Steve Bannon Lets Loose on the Deep State

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – "Steve Bannon Lets Loose on the Deep State"

Episode Details:

• Title: Steve Bannon Lets Loose on the Deep State
• Release Date: July 22, 2025
• Host: Charlie Kirk
• Guest: Steve Bannon

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Introduction [00:00 - 02:18]

Charlie Kirk opens the episode from the Bitcoin.com studio, introducing Steve Bannon as his guest. The discussion is set to delve into critical topics such as the Deep State, the administrative state's influence, and the recent developments surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, including the Department of Justice's move to unseal Epstein's documents. Kirk enthusiastically praises Bannon's efforts in building the youth-oriented organization, Turning Point USA, highlighting its significance in mobilizing young conservatives across the nation.

Quote:

• Charlie Kirk [00:30]: "Steve Bannon's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy."

---

The Deep State and Populist Nationalism [02:18 - 08:31]

Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk delve into the concept of the Deep State, emphasizing its pervasive influence over American institutions. Bannon underscores the necessity of dismantling this entrenched bureaucracy to restore true democratic governance. He references historical speeches, such as Barry Goldwater's 1964 address, to draw parallels with current movements aiming to combat institutional overreach.

Bannon articulates a threefold resolve inspired by the Tampa Resolves:

1. Destroy the Deep State: To free the American people.
2. Responsibility of the People: Only the American populace has the authority and duty to dismantle the Deep State.
3. No Neutrality: A stark choice between supporting the movement or opposing it, leaving no room for neutrality.

Quotes:

• Steve Bannon [04:59]: "We have to dig out the embedded deep state that's taken over institutions."
• Bannon [07:58]: "The deep state and the radical combination... is going to win the election in New York City."

---

Jeffrey Epstein and DOJ Investigation [08:31 - 22:19]

The conversation pivots to the scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. Bannon posits that Epstein's case is merely an entry point to expose deeper institutional corruption. He anticipates that the special prosecutor's investigation will unveil widespread malfeasance involving financial institutions, intelligence agencies, and corporations, rather than just individual wrongdoers.

Bannon warns of the challenges ahead, noting that dismantling the Deep State requires relentless effort beyond electoral victories. He stresses the importance of exposing interconnected corruption to prevent the movement from losing momentum and falling into cynicism among its supporters.

Quotes:

• Steve Bannon [10:48]: "When they do the special prosecutor is going to announce, is going to go back through the whole... We know we can win elections."
• Bannon [22:19]: "The accelerant, exactly."

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Election Integrity and Special Prosecutor [22:19 - 23:01]

Bannon discusses the potential outcomes of the DOJ's investigation, suggesting it will not only address Epstein but also revisit critical events like the 2016 election interference ("Crossfire Hurricane"), the 2020 election results, and the January 6th insurrection. He emphasizes that uncovering institutional corruption is pivotal for the movement's credibility and future success.

Quote:

• Steve Bannon [22:19]: "If you don't show who is financing Epstein, who he worked with, who... you'll see a combination of financial institutions, intelligence agencies..."

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Ukraine War and US Involvement [22:19 - 19:22]

The discussion shifts to the United States' involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Bannon criticizes the substantial financial and military support being funneled into Ukraine, questioning the strategic value and long-term implications of such involvement. He warns against the U.S. becoming entangled in prolonged conflicts that drain resources and divert focus from domestic issues, including combating the Deep State.

Quotes:

• Steve Bannon [19:16]: "We're inexorably the biggest issue we should be debating... it must be."
• Bannon [19:22]: "How did the no-fly zone work for us in Iraq? How did that work out for us?"

---

Strategies to Combat the Deep State and Maintain Movement Momentum [23:01 - 33:53]

Bannon and Kirk discuss strategic initiatives essential for sustaining and expanding the conservative movement. Key strategies include:

1. Mass Layoffs and Budget Cuts: Targeting the administrative apparatus to weaken the Deep State.
2. Public Exposure of Corruption: Utilizing investigations to reveal institutional rot and garner public support.
3. Maintaining Electoral Wins: Ensuring that victories translate into effective governance by addressing underlying systemic issues.
4. Engaging Diverse Demographics: Incorporating African American men and Hispanics into the movement to broaden its base and influence.

Bannon warns against complacency, emphasizing that without continuous effort to expose and dismantle corrupt institutions, the movement risks losing its momentum and supporting members to cynicism.

Quotes:

• Steve Bannon [25:00]: "You've got to be relentless now in being all over our elected officials... We need the State Department cut in half."
• Bannon [30:56]: "If you sit there and go, it's too rigged, it's too hard, I gotta go do something else. I guarantee this is gonna be a totalitarian dictatorship in a very short period of time."

---

Advice to Young Conservatives [33:53 - 27:16]

In an interactive segment, Bannon provides guidance to young conservatives aspiring to run for Congress. He strongly recommends military service as a foundational experience that fosters discipline, courage, and a profound understanding of governance. Bannon shares personal anecdotes from his time in the Navy, highlighting how military service can shape effective leadership qualities essential for public office.

Quotes:

• Steve Bannon [25:12]: "My strongest recommendation is to volunteer and join the military."
• Bannon [26:42]: "The military will send you places... you'll learn so much about yourself when you return home."

---

Listener Questions [24:11 - 31:56]

The episode features a Q&A segment where listeners pose questions to Kirk and Bannon:

1. Running for Congress: An 18-year-old from Texas seeks advice on running for Congress. Bannon reiterates his strong recommendation to join the military, emphasizing the personal growth and leadership skills gained through service.

   Quote:

   • Steve Bannon [25:03]: "The military will send you places... it'll be the foundation."

2. Debating and Understanding Opponents: A 13-year-old from Wisconsin asks about effective debate tactics. Kirk and Bannon suggest reading classic literature on totalitarianism, such as George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, to understand and counter opposing ideologies.

   Quote:

   • Charlie Kirk [28:19]: "Read the fictional elements of these guys because, look, Orwell could have written an essay about totalitarianism..."

3. Running Good Candidates: A precinct committee member from Naples, Florida, inquires about recruiting strong candidates amid perceived systemic rigging. Bannon emphasizes the importance of perseverance and grassroots efforts, citing the movement's success in the 2024 elections despite overwhelming odds.

   Quote:

   • Steve Bannon [31:33]: "If you don't do it now... I guarantee you this is gonna be a totalitarian dictatorship in a very short period of time."

---

Conclusion [33:53 - 34:10]

Charlie Kirk wraps up the episode by thanking Steve Bannon for his insights and encouraging listeners to stay engaged with the movement. He emphasizes the importance of collective action in combating institutional corruption and maintaining the momentum necessary for meaningful change.

Closing Quote:

• Charlie Kirk [34:08]: "Thanks so much for listening and God bless."

---

Key Takeaways:

• Combating the Deep State: Both hosts highlight the urgent need to dismantle entrenched bureaucratic institutions that undermine democratic processes.
• Jeffrey Epstein Case: Bannon views the Epstein investigation as a gateway to exposing broader institutional corruption.
• Military Service: Bannon strongly advocates for military involvement as a pathway to developing leadership and resilience necessary for political office.
• Youth Engagement: Emphasis on involving young conservatives through organizations like Turning Point USA to sustain the movement's momentum.
• Election Strategy: The importance of grassroots efforts and precinct strategies in securing electoral victories and ensuring effective governance.
• Public Awareness: Encouraging critical thinking and informed debate through classic literature to understand and counteract opposing ideologies.

This episode of The Charlie Kirk Show provides a robust discussion on the interplay between grassroots activism, institutional corruption, and strategic planning necessary to propel the conservative movement forward. Steve Bannon's insights complement Kirk's advocacy, offering listeners a comprehensive view of the challenges and strategies essential for achieving and maintaining political influence.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here live from the Bitcoin.com studio. Steve Bannon joins the show as we talk about the deep state, the administrative state, and Epstein as well. Mind you, the DOJ has moved to unseal the Epstein documents. So that is just a little bit of an update, but I think you'll really enjoy this conversation. Become a member today. Members.charliekirk.com and get involved with TurningPoint [e-mail] that is tpusa.com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

[Steve Bannon]

Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus. I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa.

[Charlie Kirk]

We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives, and we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold [e-mail] that is noblegoldinvestments.com and it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com bring in the legendary. I think he just arrived, Stephen K. Bannon. Come on, Steve. Steve. Thanks for doing this, man.

[Steve Bannon]

It's my favorite part. It's my favorite part of the Turning Point experience. Except for our live broadcast and the speech.

[Charlie Kirk]

You know, I got to tell you, Steve, you have now. You've become this. It's like. It's the. Exactly. It's outside of walking through the halls and using the rest of my favorite thing.

[Steve Bannon]

Because your folks always ask great questions.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, but you become this essential link in the Turning Point ecosystem. Bring in war room, bringing this populist nationalism. So it's awesome. And thank you for that. It's been. It's been.

[Steve Bannon]

Well, I don't know, Charlie. You're pretty good populist, pretty good nationalist. You've done such a great job with this.

[Charlie Kirk]

I waver a little bit, you know?

[Steve Bannon]

No, you don't waver. You just need some mid course guidance every now and again. Charlie, what in the hell are we.

[Charlie Kirk]

Doing here exactly, though? Steve sends me these texts and they're the greatest. And let's just say it has some little. Little salty language in there.

[Steve Bannon]

A little heat on it.

[Charlie Kirk]

Little heat.

[Steve Bannon]

Little heat, Steve.

[Charlie Kirk]

So you sent a text to me recently. You said you're pretty fired up and you're actually pretty positive because this will determine whether or not we're a movement or not.

[Steve Bannon]

Yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

Can you, can you elaborate on. I think it's a profound point.

[Steve Bannon]

Megyn Kelly said it and we played it in the cold open today. I think she said it very powerfully, by the way, last night. I think we'll go down in our movement's history is one of the most important nights. I mean, we started a war room.

[Charlie Kirk]

It was every shot heard around the world.

[Steve Bannon]

Every segment. Every segment. War room went viral with you, me and Posobec and then last night to have Laura Ingram, Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, others and yourself shot her around the world. And of course it was. It's incredible. Megan said something's very powerful. She said it's a time for choosing. Going back to Reagan's famous 1964 speech in.

[Charlie Kirk]

The convention.

[Steve Bannon]

Support. Well, no, it was actually made for tv in support. It was in the fall. It was in October. It was very late in October 64 for Barry Goldwater. He made this thing a time for choosing very, you know, it was very highly stylized, magnificent speech. They already knew Goldwater is probably going to lose by a landslide, but they were making the case for a time for choosing about ourselves in relation to the communists because that's what we're getting on Goldwater most about. He was so hardcore about taking down communism. That speech was in October of 1964. Goldwater would go on to lose in the biggest landslide in history at that time. 25 years later, almost to the week the Berlin Wall fell. So it took them. They had to go through a lot. Reagan lost a primary to Gerry Ford, came back, won. But taking down the evil empire. Tiananmen Square happened in June of 1989 and the Berlin Wall fell in November of 1989. We had the same time for choosing right here. That's why Meghan said it was very powerful. We know as a movement we can win elections, right? We've won three of them in a row. 16, 20, 20. It's going to come. Look, it's going to come. It's going to come out. When they do the.

[Charlie Kirk]

When they did there, there's people looking into it.

[Steve Bannon]

There's going to. People are going to look at. And I think the special prosecutor is going to be announced, is going to go back through the whole.

[Charlie Kirk]

I talked to the president about it.

[Steve Bannon]

He's still very focused, very focused on it. You have to be. They're going to start with Crossfire Hurricane, but they're going to go up to this. We know we can win elections. We know we can win national elections. And in 24, we know we can win national elections. The popular vote, we win it big. But do we actually govern? You have to ask yourself the question, do we actually govern? Is there an apparatus that's bigger than this kind of democratic process that's laid onto a constitutional republic right. Of our founders and revolution generation set up? Do we actually govern? I would argue we don't. Right yet. Well, this is the point. I kind of call them the Tampa Resolves. Remember, they had the resolves before the, in the run up to the Declaration of Independence. The first resolve is very simple. We have to destroy the deep state for the American people to be free. Right. Full stop. Number two, the second resolve, it's our responsibility. The deep state does not have the consent of the govern of the American people. Therefore it's the duty, responsibility and sacred duty of the American people to destroy it. Right. Nobody else, only us. And the third, and I think the most important for this moment on this crusade, you're either with us or you're against us. There's no neutrality. If you're not with us, you are against us. There's no neutrality. It's not like the Revolutionary War where third can kind of sit on the sidelines. Everybody has to be, everybody has to be committed to this. If you're not committed to this, then you're an enemy. You're an enemy because you're siding with the deep state. Everything else, and let me be very specific, everything you fought for this week, we have an NDAA for a trillion dollar defense budget being marked up by the Senate in secret. Josh Hawley says the rest of the senators don't know what's going on. They're taking secret votes. We do know they leaked that they're having $500 million a year for the next three years in arms just given to Ukraine. $1.5 billion in new armaments given to Ukraine for another big announcement, Ukraine war. We're inexorably getting drawn into a conflict in Ukraine. A shooting war. We know that. We still don't understand how he got into the shooting war in Iran. We still don't know the intelligence about that. They've talked last night about, I guess, a soft amnesty. I guess. Kristi Nomo explained that everything you fought for and everything that you thought you won. It gets twisted. Well, how does that get twisted? We know we have these radical Democrats, these basic neo confederates and people aren't paying enough attention to it because the media is not. Because we're all over on these international conflicts in Los Angeles, in Chicago, in New York. Right now we don't have control of those cities. They are basically being run by neo confederates that are saying, they're saying, hey, we will protect illegal aliens. And in fact we will fire upon federal officers. What happened in California the other day, we'll fire upon federal officers to do that to protect illegal aliens. So the country is in turmoil, but it's a turmoil that I think is positive in the fact that the deep state and the radical kind of this combination, this red green alliance between radical neo Marxist ideology and this Islamic fascism which you see is going to win the election in New York City. It's going to win the election.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's a heavy favor, big time.

[Steve Bannon]

I've argued for years, I said this at December 4th conference. If you don't like populist nationalism, we'll work with you. Yeah, we'll work with you. You're going to get another alternative. And that's Luigi Mangione or these guys. All these guys are right now is a nicer version of Luigi because when they take power in 10 years they're going to have Madame Guillotine.

[Charlie Kirk]

Oh yeah, Sharpening up. They'll have shooting exercises.

[Steve Bannon]

Absolutely. See there? See there?

[Charlie Kirk]

And we don't seek to do that on our side.

[Steve Bannon]

No, no, no.

[Charlie Kirk]

We want to actually save capitalism from. From itself almost.

[Steve Bannon]

We actually, yes, we actually would like to try capitalism, not crony capitalism.

[Charlie Kirk]

We actually love markets and entrepreneurs and.

[Steve Bannon]

Owning stuff they own entrepreneur capitalism, not state capital.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Steve Bannon]

Listen, so because we're.

[Charlie Kirk]

I mean, this is. I, I don't mean to interrupt you, Steve.

[Steve Bannon]

No, go ahead.

[Charlie Kirk]

But this is. You're excited.

[Steve Bannon]

You've been on War Room before. You got a job. Grab the mic. You want it. If your idea is good enough, grab the mic.

[Charlie Kirk]

I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Back it up, back it up. Whoa, whoa. That's, that's this, that's the Steve special, right? Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on. So I know we don't have a Mike Lindell pillow break right in the middle, right? Hold that thought. Trail. Let's go to Mike Lindell.

[Steve Bannon]

Yeah, yeah. Sell me a set of sheets.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, exactly. In the back of a car. Right, Steve? But all this excites you because this is now, in existential terms, yes, because.

[Steve Bannon]

We'Re going to see if this movement's real or not. We've won national elections and now we have to do something harder. We actually have to dig out the embedded deep state that's taken over institutions. This thing about the Epstein, Epstein, yes. All the information has to come out. I think what you're going to find and be shocked about is not just individuals. You're going to see institution, financial, industrial, corporate intelligence, government apparatuses, institutions. This is institutional rot. It's just not individual. The perversions or the shortcomings of individuals. You're going to see that it's actually institutions. That's what we have to do. This work is far harder than the previous work we've had to do, which is winning elections, which is you folks are doing the precinct strategy. And people have been out there knocking on doors. That's hard enough. This is harder. And say, well, what do we have to do? We have to be relentless now in being all over our elected officials on the executive branch, the House. We got to get in there about cutting budgets. You know, the Supreme Court's backed us up. They said, hey, if you want to take down the administrative state, go for it. You can start having mass layoffs. We have to make sure. And to me, 1300 at the state Department is maybe A good afternoon's work. But we need the State Department cut in half. We need.

[Charlie Kirk]

We need CIA cleansing.

[Steve Bannon]

We need. We need a purge.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes.

[Steve Bannon]

Use that word to light them up back there.

[Charlie Kirk]

So. But the Epstein thing is, you think that is an entry point into something.

[Steve Bannon]

He's the key that picks the lock. That's why it has to be included. If president. If they announce a special prosecutor for Crossfire Hurricane and everything that came forward, I think it will include the election of 2020. I think it will include January6. I think there'll be other elements in there of what Brennan, these guys have done. When we announce this special prosecutor to start to go through everything, the stolen election, the. Because remember, they tried to nullify the 16 elections. That's number one. Right? They tried to stop the 16 election in the summer of 16 with Crossfire Hurricane. Then they tried to nullify it by saying it was. That was the Russia hoax. So he's going to get prosecutor on that. Let's go through all of that. Then you've got the stolen 2020 election, right? Let's go through all of that. Then we have J6. Let's go through all that. You've got plenty. The special prosecutor can have as big a staff as possible. If this is true, if it's radical left, let's then show that and show how the left came up with these files and let's get it out there so people can judge it.

[Charlie Kirk]

I agree.

[Steve Bannon]

Okay. This is my point about these resolves. You're going to have to have our backs because as you can tell, there's going to be a little headwind on this. Right. President Trump, when he's made his mind up, he's made his mind up. Right. My fear is that we're on a roll right now. We're bringing in new people to this movement. You know, African American men, Hispanics. We got the as. As hard as time as I have living with them, the broligarchs. Right. Which is a whole new thing. It's good. It's, you know, if it brings you votes and it allows us to get the power, you gotta. Gotta manage it like, you know, FDR managed his coalition. However, if certain, certain core structural items are not dealt with, and this is a structural item that's been around forever, people have worked hard and these are our heart, these are our best people. These ones that knock on doors. These are the one that are precinct committeemen. These are the ones that come to the Turning Point conferences twice a year. These are our workers. This is the best of the best. This is the hardest. These are people that I would tell the president in January and February, March of 2021, when Rupert Murdoch was sending memos out to his staff saying they're going to make you a non person. These are the people that stood in the breach to make sure that you had an apparatus. If you decided to run again, understanding everything they're going to do to you, you had that apparatus. And if we lose.

[Charlie Kirk]

And we kept that alive at turning.

[Steve Bannon]

Point, we kept fantastic. You guys did a great job. If we lose 2 or 3% right of our MAGA base because these elections.

[Charlie Kirk]

Are so tight in the House, 10,000 votes, 20,000 votes.

[Steve Bannon]

As hard, by the way, as hard as you guys worked in Arizona, as hard as you worked in Pennsylvania, as hard as people worked in Michigan and in Wisconsin, these things are coming down to 10, 20,000 votes. And principally low propensity, low information voters. And folks, you got to understand this midterm with Trump not on the ballot, you know, we had the situation in 18, right, where President Trump, I thought was kind of on a roll and we lost, what, 40 seats. So we can't lose any core element of our coalition.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Steve Bannon]

You brought up an incredibly important word, cynicism. The one thing that the MAGA movement is not right now is cynical. Right?

[Charlie Kirk]

That can kill any moment.

[Steve Bannon]

No, but I'm saying if, if we don't pursue this to its logical conclusion and show everybody the information and show the interconnectivities, you know, Mike Benz, I think is going to come out in the next couple weeks with some amazing information. If you don't show the interconnect connectivity, if you don't show who is financing Epstein, who he basically worked with, who.

[Charlie Kirk]

Do you think he worked with?

[Steve Bannon]

I think you're going to see a combination of financial institutions, intelligence agencies, both our intelligence agencies, other countries, other governments, corporations. Not just individuals, lots of individuals, but I mean institutions. And the institutions are where the power is. And I think people are going to be shocked by it. But you've got to go and take that to its logical conclusion because if you don't, people are going to sit there, some of our movement is going to become cynical and go, just like the young people are going to say, what is this all about? I was promised this. I didn't get it. This was central to my belief. And maybe I'll hit them with a $10bill and if necessary, I'll vote if it's important. But I'm not going to ring doorbells, I'm not going to walk precincts, I'm not coming to Turning Point. I'm not going to be a force multiplier with the information. If that happens all of a sudden, the momentum we have stops and we have momentum right now. I mean, you can see this in the conferences. Every conference is bigger. This is the first conference I've been to that there's kind of turmoil. Everything else has been united and we've been driving to, you know, we've been driving to something important. Last December was the new, you know, the new administration's coming. We had this amazing victory. The one before is how do we have the victory? Everything is to go to the next step.

[Charlie Kirk]

We wouldn't have expected this. This is kind of, this all thrust upon us this week. Week at this.

[Steve Bannon]

Well, it's all thrust upon us this week. I mean, I think it's a fight we have to have about the deep state. I think we've got to get on with it right now because you can change tax policy, you can do this, you can do that. Still, if you still get continue to sucked into these wars if you're still trying to be an empire spread all over the world, all over hell's half acre. If you're still, you know, given billions of dollars to Ukraine because the national debt doesn't mean anything. You know, if you, if you look at the tire resistance package we're trying to force through, that's up in a, in a moment with, with, with the arms to Ukraine. And there's talk that NATO's going to try to come up with a no fly zone around, around Ukraine enforced by us and, well, enforced first by the European members of NATO. But that'll quite quickly. They'll soon be.

[Charlie Kirk]

I'm sorry, the Dutch air force is not exactly.

[Steve Bannon]

You're not legendary. Okay, this is my point.

[Charlie Kirk]

God bless him.

[Steve Bannon]

How did the no fly zone work for us in Iraq? How did that work out for us?

[Charlie Kirk]

It ends up being us that has to enforce a no fly zone. Okay.

[Steve Bannon]

We're inexorably the biggest issue we should be debating here at this conference should not be Epstein. It must be. But we should have been.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's been thrown on us.

[Steve Bannon]

It should all been Ukraine. We should have been how we're going to stop any more involvement in the Ukraine war. Right. Because Ukraine's also symbolic for stopping the deep state.

[Charlie Kirk]

So.

[Steve Bannon]

So, Steve, by the way, President Trump just killed my speech. I'll have to think of something. I'll have to accommodate the truth. Social.

[Charlie Kirk]

What are you going to say now?

[Steve Bannon]

You've got to wait. You got to.

[Charlie Kirk]

What were you going to say?

[Steve Bannon]

I was going to. I was going to talk about time for choosing the resolves. I still am, but I'm going to, I'm going to interweave it with President Trump. You have. Obviously, we've had tremendous wins. I mean, we've had more wins. If you look at the first six months, if you started back in January, I think we've had more wins. Now, obviously, there's some things that are surprising people like this, this new out of nowhere, this kind of amnesty situation with the farm workers right there. There's obviously this thing with, with Epstein. There's other things. Some of the big beautiful Bill, you know, it's not a perfect world, but I think right now, given the momentum we had and some of the big wins we had, understanding we're going to 26 and we got to keep. Because five seats, six seats. President Trump's going to be impeached. And these guys are so vicious. People are not focused on the Democrats. Hakeem Jeffries kind of considered irrelevant. Zorhan In New York City, the working family party in the dsa, which are very powerful on, you know, sources give them $37 million and they own the streets. They can. They own. The amount of people that turn out, you know, you know, turn out 10,000 people in Brooklyn to canvas is a big deal.

[Charlie Kirk]

Big.

[Steve Bannon]

They do it all the time. So I think that we have to come out here with a rallying cry of action that we're going to take, and I hope that we focus around. We've got to take on the deep state and quite frankly, have to work with President Trump and the team and Cash and these guys, because, remember, the whole profile, before we were going to take on the deep state. Now we're back to arresting bad guys. Certainly we got to arrest bad guys. Although I would like to do that with the FBI. That's half destroyed size in a CIA. That's. That's half the size. And I don't, I think if we don't get to those that, you know, that we failed in our mission.

[Charlie Kirk]

If, if Dan leaves, does that. I think it would send a signal to the bay. I don't think that will be. I mean, I think people love Dan, but if we can't get Dan to make it happen at the FBI, what does that mean?

[Steve Bannon]

Well, I don't think he's. I don't think he'd be leaving. Here's what's so bizarre about this. I'm pretty sure Dan drafted that memo. Right. It seems like it's. It's not written by a lawyer, so I assume it's not cash or maybe a cash. And Dan. I don't. I think in their own minds, they felt by putting that out, it was going to put everything to bed. It couldn't have been farther from the truth. Right. Because you read the memo. It's.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, it was an accelerant.

[Steve Bannon]

The accelerant, Exactly.

[Charlie Kirk]

So it was a little flame. No one was talking about Epstein a week ago. It was like we had a. And then.

[Steve Bannon]

Yeah, the. Look, he may not come back to work. He may say, hey, I'm out, and just solve it that way. You have to get a new deputy. But it clearly is a speed bump for, for the Trump administration, and I think it speaks to deeper issues that have to be addressed. We just can't look these away because, look, I'm a big believer in President Trump in 2028, but there's going to be some point in time. You're not going to have President Trump. Right. So you're going to have to Start to dig down on this apparatus because this apparatus has no interest in tossing the keys over to you.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Steve Bannon]

So I'm ready.

[Charlie Kirk]

Do we have. We have a mic runner. If not. Yeah.

[C]

Hello, miss. This question is for Mr. Ban and Mr. Kirk.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes, I'm James.

[C]

I'm from the great state of Texas. My question is, what advice do you have for a young conservative who wants to run for Congress in six to 10 years? I am currently 18. I'm about to be 19 in two days. And I am super excited to be an elected member of the move of the movement pretty soon.

[Steve Bannon]

So you want to. You want to run for Congress in six to eight years?

[C]

Yes, sir.

[Steve Bannon]

And how old are you?

[C]

18. About to be 19. Two days.

[Steve Bannon]

Are you still in high school?

[C]

No. In college.

[Steve Bannon]

In college at what year?

[C]

I'm about to be a Junior.

[Steve Bannon]

At 18?

[C]

Yes, sir.

[Steve Bannon]

You accelerated through high school, correct?

[C]

I did college courses while in high school.

[Steve Bannon]

Perfect. My strongest recommendation is to volunteer and join the military. Pick your service. Marine Corps, Navy, Army. Go if you want to.

[Charlie Kirk]

Especially if TechSet's doing great.

[Steve Bannon]

If you want to. If you want to. That's one of the things I'm proud of most. She went in, she volunteered when Obama was president. Think about that. Sending your, your daughter over to Iraq with Obama's commander in chief and Biden cutting the deal. No, my strongest recommendation is join the military. Military at your age, it's about formation. The military will send you places. First of all, it'll test you in ways you never thought you could be tested, not just physically, but mentally, morally. You'll find out how courageous you are, how you handle fear, how you handle uncertainty. It'll first of all, send you so far away from home, you'll sit there and go, why in the hell did I sign up for this? Right. I'm so far away from home. But like the T.S. eliot poem says, you'll learn so much about yourself when you return home. You'll understand it for the first time yourself in your home. So there's nothing better. I could tell you to go join campaigns and all that stuff, but you can do all that later. There's a block of time. It's a block of time when you're young that in that decade of your 20s, to actually get as many experiences throughout the world to test yourself as you're never going to be tested. That formation, coupled with what your parents did will last you for the rest of your life. It'll be the foundation.

[Charlie Kirk]

Steve, can you just talk me? You were on that. You were on the ship in the Persian.

[Steve Bannon]

Persian, yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

North Arabian Sea. That was the best part of your life, right?

[Steve Bannon]

Yeah, the eight years I spent. Well, the four years at sea was the best. It was the best thing I ever had.

[C]

Assault veteran. Thank you for your service.

[Steve Bannon]

Who? Yeah, yeah. Well, thank you. By the way, anytime you thank a veteran of service, remember, just serving our country was thanks enough. It's the best thing you'll look for, so if you want to be in Congress, plus you'll have a perspective of what's going on. So that's my strongest recommendation. And I don't have a second recommendation.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's a great piece of advice. No, it is. Especially with this new military. You could travel the world, learn about yourself. It'd be phenomenal. Thank you, man. Really appreciate it.

[C]

Mr. Kirk, do you have anything else?

[Charlie Kirk]

I like Steve's advice a lot. Join the military.

[C]

Well, thank you. Thank you, veterans. Thank you very much.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thank you.

[D]

Hi, I'm Will. I'm 13 and I'm from the OK State of Wisconsin.

[Steve Bannon]

Were you the one at our show the other day that gave that great answer?

[D]

I was.

[Steve Bannon]

Okay.

[D]

The One without parental supervision. So my question is.

[Steve Bannon]

Well, you know, I don't work with dogs and kids for a reason, but continue on. You were great. Yes, continue on, young man.

[D]

So, Charlie, I'd like to thank you for my reading list. I'm reading Viktor Frankl's man's search for.

[Charlie Kirk]

That book will change your life. Right? It's a big one.

[Steve Bannon]

Wow.

[D]

I read it over the plane ride. It was very good.

[Charlie Kirk]

Wow. I recommend it to everybody.

[D]

So I do like debating people and I. So one of the best debate tactics is, I guess, learning about the other side. Do you have any recommendations how I should learn about that and then apply that?

[Charlie Kirk]

It's a good question. Once, I'd say once you graduate. First of all, a really good way to learn about the other side and where it's heading. There is no better book fictionally to read than 1984. It captures technological totalitarianism in a very entertaining way. I think 84 is phenomenal. Orwell was onto the death of truth, power dynamics, you know, technological tyranny. Brave New World is also awesome. Perfect, right? So instead of. I could recommend a bunch of their literature. Like the Communist Manifesto. No, no, instead, I would. I would recommend to you, read the author. There are five authors that wrote simultaneously. They all knew each other and they all wrote about other topics, but they all wrote about post World War II totalitarianism. It was Churchill, Huxley, Kessler, Orwell, and Lewis. C.S. lewis.

[Steve Bannon]

Darkness at Noon.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, Darkness at Noon is amazing. So I'll send you the list. Don't worry. It'[e-mail] but I encourage you to read the fictional elements of these guys because, look, Orwell, he could have wrote an essay about totalitarianism and, you know, no one would really remember it. But 84, everyone knows. And dark and Brave New World. You agree?

[Steve Bannon]

Perfect. Yeah. Huxley's amazing. I actually like Brave New World. Actually even better than 1984. I love 1984. Plus Animal Farm. What town are you from? Where you live?

[D]

I'm from Pewaukee. So.

[Steve Bannon]

From where?

[D]

Pewaukee. It's pretty red.

[Steve Bannon]

And where is that?

[D]

It's smack dab Wisconsin.

[Steve Bannon]

It's one casa. Okay. Do you have a hometown newspaper?

[Charlie Kirk]

That's such a good.

[Steve Bannon]

That's not a trick question. No, that's a reason.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's a great question.

[Steve Bannon]

You should get your parents or you should take part of your allowance. Or if you're grass cutting, subscribe to your local paper. You should read your local paper. The great advice, print edition. Not the. Not the online read the print edition every day.

[Charlie Kirk]

You carry that around all the time, Steve? Well, all the time. Why?

[Steve Bannon]

Because the only other person I know that reads more print newspapers than Stephen K. Bannon is Donald Trump.

[Charlie Kirk]

I read them every day.

[Steve Bannon]

Donald Trump. Donald Trump reads the New York Times, the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Washington Post cover to cover every day, including the editorials, which very few people. And he marks them up for you and sends them to you. A print newspaper is still the best way to get information. If you want to learn how to debate, you got to know the world. The best way to know the world is to read your local paper. And I'm going to give you another hint being a paper boy, when you get your local paper, like my mom used to do, put the front section away and go to the Metro section. That's where all the great dirt is. So you read the Metro section, read the Metro section and you will start to become so much smarter than the kids that are just academically debating. Right? It'll be common sense in street smarts.

[Charlie Kirk]

Really quick last question. I gotta get. We gotta welcome Secretary Noem and Hillsdale courses are amazing. Charlieforhillsdale.com write it down. C H A R L I e for hillsdale.com free online courses for you guys brought to you by Hillsdale. Last question, ma'. Am. Then we have Christina.

[E]

Hi. Thank you. I'm a precinct strategy person. I'm a precinct committee woman in Naples, Florida. What I've learned, not just through that, but through other ways, is that getting a good candidate to run for an office and getting them backing before even the primary takes part takes place is impossible.

[Steve Bannon]

Like how.

[E]

How are we going to get good candidates to run for even the basic local races to then move up if everything is seems to be rigged at every level?

[Steve Bannon]

That's what, that's. What's the time to choose. It's a gut check. Remember, if we don't do it now, and that's why it's so important the young people are here. If we don't do it now against what you're saying, it's so overwhelming. The concentration of power in these industries is so much worse than even in 2017. It looks like the odds are stacked against us. However, because your precinct strategy work, we won in 2024, remember? On the morning of the election, MSNBC and all These guys in 2024, they're all laughing. They think that Kamala Harris is going to win. Up until about 7 or 8 o' clock at night, when the, when the, when the exit polls started to confirm what was happening, that they really was going to lose. That's because of you. And no odds could seem longer than Donald Trump. When Donald Trump left and went to Mar A Lago after the election was stolen and came back, that's the longest odds in American history. You accomplished that. You've already had great victories, right? Of course, in precinct strategy. I'll bet you 50% of the people that started out have, have left. You know why? Because the rhinos have sat there and made their lives miserable. So we understand it's tough. New people come on. But that's why you and people like you have got to continue to drive forward. And yes, it's hard and it looks thankless. I know my sister says the worst thing I ever did is to entice her to go be a precinct committeeman. Right. So. But you're going to have to do it. That's how we're going to. If you and your emblematic of virtually everybody I talk to, if you sit there and go, it's too rigged, it's too hard, I can't do it. I gotta go do something else. I guarantee you this is gonna be a totalitarian dictatorship in a very short period of time. There's no greater gift you can give your children, your grandchildren, anything than the fight we have day. That's why it's the time for choosing. You could choose as a free man and woman. I can't do this anymore. And if we do that, and that is a possibility that people are going to do, particularly with the information, with more true socials like that, maybe that's what happens. That's why we got to hunker down.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thank you so much, Steve. You're a patriot and a great friend. Give it up for Steve Bannon, everybody.

[Steve Bannon]

Thank you, guys.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us. As always, freedomarliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Steve Bannon]

For more on many of these stories.

[D]

And news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.