THE WAR ROOM WITH STEPHEN K. BANNON, EPISODE #4977 (December 5, 2025)

Overview

This episode, guest-hosted by Natalie Winters, provides a wide-ranging dive into the latest Pentagon controversies, the Trump national security strategy, and the ongoing battles over press access and accountability within the defense establishment. With guests including Brianna Morello, Dr. Bradley Thayer, Mike Davis, and Joe Allen, the War Room critically examines questions of government transparency, defense spending, China policy, birthright citizenship, and the future of AI regulation—all through the lens of the Trump administration’s policy shifts and the MAGA movement's priorities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Accountability at the Pentagon: The Matt Gaetz Confrontation

[02:25 - 05:39]

• Key Event: Congressman Matt Gaetz presses a Pentagon official about the F-35 program’s lackluster readiness and Lockheed Martin’s accountability for the fighter jet’s underperformance.
• Main Critique: Less than 40% of F-35 aircraft are fully mission capable—a severe shortfall for a $100 million-a-copy platform.
• Pentagon Response: The official tries to defend the platform’s successes and claims the department is pushing Lockheed for improvements, aiming for 80% mission readiness by 2030.
• Notable Exchange:
  • Matt Gaetz: “You just called it our most capable platform. And less than 40% of them by my last review of the Air Force's statements are fully mission capable. Why is it not failure for a platform to perform at less than 40% when it costs $100 million?” [03:13]
  • Pentagon Official: “So not enough. Not enough.” [03:12]
  • Gaetz: “So what are the consequences?” [05:00]
  • Pentagon Official: “They're here in the building each and every day. Contracts are being evaluated and reevaluated... What you have been pushing is the exact right thing. What you didn't have was an administration that wanted to get after you.” [05:01]

2. Changes in Pentagon Press Access & Media Narrative

[06:30 - 16:42]

• Natalie Winters introduces Brianna Morello, one of the new Pentagon press corps members after the exodus of mainstream media outlets.

• Brianna Morello describes the new rules for media conduct at the Pentagon and refutes the mainstream narrative that only MAGA-aligned voices now have access.

  • “The corporate media… they self-deported and they refused to just acknowledge the rules of the press forum...” [15:26]
  • “Mainstream media likes to say that we're an echo chamber for MAGA. It's completely false. We do challenge this current administration.” [16:18]

• Discussion pivots to a New York Times lawsuit seeking to regain access, suggesting a media power struggle over who gets to hold the Pentagon accountable.

  • Morello: “...they literally decided not to abide and to acknowledge the rules that were given to them. It doesn’t waive your First Amendment rights...” [23:51]
  • “I have been outspoken more than they all were under the Biden regime… So, you know, they’re going to sit here and push back.” [25:03]

3. Trump’s National Security Strategy: Economics, China, and Europe

[10:10 - 42:56]

• Dr. Bradley Thayer breaks down the recently unveiled Trump administration National Security Strategy (NSS):
  • NSS now favors economics and “employing economic strategy to advance interests”—with an “interesting change” in how China is presented, more as a potential economic partner rather than an existential threat.
    • “All of these documents... are very important because of what they convey... It’s significant because of its content, what’s new about it.” [10:39]
  • There’s stronger emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, reindustrialization, and the American worker.
  • A “shot across the bow” is sent to the European elite, warning of the need to “regain civilizational confidence if it's going to be a valuable ally to the United States.”
    • “Europe cannot go on the way it is... needs to regain its civilizational confidence...” [11:57]
  • Thayer criticizes the document’s lack of explicit naming of the Chinese Communist Party and the omission of terms referencing ideological contestation (democracy vs. autocracy).
    • “The document... misses the target on the People's Republic of China and the threat from the Chinese Communist Party.” [32:36]

On Taiwan:

• The NSS adopts a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan, focusing on “deterring a conflict” by “preserving military overmatch,” lacking explicit statements on U.S. opposition to Taiwan independence.
• Thayer: “The language is not the way you would write it or the way I would write it, certainly. And it does seem to really allied into a calculated the ambiguity that previous administrations have emphasized.” [36:06]

On America’s Global Role:

• Critics say the new strategy signals U.S. retreat on the world stage. Thayer disagrees:
  • “It’s not... abandoning the rest of the world to retreat back to the Western Hemisphere…” [39:57]
  • “The sky isn’t falling in that respect. I think that the document is quite clear under the Trump administration...” [39:14]

4. Supreme Court & Birthright Citizenship: Legal Challenges Ahead

[19:18 - 22:58]

• Mike Davis outlines upcoming Supreme Court deliberations on birthright citizenship and Trump’s executive order ending the automatic granting to children of non-citizens.
  • “If American Indians’ children did not have birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment... why the hell would the children of illegal aliens?” [21:56]
  • Argues the Constitution is clear and the 14th Amendment’s clause only intended birthright citizenship for children of those with loyalty to the U.S.

5. The Future of AI: Federal vs. State Regulation

[42:59 - 51:55]

• Joe Allen addresses the battle over whether an executive order will preempt state laws on AI regulation.
  • “David Sachs and company are still pushing for the executive order that would preempt state laws on artificial intelligence.” [43:19]
  • Trump White House is split; notable conservatives (e.g., Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, Mike Waltz) urge states-rights on AI laws.
• Allen encourages War Room listeners to contact the White House:
  • “We want states to have the right to pass laws regarding artificial intelligence. We do not want federal preemption.” [47:44]
  • “The sentiment of the country is not in favor of federal preemption. The sentiment… is to give each state their freedom to determine the path forward into an artificial intelligence saturated future.” [47:44]

Notable Quotes

• Matt Gaetz (on F-35s):
  “You just called it our most capable platform. And less than 40% of them by my last review… are fully mission capable. Why is it not failure for a platform to perform at less than 40% when it costs $100 million?” [03:13]
• Pentagon Official:
  “Not enough. Not enough.” [03:12]
• Brianna Morello (on press access):
  “Mainstream media likes to say that we're an echo chamber for MAGA. It's completely false. We do challenge this current administration.” [16:18]
• Dr. Bradley Thayer (on NSS):
  “Europe cannot go on the way it is... needs to regain its civilizational confidence...” [11:57]
  “It does have good things to say about Taiwan and deterrence... But it's really missing the target here on the threat from... the Chinese Communist Party.” [33:15]
• Mike Davis (on birthright citizenship):
  “If American Indians’ children did not have birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment… why the hell would the children of illegal aliens?” [21:56]
• Joe Allen (AI regulation):
  “The real key message here... we want states to have the right to pass laws regarding artificial intelligence. We do not want federal preemption.” [47:44]

Major Timestamps

• 02:25 – Matt Gaetz grills Pentagon official on F-35 readiness.
• 06:30 – Natalie Winters introduces Brianna Morello; new Pentagon press corps dynamics.
• 10:10 – Dr. Bradley Thayer analyzes the Trump national security strategy.
• 15:26 – Morello discusses new press rules and media narratives.
• 19:18 – Mike Davis explains the Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship.
• 23:51 – Brianna Morello on the New York Times lawsuit, press access, and Pentagon transparency.
• 32:36 – Thayer critiques weak explicit language on China in NSS.
• 36:06 – Taiwan strategy and implications for U.S. policy.
• 42:59 – Joe Allen details the AI regulation debate—federal vs. state rights.
• 47:41 – Listener action: how to make your voice heard on AI regulation.

Conclusion and Takeaways

This War Room episode zeroes in on government accountability—whether in high-profile defense contracts, media access policy, or the recalibration of U.S. global strategy under Trump. Through candid and often combative exchanges, it underscores the MAGA movement’s ongoing skepticism of both the “deep state” and mainstream institutions. The show’s tone is unapologetically combative, insistent on naming names and calling for action, from pressing defense contractors to holding the establishment press and policymakers to account. The community of listeners is urged not only to stay informed but to actively participate—whether in shaping AI policy or defending the nation’s borders and values.