Podcast Summary: THE WAR ROOM WITH STEPHEN K. BANNON (Ep. 5076)
Podcast: Real America’s Voice (iHeartPodcasts)
Air Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Steve Bannon
Key Guests: Chris Tomlinson (National Pulse), Brian T. Kennedy, Dave Brat, Joe Allen, Taj Gill
Overview
This episode dives deep into the escalating geopolitical tensions involving Canada, China’s growing influence in the Arctic and the Western Hemisphere, and the threats posed by strategic partnerships that may undermine U.S. security. Key topics include Canada’s strategic pivot toward China, implications for NORAD and U.S. defense, Arctic geopolitics, and the critical battle over AI chip exports to adversaries. The panel unpacks these urgent national security threats, offers historical context, and critiques policy responses and media narratives.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Canada-China Strategic Partnership and Its Dangers
- Bannon (03:36): Raises alarms on Canada’s willingness to align with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with Mark Carney (potential next Prime Minister) accused of brokering a dangerous partnership.
- Tomlinson (04:32): Asserts Canada is maneuvering strategically, possibly using trade negotiations and Arctic routes as leverage.
- Key Point: The Northwest Passage is emerging as a vital chokepoint. Melting ice is making it more navigable and geostrategically valuable, which China is eager to exploit.
“If you control the choke points of trade, you control the world.”
— Chris Tomlinson (06:23)
- Bannon (07:55): Emphasizes the historic and current national security interdependence between Canada and the US, highlighting NORAD and Arctic defenses.
2. The Geopolitics of the Arctic and Northern Hemisphere
- Bannon (12:44): Compares the potential for conflict in Arctic Canada to the Ukraine situation (“they could be the next Ukraine”)—a critical shift given technology and the value of the Northwest Passage.
- Brian T. Kennedy (09:35):
- Starkly alleges Canada has “made a strategic partnership with an enemy nation.”
- Calls for urgent reevaluation of intelligence alliances like Five Eyes and NORAD with Canada.
- Raises the specter of Chinese troops on Canadian soil under the guise of partnership.
- Warns of the influx of Chinese military-age males across the US border during the Biden administration.
“We need to evaluate today whether NORAD is secure and whether we're going to be able to rely on Canada at all. ... This is fundamentally intolerable for there to be a strategic partnership.”
— Brian T. Kennedy (11:30)
3. Cultural and Political Climate in Canada
- Bannon (14:07): Points out Canada’s rapidly changing demographics (25% foreign-born) and claims growing anti-American sentiment in Canadian politics.
- Kennedy (15:07):
- Characterizes Canada’s current leadership and society as “radical leftist,” echoing broader Western trends of “losing its mind.”
- Asserts unchecked Chinese criminal influence and mass immigration create unique security problems for the US.
“Here we have a Canadian Prime Minister and a Canadian… government that is friendly to a central enemy of the United States, the central enemy of the United States.”
— Brian T. Kennedy (16:05)
4. Technology Front: AI, Chips, and US Response
- Bannon (20:25, 24:25):
- Critiques US business and tech elites (specifically, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang) for aiding Chinese AI ambitions.
- Calls any US activity supporting China’s AI ecosystem “bad and must be stopped.”
“Anything that helps the Chinese Communist Party build an ecosystem with chips, with training, with students, with money, with equity and debt, anything that helps them on AI at all is bad and must be stopped.”
— Steve Bannon (38:48)
- Joe Allen (40:19): Lays out the details of the Overwatch Act, a bill designed to scrutinize and potentially veto US AI chip exports to adversaries.
- Explains opposition from Nvidia and some Silicon Valley voices.
- Stresses the importance of blocking technological aid to China, which uses US chips to gain military and surveillance advantage.
“If we keep providing China with the chips to use and perhaps reverse engineer, it only builds up their AI training and inference capacity.”
— Joe Allen (46:32)
- Panel Consensus: US must treat China as a wartime adversary, not a competitor or strategic partner, especially in technological domains.
5. Historical Context & US Hemisphere Defense
-
Bannon (12:44, 25:25):
- Draws parallels to previous conflicts and historical US invasions of Canada when national security was threatened.
- Claims Canada has been a pivotal US ally but warns that “radically changed” policies threaten mutual defense.
-
Taj Gill (35:19):
- Discusses US Special Forces preparedness for Arctic warfare, signaling that military options are understood and ready if necessary.
“Yes, we can fight in the cold. We're prepared to fight in the cold and we're experts in it…”
— Taj Gill (36:39)
6. Panel Analysis on Christian Nationalism, Societal Change, and Leadership
- Dave Brat (51:18):
- Argues “Christian nationalism” is common sense applied to national survival, criticizing Canada for failing to reciprocate US support.
- Links tech oligarchy’s power with potential dangers of AI on society, especially youth.
“Christian nationalism is pretty much just applying Christian common sense, real Christian common sense around the world.”
— Dave Brat (51:18)
- Kennedy (52:47):
- Warns of global elite corruption and emphasizes the need for an “America first” mindset in confronting China.
“We're either going to understand we're in a war with communist China and the global elite or we're not. We need to get that straight right now.”
— Brian T. Kennedy (53:26)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Pray for our enemies because we're going medieval on these people. … If that answer is to save my country, this country will be saved.” — Steve Bannon (02:46)
- “China realizes, just like America, just like the British Empire did, that if you control the choke points of trade, you control the world.” — Chris Tomlinson (06:23)
- “My other fear, too, is that when you talk about the Arctic north... it's now the biggest exposure. This is why I say they could be the next Ukraine...” — Steve Bannon (12:44)
- “You play with the ch, you get in bed with the Chinese Communist Party, then guess what people now say, say, hey, they made a decision. … And you will rue the day that you did that.” — Steve Bannon (24:20)
- “They're not, they're not, they're evil, but they're not dumb and they're quite strategic, as you've seen how... we're having to roll them back from every choke point in the world.” — Steve Bannon (08:56)
- “We have not yet built completely in this country an America first mindset … President Trump has done a brilliant job at putting America first. He now needs to have an entire administration that sees things the same way.” — Brian T. Kennedy (53:30)
Key Timestamps
- 03:36 – Canada’s pivot toward China’s strategic partnership (Bannon, Tomlinson)
- 06:23 – Why the Northwest Passage is critical (Tomlinson)
- 09:35–12:44 – Security implications; Five Eyes, NORAD, potential “next Ukraine” scenario (Kennedy, Bannon)
- 15:07 – Analysis of Canada’s internal politics and social changes (Kennedy, Bannon)
- 20:25 / 24:25 – U.S. business aiding China’s AI—critiques of Nvidia and Silicon Valley (Bannon, Allen)
- 35:19 / 36:39 – U.S military Arctic readiness (Taj Gill)
- 38:48–46:32 – Overwatch Act; the high stakes of AI chip exports to China (Bannon, Allen)
- 51:18–53:30 – Christian nationalism, elite capture, and final thoughts (Brat, Kennedy)
Conclusion
This fast-moving episode issues a stark warning: “Canada’s strategic pivot toward China is not just a diplomatic or economic matter, but a core national security threat for the US.” The panel calls for urgent action to address technological, geographic, and political vulnerabilities exploited by adversaries—notably the Chinese Communist Party. The conversation moves skillfully between historical precedent, present-day policy battles (especially AI and chip exports), and the underlying struggle between Western democratic values and authoritarian influence.
For listeners:
Stay informed by reading the latest National Security Strategy, keep tabs on hemispheric defense issues, and recognize that the contest for technology leadership is at the heart of 21st-century geopolitics.
Panelists’ Social Media & Resources:
- Steve Bannon – Exclusive content on Getter
- Chris Tomlinson – National Pulse, X: @TomlinsonCJ
- Brian T. Kennedy – presentdangerchina.org, X: @BrianTKennedy1
- Dave Brat – X/Getter: @BratEconomics
- Joe Allen – JoeBot.xyz, War Room Rumble page
Referenced Reading:
- U.S. National Security Strategy Memo
- 1991 Muslim Brotherhood Texas Memo (context for immigration & internal security discussions)