
  Bannon asserts the MAGA movement’s electoral success (7 out of 8 national elections over a decade), arguing that mainstream narratives deny these victories, including claiming 2020 was won ("If you don’t believe that, you don’t believe a foundational element of the MAGA movement" — Bannon, [06:51]).
• Internal GOP Dynamics:
  Critique of both the Republican establishment’s resistance to Trump and attempts by establishment conservatives (naming Ben Shapiro and others) to "co-opt" grassroots organizations like Turning Point USA.

Notable Quotes:

• “This is the primal scream of a dying regime… Pray for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon, [03:07]
• “Ask yourself, what is my task and what is my purpose? If that answer is to save my country, this country will be saved.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon, [03:39]
• “Why the hell do you think they assassinated him? … Charlie Kirk is a Christian martyr and Charlie Kirk is a Christian saint. That is your legacy that you take up today.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon, [20:17]

Memorable Moments:

• Bannon’s “next man up” call to action, urging followers to step into Kirk’s shoes.
• Intense rhetoric regarding the ongoing "war": “We don't want it to turn hot. We don't need it to turn hot.” ([08:44])

---

2. The “Greater Israel” Debate & U.S. Foreign Policy

([10:49]-[21:33], [21:33]-[27:02])

Main Points:

• Splitting ‘Israel First’ and ‘America First’: Bannon distinguishes support for Israel’s sovereignty from the ambitions of the “Greater Israel” project, condemning efforts by American and Israeli neoconservatives to pull the U.S. into foreign entanglements.
• Charlie Kirk’s Influence:
  Bannon credits Kirk with resisting “Greater Israel” policies in the White House, helping prevent escalation toward war with Iran.
• Sovereignty and Independence:
  Bannon advocates for an Israel that's self-sufficient and independent of American military aid, drawing a sharp line between alliance and subordination.

Notable Quotes:

• “You can’t get a better defender of Israel than Charlie Kirk… But that's about Israel. It's not about Greater Israel. It's not about Israel first.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon, [11:39]
• “[Ben] Shapiro called Breitbart Trump Pravda... He’s like a cancer, and that cancer spreads. He tried to take over Breitbart and I ran him out of there.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon, [18:23]
• “If Israel wants to take on Syria, go for it... But not drag the United States of America into another endless war.”
  — Stephen K. Bannon, [15:24]

---

3. Applying History: Schweikart on the MAGA Movement & Political Transformation

([27:02]-[50:00])

Main Points:

• Early Recognition of Trump’s Impact:
  Schweikart describes noticing Trump’s unique appeal back in 2015, realizing Trump was hitting the issues ignored by the GOP establishment, especially illegal immigration and trade (“This guy gets it now.” — Schweikart, [28:13]).
• Break from Reagan-Era Conservatism:
  Emphasizes a shift away from old free-trade, interventionist orthodoxies—Trump’s realism about global trade resonated with working-class voters left behind by both parties.
• Changing Political Culture:
  The rise of media, celebrity culture, and rapid news cycles rewarded Trump’s blunt style and outsider persona, making him uniquely effective (“Trump walked into politics as a well-known figure because he was on TV so much.” — Schweikart, [44:13])
• Historical Perspective:
  Compares Trump’s disruption to previous transformational periods in U.S. politics, noting the obsolescence of classic institutional conservatism.

Notable Quotes:

• “I'm a free trader, but we don't have free trade with China and with much of Europe... If the thesis doesn't fit the evidence, you better change your thesis.”
  — Larry Schweikart, [30:46]
• “Trump was particularly attuned to navigating [today’s] political world because he didn't mince words, he didn't speak Washingtonese. He told you exactly what he thinks, which I think has become an amazing strategic strength.”
  — Larry Schweikart, [41:25]
• “There was the economic factor, but also there was a cultural factor at work. Our society has moved now very, very fast.”
  — Larry Schweikart, [43:39]

---

4. The Uniparty, Systemic Dysfunction, and Populist Response

([47:43]-[57:09])

Main Points:

• Trump Versus “The System”:
  Bannon and Schweikart discuss Trump’s realization that Washington’s political class is a self-perpetuating “uniparty,” more concerned with their own power and interests than serving the country.
• Obstacles to Reform:
  Schweikart traces resistance to change to entrenched lobbies, referencing Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex, and noting the legislative gridlock that’s neutered Congress since at least the Gingrich-era.
• Populism’s Path Forward:
  Hopeful outlook for 2026, but realistic about limited impacts of Congressional wins or losses due to ossified institutions.

Notable Quotes:

• “Most of these people, not all, but most of them are in fact there to make sure nothing ever changes. Their goal is to keep the gravy train flowing.”
  — Larry Schweikart, [49:49]
• “It's been occurring. You know, Eisenhower warned about the military industrial complex… There would be feedback loops set up in which people in Congress would approve weapons systems because their portfolios had various weapons contractors...”
  — Larry Schweikart, [57:09]

---

5. Historical Caution and Populist Prescription

([57:09]-[59:55])

Main Points:

• Corruption and Loss of Congressional Power:
  Schweikart describes the decline in Congressional leverage since the 1990s, blaming members’ entanglement with lobbyists and unwillingness to fight for power.
• Legislative Inaction, Impeachment Futility:
  Asserts that even if Democrats retake Congress, little besides gridlock is likely: “For all intents and purposes, unless Mike Johnson puts on some jets here, there wouldn't be a whole lot of difference…”

Notable Quotes:

• “I hate to use the term corrupt, but I would say I think a majority...of the actors in the House and in the Senate are in fact tied into one lobby or another...”
  — Larry Schweikart, [57:44]

---

MEMORABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES

• Bannon, on legacy and challenge:
  “The day I went into prison, we passed the show to Charlie Kirk… Are you next man up? Are you going to fill the shoes of Charlie Kirk? … Do you have the guts to do it?” ([20:10])
• Schweikart, on the new political climate:
  “Our politics have become much harder edged, you know, elbow swinging, if you will. … Trump was particularly attuned to navigating [that] because he didn’t mince words, he didn’t speak Washington-ease.” ([41:25])
• Bannon, on media/D.C. elites:
  “Official Washington, D.C. … [is] Atlanticist, they're globalist, and they…are elitist. They're not really interested in the common working man.” ([47:49])

---

TIMESTAMPS FOR CRUCIAL SEGMENTS

• Bannon opens & sets "War" theme — [03:07]
• Amfest speech on Kirk’s assassination — [05:04]-[21:33]
• Dissecting the “Greater Israel” debate — [10:49]-[21:33]
• Schweikart on Trump’s historical impact — [27:02]-[50:00]
• On systemic dysfunction and decline of Congress — [57:09]-[59:55]

---

FINAL NOTES

• The tone is urgent, combative, and often confrontational, blending personal tributes (to Charlie Kirk), populist rallying, and historical analogy.
• The conversation navigates both contemporary events (the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination) and long-view historical shifts, arguing for the necessity of populist nationalism and skepticism toward interventionist foreign policy.
• The episode is a call to maintain momentum for 2026 and beyond, couched in a narrative of struggle between grassroots populism and the entrenched political establishment.

---

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Pressure is coming down.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video Watch the.

[LG Gram Advertiser]

Trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag Reader's Choice Used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Podcast Announcer]

Season two of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com, and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, LLC SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] Disclosures A new year.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at this special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

This is the primal scream of a dying regime.

Pray for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people. Christians. I got a free shot. All these networks lying about the people. The people have had a belly full of it. I know you don't like hearing that. I know you try to do everything in the world to stop that, but you're not going to stop it. It's going to happen.

[Sponsor Announcer]

And where do people like that go.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

To share the big lie? MAGA Media I wish in my soul.

[Sponsor Announcer]

I wish that any of these people had a conscience.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Ask yourself, what is my task and what is my purpose? If that answer is to save my country, this country will be saved. War Room here's your host, Stephen K. Ban.

It's Saturday, the 27th of December, in the year of our Lord 2025. Okay, today, as you know, the Saturday show is my favorite show of the week. And this is our last Saturday show for this year. I wanted to do something a little special, so I invited one of my favorite people, the great historian Larry Swiker, to join us. And we're going to spend the next couple hours going through not just American history, but also how it applies to, to today. I want to start off, though, because I haven't had the opportunity to do this yet, is to. I want to play the speech. I gave it, Amfest, which some people think was a little controversial. I don't happen to think it's that controversial, but I want to break it down for you. I'm going to ask Larry to do this with me. So let's go ahead. And I'm going to go. We're going to go right back to last Friday at Amfest. I don't know, it was about 8 o' clock in the evening, East coast time, I think 5 or 6 o' clock there when I gave a 15 or 16 minute speech. We're going to play its entirety. Then I'm going to break it down when we come back. Let's go ahead and play it. Thank you.

Thank you. We are at war. You know how we know this? You just heard Hawkins up here a few minutes ago. Right. What did she say at the very moment Charlie Kirk was assassinated? What? The University of Montana. They laughed in her face, right? Laughed in her face. And some guy goes, oh, we're at war. Charlie Kirk knew we were at war. Every time I've spoken, at any event of Turning Point, I always start with that because Charlie Kirk knew one thing. He knew we're at war and he knew we were going to be victorious if we didn't quit. Now, what I mean by that. Let's go back. Do you understand for the last 10 years, there have been eight national elections, either primaries, off year elections where Congress is voted on for the whole nation, or presidential elections. We have won seven of those eight. This is why they hated. This is why they hated Charlie Kirk. It wasn't Charlie Kirk's philosophy or even his debates. Charlie Kirk was a tough, tough person that built a machine that you guys are dedicated to that delivered victories. Let's be specific, go back to 2015. President Trump, 15, 16, wins the primary against all odds. Then in 16, he wins a come from behind, you know, once in a lifetime victory against Hillary Clinton. We lost the 18 midterms because people were leaning on their rakes. Leaning on their rakes. And we lost, I don't know, 35 or 40 House seats. And Nancy Pelosi told us exactly what she was going to do. She impeached Trump and almost brought it all down. President Trump came back, won the primary, right, Very easily. Nobody really ran against him. I don't think anybody ran against him. 2020, we won the 2020 election. Is there any, is there any dispute on that? If you don't believe that, you don't believe a foundational element of the MAGA movement. We won 2020, and to show you how we won it, we picked up 14 house seats that night. 14 house seats. Then President Trump went into the wilderness. This is when Charlie Kirk really, I think, stepped up the most. President Trump was sent to Mar a Lago. They never thought he was coming back. The Republican Party never thought he was coming back. And what happened? President Trump grinded it out. In fact, he told us on this stage last year right here, the first time he told anybody, when Charlie had him come out here and speak, what did he say? He said I had to run again because I could not let them steal an election because they're stealing the country. And we sit and we see what Biden did. Then we win the midterms in 22, we picked up about 11 seats, eight net, and took the House of Representatives. There were Supposed to be more, but we got control of the House and then. And really the greatest come from behind ever. President Trump turning point. Put him on his shoulder, put him on their shoulders. We won the greatest election in the history of the country. In 10 years. In 10 years, a decade. You've been beaten once when we leaned on our shovels. Charlie Kirk understood one thing. We are at war. It's a political war. It's a cold civil war. We don't want it to turn hot. We don't need it to turn hot. If we accomplish what we're supposed to accomplish and we have won seven of eight national elections, the American people are with us as long as we get things done, as long as we accomplish the punch list that Rob Snyder talked about when he walked down this stage. That's what's incumbent upon us. And that's what the Republican establishment to date, because you can already see what they're doing and trying to block President Trump. You see this in Indianapolis. You see this in the redistricting. The Republican establishment think that President Trump's just a passing storm and that he's just going to fade away. And what they're going to try to do is co opt, co op Turning point because Charlie has built it into a massive political operation that cannot be beat. And the left knows that. It's one of the reasons. Yes, I realize we haven't gone to trial yet. We don't know all the information. It looks like, you know, at least the information we have out, it may be this guy, maybe not, maybe not an organization in back of it. We don't know that yet because the evidence hasn't been put out. But Charlie Kirk is dead. Think about that. The individual that's probably, I think at his age, the greatest individual this country's produced politically, culturally, since the revolution, remember all of the revolution with 30 Charlie Kirk, hell, he's 31 years old. He's been doing this since he was 18, 17 or 18. But Charlie Kirk was a man of action.

And here's.

I want to make sure that we get something straight tonight. We have a partners discussion and I want to say up front, if I hurt some feelings here, you can come and talk to me afterwards. This whole thing that's gone on the last couple days, some of the comments tonight, this is not about this specific incident, is not about freedom of speech or platforming or de. Platforming. They're all talking about that. And that's, you know, people are saying hurtful things to each other. Tucker said the quiet part out Loud. This is a proxy on 28. Now, I think it's way too early to be thinking about 28. But he's right about one thing. This is a proxy on an issue that's not freedom of speech and not are you going to get platformed to deplatformed. This is about a situation that Charlie Kirk was probably one of the most, if not the most important person in doing, in accomplishing. And that is this concept of what I would call Greater Israel and Israel first. You can't get a better defender of Israel than Charlie Kirk. You can't get a better defender of Israel than Steve Bannon at Breitbart. Adamant. Couldn't have a two state solution in the White House. I'm the one that pushed initially hard to move the embassy to Jerusalem. At War Room. Ask all the War Room people are here. Ask all the posse. We always talk about it and we're one state, not a two state. But that's about Israel. It's not about Greater Israel. It's not about Israel first. Charlie Kirk had some foundational beliefs. Those foundational beliefs are number one. He's a populist nationalist. America makes its own decisions for America. And as a populist, the American people are the people that make those decisions. Now, Benji Shapiro sat up here last night and he was all, you know, I'm going to, you know, it's all about the truth. Ben, I've known you a long time, brother. You can't handle the truth. Let's face it. Ben Shapiro is the farthest thing from maga. Let's be blunt. He is a hardcore endeavor Trumper. He's a hardcore never Trumper. In the spring of 16, he tried to upend Breitbart. He walked off the job, made a big deal about some incident in Mar a Lago with Corey Lewandowski. He tried to turn it to Ted Cruz from Donald Trump because he hated Donald Trump. In the general election, he barely supported Donald Trump. The first sign of when President Trump gets sent back to Mar a Lago, the very first individual that jumped on the Ron DeSantis train, the Israel first trans train, was Ben Shapiro. And those are the darkest days we had in 21 and 22, you guys were there. He's consistently been against Trump and now the President Trump doesn't back the Greater Israel Project. What is Greater Israel? It's not about Israel itself. It's about an expansionist Israel it and imperial Israel that Netanyahu and that crowd have thought up. And the Israel first crowd is Ben Shapiro. Tel Aviv, Mark Levin and many others that want to put that ahead of America's interests. Charlie Kirk fought that. You know where Charlie Kirk fought it? In the White House. I know because I was there. When I went back, Charlie Kirk was working with Sergio Gore, certain people around the Vice President to make sure that we didn't get sucked into a land war, a decapitation of the Iranian elites that would lead to a massive civil war that American troops would get sucked into, because that was Netanyahu's plan from the beginning. And we know that the Times of Israel is published that there was no urgency to go after the nuclear weapons. We know the fact they couldn't finish what they started. We know for a fact, we know for a fact that they had. They needed American Aegis Thaad missiles, Patriots to defend themselves on day 10 of the war. They were losing and they didn't have the offensive capability. And I don't mean the B2s coming in and taking out the caves. They relied upon our 1970s technology of cruise missiles fired from submarines in the North Arabian Sea to take out the above ground. We had to bring that war to inclusion. And President Trump and his brilliance said, we'll do that and we'll call it the 12 day war. And it's over. Now for the Israel first crowd. They are the ones that are destroying Israel today in Miami, who's negotiating with Witkoff? It's the Turks, it's Qatar, it's the Egyptians, because Qatar is going to Underwrite Gaza and 2 million Palestinians are going to stay there. And the Turks are providing, on Egyptian soil called Gaza or on Israel soil called Gaza is going to provide the military control mechanism over UAE troops, Saudi troops and Egyptian troops. That's a two state solution that has been provided because the efforts of the Israel first crowd and Charlie Kirk had one simple thing that he thought about, who controls America and who makes decisions for the United States or America. And Charlie Kirk worked overtime because behind the scenes he was a player. Not just helping Sergio get all types of great people in there and vet those people, but actually talking about policy. And part of that policy was no more foreign wars. Charlie absolutely believed what I believe. The Middle east is a sideshow and Israel is a sideshow to a sideshow. Now, voices out there that support Israel, like Laura Loomer and Rabbi Wolicki and others are coming forward and say, look, maybe Bannon and these guys are right. We don't want to take any more American money. We don't have any more American control. We want to Be out. Go out and do what we want to do when we, the Israelis, feel they have to do it. I support that 100%. Israel needs its sovereignty. Israel needs to be independent. If Israel wants to take on Syria, go for it. If Israel wants to go into Lebanon, go for it. But not drag the United States of America into another endless war. Ask Megyn Kelly when she comes up here. Look, Breitbart. Shapiro called Breitbart Trump Pravda. When he left, he called it Trump Pravda. And he was kind of right. We had to be. There was no other news site that was supporting President Trump. When poor Megyn Kelly came out in that first debate and made what looks like now some innocuous questions right about Trump's Facebook page or his Twitter feed about Rosie o' Donnell and others. Have Jack Bosovic ask her how it turned out. We unleashed the dogs. We were maniacs. Why? President Trump had no backing, had no backing at Fox, had no backing the national review. And at 16, that would have driven him out of the race. So we had to be there. But Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads. It's a cancer and it metastasizes. He tried to take over Breitbart and I ran him out of there. He tried to take over David Horowitz's. Who was his mentor. Don't ask me. Ask the guys associated with David Horowitz what he did there. He tried to take that over. And mark my word, he will make a move on Turning Point because he's always been envious of Charlie Kirk. This is not about speech. It's not about deplatforming. This is about power, politics and what Charlie Kirk believed in to the core of his being, that America makes decisions for America and Americans make decisions for. For America. That was Charlie Kirk. That's. Why the hell. Why the hell do you think they assassinated him? Why they put the poison all over this place? Why are they mocking ridicule? James Carville said yesterday that Rob Reiner has done 100 times more than Charlie Kirk. They hate Charlie Kirk because Charlie Kirk brought victories. And with victory after victory after victory, that's when we can re Christianize this country. What was Charlie Kirk's lesson? That we are a Christian nation that got off the rails. We have to rechristianize this country. You are in the shadows of a giant, not just an American patriot and an American hero. Charlie Kirk is a Christian martyr and Charlie Kirk is a Christian saint. That is your legacy that you take up the day I went into prison. The day I went to prison, we passed the show to Charlie Kirk, as we did oftentimes in the three and a half years that Charlie Posobic and I had that block at Real America's Voice. And what Charlie said, I said to Charlie, next man up. Charlie said, I got it. Next man up. Are you next man up? Are you going to fill the shoes of Charlie Kirk? Do you have the stones to do it? Do you have the guts to do it? Ask yourself that. Because I tell you what, that's what you in this room right here are going to decide whether we win in 26. And if we don't win in 26, they're going to bring holy hell down on us. We have to win. Charlie Kirk knew that, and you know that. Thank you very much. Next man up.

Okay. Welcome back. And I want to thank our production team in Denver, in my own production team here, because we're doing the first part of the show a little differently. We don't take that break up in the middle of the show. We're going to kind of float this one. Why did I think that was important? Number one, a lot of this conversation and debate had gotten around the First Amendment and around platform. Who's going to be platformed, who's not going to be platformed, who's talking to who's putting these people on shows, etc. Not that I don't think that's important. I just don't think it's signal. I think it's noise. The important things I believe are the underlying policies that, that are driving the movement. Maybe a part of people aren't coalescing around. And I want to be very specific. I talked about this, you know, earlier in the week on. I think it was the Tuesday, I don't think it was Christmas Eve, but the Tuesday show, I had Rabbi Wielicki in, in the morning, which he talked about, you know, the situation in Syria, and Rabbi Wielicki and Laura Loomer, who I name checked right there, talk about Israeli, Israel's sovereignty and her independence. Well, let's say subsequent to that, it came out in the papers that Ron Dermer, who I worked very closely with in the first Trump administration, particularly Ron, was, I think he was ambassador from Israel to the United States at the time, and just a brilliant guy. Also, somebody worked with us very closely on moving the embassy to Jerusalem. He is now, it's now been announced that he's working on a strategic plan underneath Prime Minister Netanyahu. And that plan is to wait for it draw down all American assistance. Starting the MoU we have as a kind of ally. We're not really an ally, but this kind of partnership outlined this memorandum of understanding runs out in 2028. And there had been talk before is that, oh, they're going to do, you know, one that's going to be $100 billion and it's going to last for 50 years. And you know, the neocons are all upset that these populists are, you know, talking about Israel and not defense of Israel. This is not about the defense of Israel, as I said in that speech. This is about the Greater Israel Project and people that are Israel first. It's two totally different things. And now you see Netanyahu's government's responding to that. What they're doing is saying, hey, at the end of the MOU this time, instead of extending for 50 years with a, I don't know, $2 trillion deal or whatever they were talking about a couple of weeks ago, we're actually going to draw down, we want to do a memorandum of understanding that actually draws down to no American assistance so that, as Rabbi Wolicki talked about, that they can have, you know, freedom of movement in places like Syria or even Iran, as I said before, an independent and sovereign Israel. If they want to take on Turkey and Syria, if they want to do, if they want to go after the Persians, as long as they're not drawing us into it. And if we're not giving them 5 ban a year and that's the minimum we give them, there's all types of other support. But if we don't, and they're sovereign and independent, make their own decisions as they should, because they shouldn't be a protectorate of the United States. They don't need to be a protector of the United States, obviously, since the interest of both countries are going to go in different directions. What I mean by that? Well, look, it's, you know, the policy right now of the US Government is very much that it's a two state solution, something I fought against ever since I've kind of gotten involved in politics. You have a two state solution. You have a two. Because of the overreach of the overreach, I think of the Israel first crowd and this Greater Israel Project, which is to expand Israel out into Lebanon, into Syria, into Iraq, all the way to Iran, into Egypt and the Sinai. And it's just not feasible. And it can't be done. It certainly can't be done with American support because that would draw us into one conflict after the other. And Netanyahu understands this now, I don't want to take credit for that. I don't want to take credit for it. I won't take full credit for it. But I've been hammering this one for a while, and people have gone out of their way, particularly the Israel first crowd has gone out of their way to kind of, you know, change what the conversation is really about. This is what it's about. And now that you have Ron Dermer, who I think is one of the smartest strategic thinkers in Israel, and now that you have Ron Dermer, under the guidance of Netanyahu, actually coming forward and going to put forward a proposal to say we want Israel to be independent and sovereign, I think that's a step in the right direction. I want to bring in Larry Swyker. Larry, would you start? You really got interested in Trump as a, as kind of not just a person, but a force of history. Was it in 2014 or 2015? Because I remember when I was at Breitbart, and then when I took over the campaign In August of 2016, you already had a pretty definitive outlook on the MAGA movement. Give me your thoughts. When did you really start looking at Trump as someone that you thought would actually have an impact and was speaking totally differently than the traditional Republicans that.

[Larry Schweikart]

You had covered so closely in 2015? Sometime early in 2015, I met Ted Cruz and talked to him a lot. And at that time, I thought, and this is going to be the guy. But after I had conversations with him, I go, now there's something missing there. And it was about that time that I was on vacation in Arizona, and I noticed that Trump was on TV and they had to move his speech from the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, which is good, but it's, it doesn't have a big auditorium to the Arizona Convention center in downtown Phoenix, which seats 10,000. I thought, there's something to this. You don't do this every day. This guy must have something. He must be saying, something that people are responding to. Now, you know as well as I do that in 26, 2006, President Bush had attempted, with this gang of eight, a illegal immigration reform that was going to be a basic form of amnesty, and people revolted. At the time, Rush Limbaugh engaged in the only request he ever made for people to call into D.C. on an issue, and they shut that down. But no one between that time and the end of Obama's term was talking at all about illegal immigration except Donald Trump. And I thought this Guy gets it now. If he has any other policies that are along with that one, he's going to be a force. And by the end of 2015, I was telling everybody who would listen he was going to win the Republican nomination. I won some famous bets that people welched on, but nevertheless, I predicted that. And then, you know, in 2016, I started to follow the voter registration patterns in about seven or eight key swing states, and they were all pointing toward a narrow Trump victory. And so I said in my book, why How Trump Won, which came out, came out after the election, but it was written before the election that Trump was going to win. And I said was between 303, 20 electoral votes, and the final was 304.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

What was it about? Because here, this is why I started off with the speech about, you're going through, you go through different times in American political history where the issues, just things change. Right. The country or underlying forces. What was it about? Because you correct me if I'm wrong, you come at things very much as a classic limited government, maximum liberty, maybe not a libertarian, but small government, lower taxes, lower involvement in your life conservative, which Israel was one of the central parts of the foreign policy, the Republican Party. But you came at things in a pretty standard, pretty classical way that the. Ted Cruz was really in that vertical for that 16, 15, 16 primary. Ted Cruz was the guy for that vertical, right?

He was the.

He was the guy that was running as that guy. Correct?

[Larry Schweikart]

Yeah. The thing is, and I've written a biography of Reagan, Reagan, I don't think foresaw what was going to happen with the open borders, eventually with nafta, with that kind of stuff. I think he really believed in the 1980s that total free trade, regardless of what our trade opponents were doing to us, that it would still carry the day. It's the old Milton Friedman argument that free trade will win no matter what. Well, that may be true if you can sustain yourself over a few hundred years. But as was becoming clear by the end of the Reagan administration, there was a hollowing out of American business going overseas. And again, Trump in mid-2015, started to talk about that in ways nobody else was. And I said, well, yeah, I'm a free trader, but we don't have free trade with China and with much of Europe, because even though they may or may not have tariffs, some did, some didn't, nevertheless, they were restricting trade on their shelves. You couldn't just put a bag of blazed potato ship on shelf someplace. So I began to see Trump as a transitional figure away from the classical Republican Party of a strong foreign policy, a very interventionist foreign policy, and won a Republican Party that didn't pay any attention at all to the lower middle class or the blue collar, truly middle middle class, that they were really more of an upper middle class party. And I saw Trump hitting all of these buttons and I said, well, you know, if the thesis doesn't fit the evidence, you better change your thesis. And so I started to see Trump's value, which Lenin would never do, by the way. I started to see Trump's value and and I began to predict well before the election that he not only would win, but he would win fairly easily.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Yeah, hey Larry, hang on for one second. I want to get more into this because I want to talk about your books one out now about the 21st century coming out. And it's a good way, I think, to have people collect their thoughts and think about things towards the end of the year as we get ready for what will be a quite intense year for for MAGA 2026. Short commercial break Larry Swigert, the historian co authored the Patriots History of the United States, a blockbuster bestseller. Capital markets are turbulent. Find out now. Take your phone out and text Bannon B A N N o N at 989-898 get the ultimate guide for investing in Gold and precious Metals in the Age of Trump. Short.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Pressure is coming down.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.

[LG Gram Advertiser]

Know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice. Top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Podcast Announcer]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafeeza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines unrivaled. Basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an unknown uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra, SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] Disclosures A new year.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at this special intro rate. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post war Room.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Here's your host, Stephen K. Ban.

Welcome back in in 2015 because Cruz was going to be that guy for the for the classical limited government conservatives. And I was running Breitbart at the time, so I knew it took a lot of incoming from those as Ben Shapiro accuses me of turning Breitbart into Trump Pravda. When did you know? And back in 15 when did you know that hey, Trump really is. I know it was about the Phoenix thing, which I think was the first big rally Had, I think it was right after he announced in June, late June of before the first debate that Fox had late June of 2015. But what did your friends, you're incredibly well known. I've done a ton of stuff with you before where you teach at all these, these, these groups that try to bring in youth. Right. I guess you and Peter Schweitzer used to always teach. You were very involved in the classical conservative side of Republican politics. What kind of, what kind of blowback did you get from people that respect you? And plus, you were a huge name because you had done the blockbuster that I think Glenn Beck had talked about and sent it to number one. I believe it's the most published history book in the history of the country. The Patriots History of the United States. You were kind of a conservative celebrity when you became an apostate. How were you treated?

[Larry Schweikart]

Yeah, I lost some friends or there's a number of people I can't discuss politics with on the right. A number of people, especially a lot of those at NRO that I used to correspond with to me just simply went nuts.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

That's the National Review that I did a four hour, in fact just playing over the holidays, I did a four hour in one hour segments interview with Sam Tenenhaus to wrote the biography of Buckley people love. But Buckley's National Review is not the National Review today. In fact, in the spring, In March of 16, they put up the Never Trump or Against Trump which had all the names on the front of people that were prominent conservatives that were going to oppose Trump under any circumstances. So national reviews of the traditional. A lot of people I'm sure on that cover were guys saying, hey Larry, you're one of us. What are you doing here with a populist nationalist?

[Larry Schweikart]

You know, I had the privilege of introducing William F. Buckley at a speech in Santa Barbara and me and the female president of the Young Republicans there. And Buckley came on stage and he said, well, Mr. Sweikart proves that the term young intellectual conservative is not an oxymoron. And people of course are flipping through their dictionaries to figure out what he meant. But yeah, there were a number of people who I thought surely they would just look at the evidence. And it wasn't whether or not you agreed with Trump's policies, which I did, but I was trying to convince them. Look, all you have to do is look at the polling, look at the voter registration and, and you'll see he's going to be the candidate. I said this over and over in 2015 and even when Trump took the lead there, I think it was in June or so, and never gave it up except for one, two or three week period to Ben Carson in October, he never lost the lead in the entire Republican primary the rest of that time. And it was usually a very big lead. And they refused to believe that he was going to be the nominee. I said no, easily, he's going to be the nominee. And I believed at that time most Republicans could have beaten Hillary Clinton. But I came to change my mind and I came to understand that politics had changed a great deal from Ronald Reagan's day to Donald Trump's day. You know, I make a point to my students that Abraham Lincoln, with his high screechy voice and his long winded speeches would never have made it on radio because his voice wouldn't have been a voice for radio. But Franklin Roosevelt had a perfect voice for radio, but he never would have made it in the age of television in the 60s or 70s because there was still a bias against handicapped people. So Ronald Reagan was perfect for television in the 70s and 80s because he was so photogenic. He, he memorized the lines easily, didn't have to use a teleprompter really. But I don't think Reagan would make it today because our politics have become much harder edged, you know, elbow swinging, if you will. It's the difference between, I don't know, the Boston Celtics of Bill Russell and the Detroit Pistons of Bill Lambert. It's just a totally different political world that Trump was particularly attuned to navigating because he didn't mince words, he didn't speak Washington ease. He's told you exactly what he thinks, which I think has become an amazing strategic strength of his over time.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

You know, I used to reach out to you because this is what impressed me so much. You were historian and a famous historian, but you had this knowledge of the country going through a change. What are the historical forces? Because so many people I knew at the time, the Dave bosses, really people, close friends who were starting to become Trump people, really their ideal was Ronald Reagan and Trump's a lot of things, but he's not Ronald Reagan. What were the forces at work that from the end of the kind of Reagan era in 88, not even taking the bush, you know, his Reagan's third term, what were the forces that drove it? That a guy, populist nationalist, with a celebrity with zero political experience, and not just political experience, but at the time he wasn't, you know, he, he wasn't on the Council of Foreign Relations. He hadn't had any military experience. He didn't really go out of his way to be, try to be a public intellectual. He was truly an entrepreneur and a business guy. But what were the underlying forces that you said made it harder edge and made that made the issues different than the 15? Because the Republican Party spent billions of dollars getting each one of the candidates ready in, in the 15 to 16 primary. You know, you had the Libertarians with Rand Paul. You had kind of the, the broader tent people with Ben Carson. You had the corporate people with, you know, some of the corporate candidates. You had the Bush, you know, the Bush regime. You had Marco Rubio. That had kind of been picture perfect. Yeah, don't Bobby Jindal. You had all, yeah, you, you had.

So you had all of these.

And then Trump, what had changed in the country, the underlying historical forces?

[Larry Schweikart]

Well, the obvious change was NAFTA and the hollowing out of American industry. Nobody like Mitt Romney could possibly run on re industrializing America. They just, their heart wasn't in it. They didn't believe it could happen. You know, Obama said all those jobs are never coming back again. What's he going to do, wave a magic wand? Well, actually, you change a few policies and you do have a magic wand. Trump was speaking to all of those people that had been let down both by Bush and by Obama. And when you go through books that have traced the 2016 election, they're very clear on the number of people who voted for Obama twice then who turned around and voted for Trump, particularly in the key swing counties of Ohio and Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania. So there was the economic factor, but also there was a cultural factor at work. Our society has moved now very, very fast. The whole society is moving fast. Our communication networks are much faster with cell phones. And that put a premium on personality and on celebrity status whereby you didn't have to spend five years building up a political name that people would recognize. Trump walked into politics even though he'd never been in politics before as a well known figure because he was on television so much. And so that was a major change. And then lastly, this idea of speaking very clearly about issues without going into. On the other hand, you know, Ronald Reagan had that great saying that he wanted to meet a one armed economist. So he would never say. But on the other hand, and Trump would do that and he was coarse and he was, he was often profane in various ways and he would say things that many people wouldn't say. And that was precisely the point. What he did say was the very stuff that average people say all the time. And so let me segue to what just happened here over the last three months. Over the last three months, we have seen the media, or as I like to call it, the hoax news media, consumed by the Kennedy center renaming, by a tweet or a truth post that Trump made about Rob Reiner and then before that, about the ballroom. Now, relatively speaking, these are utterly irrelevant things in the lives of most Americans. Yet that's what not only X and Twitter and all these places were spending all their time on, talking about how horrible it was, what Trump was doing. But in the meanwhile, Trump was just getting rid of 2.5 million illegal aliens. He basically reorganized all of Latin America, except, except for Colombia, Venezuela and Argentina into a kind of MAGA version of Latin America. And he negotiated about four or five ceasefires around the world. And my point has been that Trump now is moving at light speed and he's moving way too fast for Congress. Congress is almost irrelevant. They got done one bill last year, one bill. Now, by nature, the American House and Senate going all the way back were meant to be slow. They didn't want a lot of quick change. So the Congress, as it is now constituted, is totally out of step with what Trump is doing and how fast he's moving. And I believe, I can't prove it, but I believe that that is what is responsible for 30 House Republicans saying they'll step down and 22 House Democrats saying they'll step down. Step down. And just yesterday, Cynthia Loomis, the senator of Wyoming, said she's not going to run, even though she was only elected in 2020 because of, and I quote, exhaustion. And she said, I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. That's Trump.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Is it? From the historical point of view, was the one thing President Trump ran against, really, as a populist nationalist, was this mindset, this, you know, Gore Vidal called it the uniparty, I think first back in the 60s or 70s, but that the official Washington, D.C. has a perspective that they look at things through and they're Atlanticist, they're globalist, and they. And they really are not. And they're elitist. They're not really interested in the common working man. You can tell this by the policies. And they're not really interested in what the common man or woman, working class or middle class, actually think. Why did no one pick. Why was it Trump that kind of picked that up?

[Larry Schweikart]

You know, that's a tough one. As to. He's always had These views. You go back and listen to his testimony before Congress, to what he would say to Oprah Winfrey, read his books. He's always had these views that were in many ways more aligned with the middle class and lower middle class than they ever were with the elites. He's just sort of a blue collar guy that happened to grow up a millionaire, which isn't unusual in American history. We have a lot of those guys who, like Theodore Roosevelt for a long time was very much attuned to working class people and kind of the middle classes. What it was that Trump saw, I think has in fact changed over the last six or seven years. I think when he came in, he still believed that there was a class of professional politicians that could be reasoned with, that they really did love America and that if he just gave them the right program, showed them how it would benefit Americans, that he would, he would get support and his programs would sail right through. And I think what he learned in his first term was that most of these people, not all, but most of them are in fact there to make sure nothing ever changes. Their goal is to keep the gravy train flowing, especially as you get like military kickbacks or whatever. And I'm a strong defense guy, but let's not play games. A lot of these people have made.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Larry, hang on. Larry, hang on, hang on, hang on one second. We're taking a short commercial break. America's populist, historian and conservative.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Pressure is coming down.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Trainer games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.

[LG Gram Advertiser]

Know Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Podcast Announcer]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here, and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy Tips off January 5th on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra, SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] Disclosures A new year.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now. You can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro rate. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post War Room.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Here's your host, Stephen K. Ban.

You know we started I think talking about gold working with Birch Gold. I think goal is a thousand dollars eleven hundred an ounce. It's hitting all time highs silver the same way and what we promised to do and committed to and this is why we work with Birch was to not talk. You know it's not about the price because the price is going to fluctuate, but it's the forces that drive value. You know understanding fiat currency, understanding the dollar as the prime reserve currency, understanding the world's financial system and how dependent upon it is upon the dollar, understanding the forces against the dollar. You know these massive debt, huge deficits, interest payments, you know, up to 2 trillion, I think in 2035. $2 trillion per year in interest alone. What the force is against the dollar. And make sure you understand why central banks were going to commence buying gold at record rates, which is what's happened over the last three years. Birchgold.com ended the dollar empire. It's not that we want the dollar empire to end. I think we have to have a national debate on that. There's many, many benefits of being the prime reserve currency. There's also comes with tremendous responsibilities and that ought to be part of a national discussion on both our fundamentals fiscal and monetary policies. But go get it today and you will understand why gold has been a hedge for, I don't know, three, four or five thousand years of man's history and why it's as a central hedge for the world's financial system today. So go check it out. Most importantly, get to talk to Philip Patrick and the team over there, which is what this is all about. Get a relationship with Philip Patrick and the team. Talk to them not just about gold, but also now about silver, which is every couple of days seems to be reaching an all time high. More expensive now than a barrel of oil. Also home title lock. Every dream you've ever had is in that home, if you're lucky enough to own one. The average age of a first time buyer is 40 years old. That's one of the underlying dynamics of the modern age that drove Donald Trump to be a populist nationalist candidate and to win the presidency, as we say here in the war room, three times. So check it out today, make sure every dream you have doesn't turn into a nightmare. Hometitleock.com, promo code Steve, you get a 14 day free trial now on their $1 million triple lock protection. So you can try it and see if it fits your needs or not. I guarantee you will take away the angst and anxiety of whether it's, you know, cyber attack, AI, rogue lawyer, rogue accountant, rogue relative. Check it out. They talk to Natalie Dominguez's team. Hometitlek.com promo code Steve Larry, that was, you know, you come across this very scholarly, you know, historian with all these kind of bestsellers, but that's a pretty radical statement you made to end that, to end that segment. You said, hey, Trump came in and he was kind of idealistic in the way that he had a bunch of politicians there, even guys in his own party, you know, the Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan. All he had to do is put forward the case of why his Policies make sense and everything would be nirvana. He didn't realize that the system is actually kind of ossified, that they're working against the interests of the American people. And you basically implied or said knowingly working against the interests of the American people to basically feather their own beds, increase their power and make more money. Do you honestly. Is that, Is that your current beliefs? And if so, given. When I read your books on history, I don't come away with that. That's. You've had individual bad actors, but you didn't have systemic problems. When did that. When did that occur to you?

[Larry Schweikart]

It's been occurring. You know, Eisenhower warned about the military industrial complex for a lot of reasons. This was one of them, that there would be feedback loops set up in which people in Congress would approve weapons systems because their portfolios had various weapons contractors in the north or, you know, general Dynamics, whatever it is. I hate to use the term corrupt, but I would say I think a majority, not all, but a majority of the actors in the House and in the Senate are in fact tied into one lobby or another in such a way so that rationally they say, well, we shouldn't allow this to happen. That will be bad for America. But in fact, if you look at it, they're kind of looking at what they've been used to their entire lives. Let me go to 1995. I see that as a pivotal moment in the minimizing and what I think will be the ultimate loss of almost all power in the House and in the Senate in 1995, Newt Gingrich and the Class of 94, the freshman Class that had all these great names in it, went up against Clinton and had a government shutdown. And after a few months of bad media, Newt caved, and he never had the same kind of power after that at all. Well, what has happened since then is, is that Congress increasingly has been unable to force a showdown over a budget. And either you're going to, you know, shut down the government until somebody agrees to have a budget, or you're going to have to impeach whoever is in there. And that's not going to work because you can never convict them. So when you get up to Obama, he spent his entire term, really, on Obamacare. That was pretty much it. When you get to Trump and his first term, after the Democrats took the House, they did nothing except impeach Trump. So you could even say, today, I hate to bring this up, I know people are going to screech, but. And I'm very optimistic about 2026, very optimistic. But let's just say the Democrats took both the House and the Senate in 2026. What would be the real practical outcome? How many laws would they pass that Trump would sign? Zero. How many impeachments would they get through? Because you're not going to get 67 votes in the Senate. Zero. So for all intents and purposes, unless Mike Johnson puts on some jets here, there wouldn't be a whole lot of difference between a Democrat Congress in 2027 and what we have now. And that's partly because.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

The investigative power and the ability to send subpoenas and slow everything down. Larry, hang on. We're going to discuss this for the whole second hour. And I want to put your writings, because the amazing thing about you that I find is not only you're one of our best historians, that you really got Trump early, and you're quite practical and pragmatic when it comes to actually understanding the basic mechanics of national politics. Larry Sweichart's our guest. I guess he my co host, not even a guest for this morning, Our last Saturday, our last Saturday show of the year. An extraordinary individual, great writer's got a couple of new books come out. We're going to talk about all that. The right stuff is going to take us out. Take your phone, text Bannon B A N N O N 989-898 the ultimate guide. This guide has no obligations, totally free. Just get you up to speed on the investing agreement. Gold and Precious Metals in the Age of Trump talks about 401ks, IRAs, all of it. Everything you need to roll over, tax deferred. You'll love it. From Burch golden you get you'll get a chance to get access to Philip Patrick in the team over there. Now more than ever, you need to understand the process that drives the value of gold and precious metals. Short commercial break Back in a moment.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000,000.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Promoter]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Stephen K. Bannon]

Pressure is coming down.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.

[LG Gram Advertiser]

Know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PC Mag's reader's choice, top laptop brand for 20, 25. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Podcast Announcer]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball season two sponsors by Samsung Galaxy tips off January 5th on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] Disclosures A new year.

[Washington Post Advertiser]

Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro rate. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.