War Room with Stephen K. Bannon

Episode #4942
Date: November 20, 2025
Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: Steve Bannon
Notable Guests: J.D. Vance, Dr. Peter Navarro, Mark Elias, Tony Lyons, Mike Lindell

Episode Overview

In this episode, Steve Bannon and his co-hosts dive deep into political controversies, economic policy under Trump’s new administration, the ongoing struggles with inflation, health policy debates around vaccines and autism, and allegations about “deep state” resistance within federal agencies. The show brings together strong Trump-aligned voices, including J.D. Vance and Dr. Peter Navarro, and features discussion on legal battles, the CDC’s evolving vaccine messaging, and the role of dissent in the MAGA movement.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. DOJ Probe into Trump-Era Officials (00:33-02:22)

• Topic: The DOJ is investigating Bill Pulte (Federal Housing Finance Agency) and Ed Martin (DOJ pardon attorney) for possibly appointing unauthorized individuals to investigate alleged mortgage fraud by Democrats (Adam Schiff, Letitia James).
• Skepticism: Career prosecutors question the sufficiency of evidence against Schiff/James.
• Quote:
  • Chris: “This has turned around in a way that the Department of Justice is investigating the methods used by these two top Trump allies.” (01:44)

2. Public Discontent & Democratic Legal Networks (02:22-05:08)

• Discussion: Bannon and guests air frustrations about inflation and federal response, as well as link Democratic legal actions to funding from figures like George Soros.
• Mark Elias Responds:
  • Defends his firm’s representation of minority voters in Texas, denies personal connections to Soros in this context.
  • Quote:
    • Mark Elias: “I literally have no idea why I would be singled out by name... George Soros, who you know, I don’t [know]. As far as I know, he doesn’t vote in Texas.” (04:06)

3. The ‘Primal Scream’ and MAGA Media (05:08-05:57)

• J.D. Vance: Confronts the mainstream media, championing the “dying regime” and MAGA media as the space for ‘the big lie.’
• Quote:
  • J.D. Vance: “This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies because we’re going medieval on these people.” (05:08)

4. Economic Policy: Manufacturing, Inflation, and the “Big Beautiful Bill” (05:57-14:52, 16:51-24:56)

A. Strategic Vision for the Second Trump Term

• Led by Dr. Peter Navarro:
  • Goal: Reverse globalization and re-establish America’s role as a manufacturing superpower using tax, industrial, and trade policy.
  • Major new legislation: the “Big Beautiful Bill,” focusing on supply-side tax cuts for capital investment and bringing manufacturing jobs back.

B. Addressing Inflation

• Explained by Navarro:
  • Argues every Democratic policy is inflationary—citing open borders (rising rents), overregulation, and the Green New Deal.
  • Specifics:
    • Each 1 million illegal aliens raises national rents 1%.
    • Egg/chicken price shock resolved relatively quickly; cattle (hamburger) prices are slower due to industry structure and foreign (Brazilian/Chinese) control.
  • Quotes:
    • Peter Navarro: “Everything [Democrats] do is inflationary... illegal aliens drive up rents... Green New Deal drives up energy costs.” (08:27)
    • “For every 1 million illegal aliens... raises rents nationally by 1% per 1 million people.” (09:14)
    • “We inherited a food price crisis... what Biden did was kill over 100 million chickens, okay?... egg prices and chicken prices went off the charts.” (11:00)

C. Plans for Growth

• Tariff Policy and Manufacturing:

  • Supreme Court case pending on Trump-era reciprocal tariffs during emergencies.
  • Navarro: If court upholds the policy, it will incentivize both domestic and foreign companies to produce in the U.S., raising jobs and wages.
  • Quotes:
    • Steve Bannon: “If all goes well at the Supreme Court, this country will rule the world.” (17:31)
    • “The combination of domestic and foreign investment will in turn increase jobs and productivity, and productivity is the key to rising wages.” (18:15)

• Details on the Big Beautiful Bill:

  • 100% expensing for manufacturing investment.
  • No tax on tips or overtime.
  • Direct benefits for working families and incentives for repatriating capital.
  • Quotes:
    • Navarro: “100% expensing for investment in manufacturing capacity... One time, good deal.” (22:28)
    • “No tax on tips, no tax on overtime. That's putting thousands of dollars every year in a family's pocket.” (22:44)
    • “Real wages: up 8% in Trump land, down 3% in Biden. That's an 11% swing, Steve. That is real purchasing power.” (23:31)

• Communication Challenge:

  • Navarro and Bannon agree: The hardest part is getting the policy message past the "frigging news cycle."
  • Quotes:
    • Navarro: “The hardest thing to get out that message every single day is the frigging news cycle.” (24:57)

5. Legal and Political Threats (24:56-28:33)

• Fear of Legal Retaliation if Democrats Win:
  • Bannon: “If we lose the election... we're all going to jail number one. And the country’s going down the toilet number two.”
  • Discussion of recent grand juries investigating Trump allies—Bannon and Navarro reference their own legal battles.
  • Tony Lyons: Discusses the risks faced by Trump officials under politicized prosecutions.
  • Quotes:
    • Steve Bannon: “If they win, everybody's going to prison. And Bannon and Navarro are going to prison for the second time.” (25:54)
    • Tony Lyons: “We are up against a radical leftist movement... their sole obsession is to take down Donald Trump and anybody who helped Donald Trump govern.” (26:16)

6. CDC, Vaccines, Autism, and Administrative Resistance (29:46-41:56)

A. CDC Changes on Vaccines & Autism

• Narrative Tension: The CDC website’s message reportedly now adds a disclaimer on the long-held statement that vaccines do not cause autism, creating confusion and controversy.
• Guest Comments:
  • Mark Elias: “CDC being a wolf in sheep's clothing... promoting conspiratorial theories... Vaccines do not cause autism.” (30:10, 30:55)
  • Tony Lyons argues the new language opens the discussion to consider potential risks of vaccines.
  • Quote:
    • Tony Lyons: “There was a statement on the CDC website that said vaccines don't cause autism. And now it has an asterisk... there are a lot of studies out there showing that it does, that it's connected...” (35:54)

B. “Deep State” and Subversive Bureaucracy

• Guest ‘Casey’: Reports of HHS ‘deep state’ employees circulating a CIA manual on how to sabotage an administration from within (“How to Be a Bad Bureaucrat... Save America and save science from the agenda of President Trump and RFK”).
• Discussion:
  • Bannon and Lyons cast this resistance as a coordinated effort to stymie Trump/Kennedy's policies.
  • “Disagreement is fundamental to the MAHA movement... the strength of the movement is that people disagree.” (38:00)
• Quote:
  • Tony Lyons: “You have to recognize that there's a playbook... when you hear that he's dangerous, that he's a threat to public health, you should question that.” (37:26)

C. Importance of Internal Dissent

• Lyons: Emphasizes that internal disagreement is a strength, not a weakness, of the movement.

7. Tech Markets, AI, and the Economy (43:38-45:56)

• Stock Market Volatility:
  • J.D. Vance discusses dramatic market reversals (e.g. NVIDIA, broader Nasdaq declines), links economic instability to big AI bets.
  • Warns listeners to demand “no AI amnesty” in pending defense bills.
  • Pushes precious metals as an economic hedge.
  • Quote:
    • J.D. Vance: “Is this an AI bubble? We don't know. But we got issues with AI we have to deal with now... Let them know: no AI amnesty.” (44:00)

8. Deep State, Legal Tactics & Redistricting (45:56-51:39)

• Bannon: Refers to a “deep state Covid meeting” at the National Cathedral featuring Dick Cheney and Dr. Fauci, tying together themes of elite gatherings and alleged coverups.
• Texas Redistricting: Mike Lindell celebrates victories for paper ballots, elderly election integrity tropes—with counties in Texas shifting to paper, hand-counted votes.
• Ongoing Legal Pressure: Mark Elias characterized as “one of the big drivers of the big steal of 2020.”
• Quote:
  • Mike Lindell: “We have so many good things going on... all goes back... to the 2020 stolen election. We've learned so much from that, and it's all coming out right now.” (48:25)

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------------|-------| | 01:44 | Chris | “This has turned around in a way that the Department of Justice is investigating the methods used by these two top Trump allies.” | | 04:06 | Mark Elias | “I literally have no idea why I would be singled out by name... George Soros, who you know, I don’t [know]. As far as I know, he doesn’t vote in Texas.” | | 05:08 | J.D. Vance | “This is the primal scream of a dying regime. Pray for our enemies because we’re going medieval on these people.” | | 09:14 | Navarro | “For every 1 million illegal aliens... raises rents nationally by 1% per 1 million people.” | | 22:28 | Navarro | “100% expensing for investment in manufacturing capacity... One time, good deal.” | | 23:31 | Navarro | “Real wages: up 8% in Trump land, down 3% in Biden. That’s an 11% swing, Steve. That is real purchasing power.” | | 25:54 | Bannon | “If they win, everybody’s going to prison. And Bannon and Navarro are going to prison for the second time.” | | 26:16 | Tony Lyons | “We are up against a radical leftist movement that murdered my friend a couple of months ago. And that would throw many people in the Trump administration in prison not for doing anything illegal, but for not following the far left’s agenda.” | | 35:54 | Tony Lyons | “There was a statement on the CDC website that said vaccines don't cause autism. And now... it says we don't really know whether vaccines cause autism... that's an incredible change because it puts it on the table that parents can think about it...” | | 37:26 | Tony Lyons | “You have to recognize that there's a playbook... when you hear that he's dangerous, that he's a threat to public health, you should question that.” |

Takeaways for Listeners

• The episode oscillates between current news (legal investigations, CDC messaging changes), ongoing partisan legal and legislative battles, and broader themes of movement-building, dissent, and bureaucratic resistance.
• The show urges vigilance among its audience—over legal risks for Trump officials, bureaucratic ‘deep state’ obstruction, and the legislative fate of key Trump administration policies.
• Economic policies are central: supply-side tax cuts, reciprocal tariffs, and a manufacturing focus are framed as the path forward, despite slow progress in job numbers and ongoing inflation.
• The tone remains combative, conspiratorial at times, and insistent on the need for grassroots engagement in the face of powerful entrenched opposition.

For Further Engagement:

• Book: "I Went to Prison So You Won’t Have To" (Peter Navarro), available at peternavarro.com.
• Info on vaccine/autism debates and MAHA health movement: skyhorsepublishing.com and mahaaction.com
• Policy advocacy: article3project.com