Real America’s Voice – THE WAR ROOM WITH STEPHEN K. BANNON – EP. 5075

Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Stephen K. Bannon
Guests: Stewart Rhodes (Oath Keepers), Bridget Ziegler (Sarasota Public Schools), Brian Kennedy, Chris Tomlinson (National Pulse), Dave Brat

Overview:

In this especially charged Saturday episode, Stephen K. Bannon leads an in-depth conversation focusing on escalating federal-state tensions over immigration enforcement, rumors of Insurrection Act invocation by Donald Trump, the federal investigation into Minnesota’s governor and Minneapolis’s mayor, and a critical look at Canada’s increasing ties with China. The War Room brings together legal, political, and cultural analysis, positioning current events as part of an existential battle for the future direction of America and, by extension, the Western world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Investigation into Minnesota Officials and Political Fallout

Timestamps: 02:44 – 11:10

• Breaking News: Reports emerge of a federal criminal investigation by the Trump DOJ into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for alleged obstruction of federal immigration enforcement.

  • “We understand that grand jury subpoenas are being prepared...this investigation being run out of the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis...what they're looking at is USC372, which makes it a crime to impede or assault an officer.” (02:44)

• Political Framing: The War Room frames the DOJ action as a response to Democratic officials encouraging resistance against ICE, interpreting this as both the weaponization of justice and a necessary clampdown on “sanctioned” insurrection.

  • Bannon draws direct lines to the George Floyd protests, asserting, “All of this is downstream from Donald Trump and his cronies and his allies feeling as though it is improper for anyone to say...you shouldn’t do these things. ... All of that, I think, has its birth in 2020.” (06:55)

• References to Historical Precedent:

  • The “Kent State moment” is discussed, with warnings that presidential invocation of military force in response to civil unrest could become reality again. “President Trump’s getting very close to a Kent State moment.” (07:40)

2. Insurrection Act Debate & Stewart Rhodes' Perspective

Timestamps: 11:10 – 26:40

• Historical Use and Modern Parallel:

  • Stewart Rhodes argues the Insurrection Act is overdue for use against what he labels an ongoing “Marxist coup.”
    • "President Trump must channel his inner Lincoln and use the Insurrection Act now to defeat the Deep State and defeat the ongoing coup that's been going on since 2016." (11:13 – Rhodes)

• Citing Legal Authority and Precedent:

  • Rhodes reads from the Insurrection Act, referencing Lincoln, Jefferson, Grant, Eisenhower, and JFK as presidents who used federal force in the past.
    • “Eisenhower nationalized the National Guard of Arkansas and then he deployed the 101st Airborne...” (11:55 – Rhodes)

• 2020 Protests as Precedent:

  • Rhodes asserts that Trump should have invoked the Insurrection Act during the George Floyd unrest:
    • “Open insurrection across the country...burning down police precincts...armed insurrection against federal law.” (12:55)

• Deep State Rhetoric:

  • Rhodes blames “complicit communist judges,” and argues that mass declassification and military intervention are needed to “expose the deep state.”
    • “He should also do a mass declassification...and have them go take over...CIA, FBI, NSA buildings and declassify anything that's not legitimate national security and expose the dirt...” (23:29 – Rhodes)

• Notable Quote:

  • “Trump is the plumber we called in three times now. He won all three elections to fix it. We don’t care about his plumber’s crack. We don’t care about mean tweets. We just want him to fix it.” (24:44 – Rhodes)

3. State & Local Responses: Florida’s Proactive Approach

Timestamps: 26:40 – 32:07

• Florida as Counter-Model:
  Bannon contrasts Minnesota’s approach with Florida’s stricter enforcement under Governor DeSantis.

  • Discussion with Bridget Ziegler centers on legislation to enforce compliance with ICE at local school board level.

• Progressive Opposition:
  Ziegler accuses progressives of inciting polarization by opposing lawful immigration enforcement on local campuses.

  • "Their goal of the progressives is to utilize this issue of enforcing lawful immigration...to use it to incite violence or also to incite the polarization." (27:47 – Ziegler)

• Call to Action:
  Ziegler urges communities to adopt strong enforcement resolutions and press local GOP leadership to take a stand.

  • “This is not a cycle election cycle thing. This is something we have to be focusing on every single day in perpetuity to save our country big time.” (30:44 – Ziegler)

4. Mass Deportation Logistics & Political Will

Timestamps: 34:34 – 43:44

• Sheer Numbers vs. Enforcement Capacity:
  Brian Kennedy highlights the magnitude of the challenge: 25 million illegal aliens under Biden, with maybe 3 million actually deported. Only 22,000 ICE agents exist, making literal mass deportation seemingly logistically implausible.

  • “Are 22,000 ICE agents going to deport 22 million people over the next three years?... We have to get it on, on track.” (35:19–38:11 – Kennedy)

• Corporate Complicity:
  Bannon and Kennedy argue corporate America (motivated by cheap labor) is a central enabler.

  • “Don’t you have to start going to these distribution centers, these companies, and start arresting CEOs?” (39:12 – Bannon)

• Shadow Economy:
  Kennedy points out many immigrants operate outside formal labor markets, complicating enforcement and suggesting targeting public assistance records as a solution.

  • “There’s a gray economy...they operate outside the bounds of much of...corporate America.” (40:02 – Kennedy)

• Link to Elections:
  Bannon argues continued mass illegal presence translates into permanent Democratic political power via census and voting, making immediate action urgent.

  • “If we wait, they're guaranteed to get back in power one day. Is that not correct?” (41:30 – Bannon)

5. The Church, NGOs, and Left-Wing Power Structure

Timestamps: 43:44 – 48:16

• Faith-Based NGOs in Immigration:
  Dave Brat explores the role of church-affiliated organizations in facilitating illegal immigration and criticizes their moral positioning.

  • “They’re doing it under the pretext of love...but God the Father Almighty still has something to do about the rule of law.” (47:33 – Brat)

• Changing Institutional Allegiances:
  Brat emphasizes the alignment of big business, healthcare, finance, and faith nonprofits with Democratic policies, claiming “small American business people” are the true resistance.

6. Canada’s Deepening Alignment with China: National Security Concerns

Timestamps: 50:42 – 58:42

• New Canada-China Reality:
  Chris Tomlinson discusses Mark Carney’s Beijing agreements enabling 50,000+ Chinese electric vehicles annually into Canada. The move is seen as China planting roots for economic and political expansion in North America.

  • “What China is looking to do…is really to get a foothold in North America and Canada, much like it has in other places, like in Africa. …I think Carney is just making it official by going to Beijing and making this deal with President Xi Jinping.” (53:33 – Tomlinson)

• Immigration in Canada:
  Tomlinson highlights how mass student migration and questionable colleges have rapidly reshaped Canadian demographics and culture.

  • “Around 25% of Canadians are foreign born and the only thing driving population growth in Canada is mass migration.” (57:34 – Tomlinson)

• National Security Framing:
  Bannon forewarns that the changing face of Canada, its military resource limitations in the Arctic, and integration into China’s economic orbit pose direct threats to U.S. security.

  • “This is why I say Canada could be the next Ukraine...Norad, our security is inextricably linked with at least the territory of Canada.” (57:34 – Bannon)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “President Trump must channel his inner Lincoln and use the Insurrection Act now to defeat the Deep State…” (11:13 – Stewart Rhodes)
• “Trump is the plumber that we called in three times now. He won all three elections to fix it. We don’t care about his plumber’s crack. We don’t care about mean tweets. We just want him to fix it.” (24:44 – Rhodes)
• “Are 22,000 ICE agents going to deport 22 million people over the next three years?... We have to get it on, on track.” (35:19 – Brian Kennedy)
• “Their goal of the progressives is to utilize this issue of enforcing lawful immigration...to use it to incite violence or also to incite polarization.” (27:47 – Bridget Ziegler)
• “What China is looking to do…is really to get a foothold in North America and Canada, much like it has in other places, like in Africa.” (53:33 – Chris Tomlinson)

Important Timestamps

• 02:44 – Introduction of alleged DOJ investigations into Minnesota officials
• 06:55 – Framing connections to Trump-era unrest and presidential power
• 11:10 – Stewart Rhodes joins: legal parameters of Insurrection Act
• 23:29 – Rhodes: Declassification, “deep state,” and call for drastic measures
• 27:46 – Bridget Ziegler on Florida local ICE enforcement and school board politics
• 35:19 – Brian Kennedy’s analysis of mass deportation scale/logistics
• 39:12 – Corporate complicity and “porking” CEOs
• 50:42 – Transition to Canada-China segment with Chris Tomlinson
• 53:33 – Tomlinson: Implications of China’s EV deals with Canada
• 57:34 – Canada’s demographic transformation, mass migration issues

Conclusion

This episode exemplifies The War Room’s combative and urgent tone, painting both domestic (immigration, federalism, “deep state”) and international (China-Canada relations) developments as existential conflicts demanding immediate, forceful action. The calls to historical parallels, legal authority, and insider revelations serve to rally the audience for growing political battles ahead, especially as the episode repeatedly stresses the need for unified resolve, local activism, and systemic overhaul at every level of government and society.

For listeners and observers, this episode is both a primer on right-wing grievances around law enforcement and immigration, and an opening salvo introducing coming confrontations with progressive policies, Democratic officials, and international adversaries.