Real America’s Voice: YOUR VOTE 2025: THE ROAD FORWARD PART 2

Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Real America's Voice panel, featuring Steve Bannon, John Solomon, Richard Barris, Mike Crispi, Joel Pollak, David Zier, Dave Brat, Grant Stinchfield, and more

Episode Overview

This election night special delivers in-depth, unfiltered analysis and reaction to the 2025 off-year election results from Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, California, Texas, and more. The hosts, correspondents, and guests dissect major Republican underperformance, Democratic strategy, MAGA movement dynamics, and the ascendance of left-wing populism in urban centers. The panel focuses on the GOP's failure to energize its base, the consequences of not fully embracing Trump, and the strategic implications for 2026 and beyond—including redistricting, party infrastructure, and America's changing political map.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Republican Collapse in Virginia, New Jersey, and California

Virginia: The Glenn Youngkin and Winsome Sears Debacle

• [03:00] Mark Serrano and Britt McHenry report a disastrous Republican gubernatorial loss in Virginia, blaming Glenn Youngkin’s strategy of sidelining Trump and the MAGA base.

  • Quote (Mark Serrano, [04:17]):
    “Glenn Youngkin, accidental governor in 2021, picked Winsome Sears—who treated Donald Trump and the America first movement like a communicable disease...and the results speak for themselves. An 11 point disaster.”
  • Quote (Steve Bannon, [06:45]):
    “Youngkin was not a Trump fan. They didn’t want any involvement in Trump whatsoever. … He won on the Parents Rights movement...and then he never embraced it. This catastrophe in Virginia, we have to call it a catastrophe.”

• Early and mail-in vote advantage: Spanberger wins 77% of early-by-mail votes, 58% of early in-person, 53% of day-of in-person—signaling GOP ground game failure.

• National implications:
  The map will be drawn “10 to 1” against Republicans; repercussions for congressional seats and Trump impeachment efforts.

New Jersey: MAGA Disconnect, Democratic Turnout

• [25:40] Mike Crispi details massive Democratic turnout in urban centers, poor turnout in GOP counties, and a campaign crippled by consultants who kept Trump at arm’s length.
  • Quote (Mike Crispi, [27:04]):
    “Consultants never let Cittarelli fully connect with President Trump. …If Trump came back, I think turnout in South Jersey rural areas would have been higher.”

California: Redistricting Power Play

• [1:15:25] Joel Pollak explains the high-stakes, gerrymandered Democratic redistricting (Prop 50) that could reduce the GOP’s House seats from 9 to 4, cementing Democratic power and enabling anti-Trump strategies.
  • Quote (Joel Pollak, [1:18:00]):
    "Newsom is staking his claim to be leader of the party, the man who put the party in position to take the House and to stop the Trump presidency... This is smash mouth. We don’t care if 42% of the people are Republican—we’re going to take 90% of the seats.”

2. MAGA as GOP's Engine — and Its Achilles Heel

Failure to Embrace Trump—Repeated Lesson

• [50:40] John Solomon: Republicans who ran from Trump performed abysmally; those who leaned in (Jason Meyers in VA) outperformed ticket-mates.

  • Quote (John Solomon, [51:25]):
    “You don’t run from the thing that got you there. …They went back to the stupid playbooks of the last decade and that’s why they lost tonight.”

• [59:18] Richard Barris: The GOP was “dead until Trump came along and resurrected them like Lazarus.” The party, he says, "wants to go back to business as usual," which voters reject.

GOP Strategy vs. Democratic Ground Game

• Data operation failure:
  GOP failed to bank early votes, did not address “ballot chasing,” and lacked street-level canvassing. Democrats excel at ground operations and energizing low-propensity, working-class voters.

3. The Left-Wing Populist Surge in New York City

Mandate for Zoran Mamdani

• [2:00:45] David Zier and Steve Bannon analyze the win of Zoran Mamdani (DSA/Working Families Party) over Cuomo in NYC—an emblem of left populism’s rise built on citywide, on-the-ground mobilization and youth energy.
  • Quote (Steve Bannon, [2:06:53]):
    “He kind of took the Trump playbook...knocking on doors. The Working Family Party and DSA...have a monster, have a beast of a ground game.”

Concerns About the Coming City Government

• Quote (John Solomon, [2:14:34]):
  “You’re going to take this extraordinary city that gave the entire world belief in free markets...and turn it into something that probably looks like a Soviet republic. That is going to be shocking to the world—but it's an opportunity for Texas.”

Mamdani’s Victory Speech

• [5:24:55] Zoran Mamdani delivers a populist, left-tinged, immigrant-centered speech, calling out Trump directly and laying out a radical agenda: rent freeze, free buses, universal childcare, labor empowerment, and explicit opposition to “oligarchy and authoritarianism.”
  • Quote (Mamdani, [5:27:35]):
    "The future is in our hands, my friends. ...We have toppled a political dynasty… New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford."
  • Quote (Mamdani to Trump, [5:31:50]):
    "To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us. …We will hold bad landlords to account, because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown too comfortable."

4. The Democratic Endgame and GOP Panic

Redistricting “Maximalism,” Impeachment Talk

• [1:15:25] California and Virginia Democratic leaders, emboldened, push for “maximalist” redistricting (10:1 in VA, Prop 50 in CA), seen as a prelude to 2026 impeachment efforts against Trump.

The Donor Class and the Establishment

• [5:39:45] Richard Barris lambasts the GOP’s donor class (see Bill Ackman bending the knee to Mamdani), arguing that donors and consultants sabotage MAGA-aligned candidates and are complicit in the party’s decline.
  • Quote (Richard Barris, [5:40:30]):
    “They’re happy to sit on the floor licking the crumbs of the Democrats off the floor like a dog under the table.”

5. Populist Themes Dominating Both Sides

Economic Anguish, Rent, and Class Solidarity

• Left (Mamdani):
  Populist focus on rent, transit, jobs, and immigrant empowerment.
• Right (Trump):
  Economic nationalism, anti-establishment, working-class outreach—even as establishment consultants resist these themes.

The Republican Path Forward—or Failure

• [5:50:30] Multiple commentators insist that only a coherent, Trump-aligned (MAGA) agenda addressing economic populism can compete. Without Trump-driven turnout and messaging, the GOP faces a generational wipeout.

6. Texas: A Lone Bright Spot for Republicans

• [4:25:40] Update from Lee Wamsganst (Texas Senate candidate): She credits her imminent runoff win to MAGA energy, grassroots mobilization, and a Trump endorsement—directly contrasting it to failure in other states.
  • Quote (Lee Wamsganst, [4:29:00]):
    “Texans sent a message that they want a conservative warrior...and Texas is not for sale. …President Trump’s been the best president of my lifetime.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Mark Serrano, Virginia GOP Fail:
  “Glenn Youngkin...picked Winsome Sears—who treated Donald Trump and the America first movement like a communicable disease...” [04:17]

• John Solomon, On Insular GOP Strategy:
  “You don’t run from the thing that got you there. …They went back to the stupid playbooks of the last decade and that’s why they lost tonight.” [51:25]

• Richard Barris, On the Old GOP:
  “The Republican Party was dead until Donald Trump came along and resurrected them like Lazarus. …They don’t have a base. They were dead.” [59:18]

• Steve Bannon, On Mandami’s Win:
  “He kind of took the Trump playbook...the Working Family Party and DSA...have a monster, have a beast of a ground game.” [2:06:53]

• Zoran Mamdani, Victory Speech:
  “Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands, my friends. We have toppled a political dynasty. …Let tonight be the final time I utter [Cuomo’s] name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.” [5:27:35]

• Bill Ackman’s Open Offer:
  Read on-air by hosts: "Congrats on the win. Now you have a big responsibility. If I can help NYC, just let me know what I can do." [5:39:45]

• Trump’s Reaction Tweet:
  “And so it begins.” [5:57:00]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:00–15:00] Virginia and New Jersey returns, GOP collapse analyzed
• [25:40–45:00] New Jersey deep dive, consultants and MAGA estrangement
• [50:20—1:00:00] John Solomon, Richard Barris, and David Zier on national GOP crisis
• [1:15:25–1:22:30] Joel Pollak on California redistricting, Newsom’s 2028 setup
• [2:00:45–2:20:00] New York City, DSA/left populism surge, ground-game lessons
• [4:25:40-4:32:00] Texas victory, Lee Wamsganst credits MAGA turnout and Trump
• [5:20:00–5:36:30] Mandami’s NYC mayoral victory speech, populist vision, direct address to Trump
• [5:39:45–5:44:00] Richard Barris calls out donor class, Bill Ackman’s message
• [5:57:00] Trump’s tweet: “And so it begins.”

Conclusion: The Road Forward

Summary:
The panel concludes that the 2025 elections exposed deep fractures and strategic failures in the Republican establishment, particularly its refusal to embrace the MAGA base and economic populism. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, is executing a national strategy combining aggressive ground game, maximalist redistricting, and left-wing populism. New York City’s election of Zoran Mamdani signals a new era of leftist urban governance, while Texas serves, for now, as a red bulwark thanks to energized grassroots conservatism. The night ends with a challenge to the GOP: embrace the Trump/MAGA movement or face political irrelevance.

Memorable Close (Steve Bannon, [5:58:45]):

“Embrace that tonight as you go to bed, as President Trump says. And so it begins. We’re going to kick off tomorrow...the fight begins tomorrow morning.”

For More Information

• John Solomon: justthenews.com
• Richard Barris: peoplespundit.locals.com
• Mike Crispi (NJ): @MikeCrispi
• Joel Pollak (CA): @joelpollak
• Lee Wamsganst (TX): leefortexas.com
• Zoran Mamdani (NYC): @zoran4ny

(End of Summary)