Podcast Summary
Real America’s Voice
Podcast: The War Room with Stephen K. Bannon
Episode: 5088
Date: January 22, 2026
Main Theme:
A deep dive into the latest congressional hearing featuring Special Counsel Jack Smith, Republican and Democratic responses to investigations surrounding Donald Trump and the 2020 election, claims of election fraud, heated confrontations in Congress, and broader discussions on perceived government corruption and political violence.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Congressional Hearing Recap: Jack Smith Under Fire
Timestamps: 00:45–07:28, 13:07–14:29, 20:02–25:37
- Jack Smith, Special Counsel, is grilled over his investigations into Donald Trump and the 2020 election.
- Democrats strongly defend Smith, crediting him with "doing everything right," while Republicans accuse him of overreach, misconduct, and even perjury.
- The hearing becomes a proxy war over the legitimacy of both the 2020 election results and the investigations that followed.
- Smith asserts, “You found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme... Our view of the evidence was that he caused it and that it was foreseeable to him. You found that Trump knew he had lost the election.” (Jack Smith, 01:24)
- Bannon and guests repeatedly claim the 2020 election was "rigged" and insist that President Trump never accepted defeat.
2. Media and Narrative Analysis
Timestamps: 09:04–11:40, 21:31–22:08
- Bannon observes the mood on MSNBC and CNN, noting “long faces” and a lack of celebration post-hearing, suggesting disappointment with the Democrats’ performance.
- Julie Kelly adds, “I think this was a disaster for Jack Smith... several nuggets were disclosed today that the committee and Republican leaders... should follow up on.” (Julie Kelly, 11:40)
- There is discussion of the “big lie” narrative and accusations that Democrats are recycling the narrative that Trump lost 2020, while the War Room panel pushes back with claims of ongoing fraud investigations.
3. Accusations Against Jack Smith
Timestamps: 13:07–14:29, 22:08–24:43
- Julie Kelly accuses Smith of false statements regarding the classified documents case, the handling of evidence, and obstruction charges:
“He claimed under oath... that Donald Trump obstructed the investigation into classified documents. That is a provable lie.” – Julie Kelly, 13:14
- She points to procedural and evidentiary missteps in the Mar-a-Lago documents case, arguing the House and DOJ should pursue perjury charges.
4. Confrontations and Security Concerns at the Hearing
Timestamps: 28:48–34:37
- Intense confrontation erupts inside the hearing room involving Colonel Ivan Raiklin and Michael Fanon (former Metropolitan Police officer), leading to allegations of threats and emotional outbursts.
- Raiklin describes Fanon as "a danger to society" and recounts how Fanon reportedly lost self-control and accosted him:
“Maybe there needs to be a new verb known as phenoning out. Because he clearly has no dominion over his emotional state.” – Colonel Ivan Raiklin, 31:54
- Debate ensues over why Fanon was not removed from the hearing after telling a Congressman to “F off” and being disruptive.
5. The Broader Political Struggle and Media’s Role
Timestamps: 39:00–40:49
- Colonel Raiklin claims the "independent conservative media" is now dominating the narrative:
“We’re now dominating ... in the information narrative. And so they don’t know what to do.” – Colonel Ivan Raiklin, 39:00
- Discussion of the Virginia political landscape and predictions about impeachment efforts should Democrats regain the House.
- Julie Kelly charges that Jack Smith and his team committed widespread malfeasance and that broader exposure of these actions is crucial for Senate Republicans.
6. Allegations of Election Fraud & Political Targeting
Timestamps: 25:37–27:05, 47:09–49:06
- Julie Kelly claims, “We are just learning, we have just learned about proven election fraud in Georgia.”
- The episode repeatedly returns to the narrative that recent or ongoing investigations are beginning to validate Trump’s and his supporters’ claims about 2020.
- Discussion of Minnesota politics and Mike Lindell’s alleged uncovering of “$31 billion in fraud.”
7. Anti-ICE Protests & Local Activism
Timestamps: 16:20–18:53
- Ben Bergquam reports from an anti-ICE event in Baltimore, describing it as an assembly of Democratic Socialists, Revolutionaries, and “Act Blue” operatives.
- Bannon and Bergquam characterize the organizers as dangerous and accuse the left of turning to violence and suppressing dissent.
8. The Tina Peters Legal Saga
Timestamps: 42:03–45:12
- John Case and John Fredericks discuss legal developments involving Tina Peters, her altercation with another inmate, and efforts to keep her in prison, framing Peters as a political prisoner targeted by the establishment.
- Graphics and video evidence are referenced; listeners are encouraged to support her legal defense.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“It was a rigged election. Everybody now knows that ... People will soon be prosecuted for what they did.”
— Steve Bannon, 00:45 -
“You found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election ... When asked if Donald Trump was responsible... you said: Our view of the evidence was that he caused it and that it was foreseeable to him.”
— Jack Smith, 01:24 -
“I think on January 6, I think ... it was a riot, but it wasn’t a threat to the future of the Republic.”
— Steve Bannon, 03:33 -
“I think this was a disaster for Jack Smith... there were some interesting nuggets disclosed today that the committee should follow up on.”
— Julie Kelly, 11:40 -
“He claimed under oath ... that Donald Trump obstructed the investigation into classified documents. That is a provable lie.”
— Julie Kelly, 13:14 -
“Maybe there needs to be a new verb known as phenoning out. Because he clearly has no dominion over his emotional state. He’s a danger to society.”
— Colonel Ivan Raiklin, 31:54 -
“We’re now dominating ... in the information narrative. And so they don’t know what to do.”
— Colonel Ivan Raiklin, 39:00 -
“They laughed and mocked Mike Lindell. They ain’t laughing anymore. Amy Klobuchar is going to leave the Senate to run for governor to stop the Lindell train.”
— Steve Bannon, 49:06
Important Segment Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------| | 00:45–07:28 | Congressional hearing opening fireworks: Jack Smith grilled over 2020, January 6, and Trump’s alleged election loss. | | 09:04–11:40 | Bannon & Kelly deconstruct media reaction and “big lie” narrative. | | 13:07–14:29 | Julie Kelly details alleged perjury and evidence mishandling by Jack Smith. | | 16:20–18:53 | Ben Bergquam on Baltimore anti-ICE protests and local activism. | | 20:02–25:37 | Julie Kelly expands on Smith’s misconduct and House Republicans’ strategy. | | 25:37–27:05 | The 2020 election fraud narrative and evidence claims in Georgia. | | 28:48–34:37 | Hearing room confrontation: Colonel Ivan Raiklin, Michael Fanon incident detailed. | | 39:00–40:49 | Raiklin on media dominance and Virginia political risks. | | 42:03–45:12 | Tina Peters prison altercation and legal updates. | | 47:09–49:06 | Minnesota political intrigue; Mike Lindell’s fraud allegations. |
Tone & Style
The episode is highly charged, combative, and conspiratorial, echoing the War Room’s trademark defiance of mainstream narratives and aggressive political posture. The dialogue is fast-paced, peppered with accusations, warnings about political enemies, and calls to action for listeners (“Pray for our enemies because we’re going medieval on these people.” – Steve Bannon, 09:20).
Conclusion
This War Room episode offers an adversarial, right-populist analysis of the latest congressional hearing with Jack Smith, framing the day as a debacle for Democrats and the mainstream media. The conversation is dominated by assertions of “rigged” elections, governmental misconduct, and warnings about escalating political violence. Noteworthy is the focus on media strategy, local activism (especially on immigration issues), and ongoing legal/political sagas involving Trump-world figures. The tone is that of a political war footing: skeptical, oppositional, and unyielding.