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May 24, 2025 - Bannon's War Room
01:08:33
Episode 4511: WarRoom Special: Live From West Point Cont.
Participants
Main voices
m
maureen bannon
05:05
p
patrick k odonnel
09:35
s
steve bannon
26:40
Appearances
Clips
a
alex jones
00:05
| Copy link to current segment

Speaker Time Text
unidentified
Daniel Iscardo.
James D. Justice.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Brian A. King II.
What you see right there is the Corps of Cadets getting their diplomas, right, as cadets.
Let's go to Steve.
We have a technical problem because there's so much trying to download at Mikey Stadium.
Let's go to Steve Gruber.
Steve, your thoughts and observations about what you've seen in the ceremony and, of course, the president's historic remarks, sir.
unidentified
It is a stirring...
It's been a wonderful day here.
President Trump very well received, by the way.
You've got the underclassmen down in the north end zone.
And it's pretty clear that they don't consider Russia to be the enemy, that they consider China.
That was one of the later comments in the speech there.
But boy, did they boo China.
Not much response to Russia.
But they know what their assignment is.
All of these people going forward, keeping America safe.
It's been a remarkable day here.
I was surprised, it struck me, having come to Mikey Stadium here for a West Point graduation for the first time in my career, the number of women here.
Of course, women joined West Point in 1976 after Gerald Ford signed them in.
119 women began this journey in 1976, and a lot of them here today, as you know, Steve, carrying with them the honor.
And there was one gentleman, Donald Trump, he called on a bunch of different folks, graduating cadets out of the audience.
They were very stirring, had a number of them come up to the microphone, but there was one that he called out whose grandfather had served in World War I, and his great-grandfather, World War I, grandfather, World War II, and his entire family, his mother and others had graduated here.
His father...
I think that was a particularly string.
And I think that it showed the emotion of this president, his connection with the military.
They feel a kinship with Donald Trump as their commander-in-chief.
And here come the helicopters overhead right now.
I think there is your 47th president flying over West Point.
A remarkable moment, Steve, as Marine One exits the stadium, flying over and letting the cadets here know that the Commander-in-Chief is with them.
I think it has been a remarkable day.
All right.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Steve, what was so amazing about his presentation?
The president showed so much humanity about bringing cadets up and really bonding with the cadets and then geopolitically making a commitment that culture is destiny, our culture is winning, and we're not going to put people in harm's way.
particularly these young second lieutenants unless we are committed to win the military endeavors, the wars and the conflicts we're in.
Your thoughts, sir?
unidentified
I agree with that completely.
Let's reflect on Donald Trump's recent journey to the Middle East, to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
His message...
We will have the most powerful military in the world.
We hope not to use it, but you, graduates here, 2025 of West Point, if we do go to war, you'll have the best equipment, the best ability to win, and we will win decisively.
We will not back down.
And again, I come back to the comments about Russia and China.
Donald Trump asserting military strength, of course, coming up.
On June 14th, Flag Day, which is also the President's birthday, he will be overseeing a military parade in Washington, D.C. To mark 250 years of the United States military.
So his kinship, like I said again, is reflecting his remarks.
And you're right, the humanity that he brought by recognizing so many cadets and having them up at the podium with him and respecting them and the women that had great achievement here today in recognizing those women.
And then Chris, Chris, who is quite an accomplishment, setting a new mark by 13 minutes, but then also being a century man.
And the whole crowd thought that was...
The sentrymen who, you know, maybe a little bit more problematic in their time at West Point, but recognizing that is humanity, too.
You've got people here that are, you know, they're not all the same.
They're from all walks of life, all corners of this country, and all willing to serve this great nation going forward.
And I think that was the remarkable thing here today.
It wasn't a traditional Trump campaign speech or a rally speech.
It was him connecting with young members of the military, the second lieutenants going forward.
And I think that he really commanded the audience here today.
Obviously, it's an audience that likes him, supports him, and as their commander in chief, are with him in that pursuit of peace through strength.
Stephen.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Right now we're seeing, and on the screen you're seeing the graduates, the firsties.
This is really their last evolution as cadets.
They're getting the diploma.
They already heard from their commander-in-chief.
They will quickly, once they leave, they'll do the hat tossing, some other classic historic traditions that we'll see here in a moment.
Then they will go back to the barracks.
They will change out of their cadet uniforms.
They'll take photos of their family last time.
They will be in their cadet uniforms, and then they will change into their second lieutenant uniforms and then be sworn in.
They will take their oath as officers, normally in smaller ceremonies throughout.
West Point today is a very, very powerful moment for the families.
I've seen the struggle of these kids through the four years.
Or in Chris's situation, five years.
Talk about that for a second.
Chris had beaten the obstacle course at this nighttime run by 12 or 13 minutes.
And this is an international competition against Sandhurst, against, I think, St. Cyr.
In France, all the different military academies, I think he broke that record by 12 or 13 minutes.
Then, moments later, when President Trump is acknowledging the best and the brightest out of the Corps of Cadets, he talks about the sentrymen, which I think have had 100 hours or something of marching for demerits.
Which calls up people like General Ulysses Grant, Patton, George Custer, Pickett, others who were at the bottom of the class, but great warfighters.
It was a great moment.
And then when Chris stood up, Steve, walk me through that.
unidentified
Trump absolutely loved it, did he not?
alex jones ▲ ● ▼
Trump absolutely loved it.
unidentified
Go ahead, sir.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Yeah.
Go ahead, sir.
unidentified
I was going to say, Donald Trump had a great moment there calling Chris out.
Yeah, the century men, the ones that spent the most time marching around the campus of West Point to atone for their bad behavior, I guess.
But let me tell you this.
I would put Chris in my foxhole.
I mean, a guy, he beat the international market by 13 minutes.
That's no small feat.
That's the guy I want next to me.
A guy who's got some courage, some guts, willing to think outside the box.
And, hey, if he gets himself a little bit of trouble here and there, Donald Trump thought that was very humorous.
And so did we all.
We all had a good chuckle out of that.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Steve, talk to me about the Corps of Cadets is in the, you see right there on the left-hand side of the screen, we have a split screen.
You see the Corps of Cadets.
Not the first.
He's not the Grand Corps cadets in white in the end zone.
Talk to me about the reception.
All of these people are shocked that President Trump resonates so much with young people.
Obviously, the vote went his way with young people, but talk to us about the reception.
You were there, the reception that the younger cadets had for President Trump.
unidentified
Well, those younger cadets came in here very early, Steve.
They came in about 8 o 'clock this morning, maybe a bit before that.
And that's back, and they're in T-shirts and short sleeves, and it was raining, as I told you earlier.
They sat out there the whole time, but they by far were the most vocal group in this entire stadium when it came to Donald Trump.
And I've said this before, and I think you could reflect on this a little bit.
I believe the younger generation right now is the most patriotic generation in many, many years.
last couple when it comes to support of Donald Trump.
And I go back to things that are...
These were fraternity brothers and so forth that we saw on TV.
And that's reflected here in this group in the end zone here.
These younger cassettes very much identify with Donald Trump.
Very much identify with his America First agenda.
They are all bought in.
And you can tell every time that somebody said they were loud, they were vocal, they were supportive, they were patriotic.
They're the real deal here.
And I think that's an incredibly important thing you pointed out, because this younger generation, you're right, younger people voted for Donald Trump.
And I can guarantee you, the number of people voting in that end zone for Donald Trump, I don't know if it was consensus, but it would be darn close.
I can assure you of that based on the reaction.
Every time Donald Trump did something, they were cheering.
They were booing China.
They were cheering the idea of America having the best military.
And when you talk about increasing equipment and spending, and they were, like I said, by far the most vocal group in this entire stadium all day, with the young cadets down there in white on the split screen on the left there.
You can see them in the background.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Steve, I think it's very important.
You see the tradition of the long gray line.
You're seeing the graduating class, the firsties of what they're called, the senior class, getting their diplomas now, really the last evolution for them in this long four, sometimes five years, this incredible grind.
I can tell you through Mo's experience, it is a grind for these kids to get through all the military and the very high standard academics.
Like I said, everybody either majors in engineering or minors in engineering.
So it's a very tough academic process.
I think what you're seeing, Gruber, is that the DNA of this country, the patriotism, and that's what's so important today.
I think it's why President Trump wanted to come in that magnificent speech where he connected with the humanity of the core and the professionalism and also had this kind of speech that laid out the fact that he wants peace and prosperity.
He will do this through partnerships, that it's peace through strength.
You didn't see Putin.
You didn't see the Chinese.
You didn't see Hamas.
You didn't see anybody trying to go to a violent conflict because they knew President Trump would drop the hammer.
But I think very, very important, this connection.
And Steve Gruber, let me have your comments before we go to break.
We've got a couple of minutes about – These kids have been the ones that have come through an education system that has been total propaganda for them.
These are kids in their late teens, early twenties that are graduating.
Your thoughts, sir?
unidentified
Well, and you make a big point there, but there's this.
This change of leadership, change in the commander-in-chief, certainly, that is bringing back a more traditional education, dumping DEI and woke policies.
But I want to reflect a little bit on what you just said there, Steve, and that is Donald Trump's approach to diplomacy and peace.
He brought India and Pakistan to the table and said, if you don't play ball and stop shooting at each other, we will remove trade from you.
He's willing to talk to anybody.
He's made that clear with his comments on Syria and Lebanon.
He will talk to anybody, even people that have been out of the...
He's inviting them back in, and he gets criticized for that, and I don't think that that's a fair assessment, because he's willing to talk to anybody, including the enemies of America, to say, look, can we find common ground?
when he went and crossed the DMZ with Kim Jong-un comes to mind.
He's wanting to go to places that American presidents have not gone in pursuit of peace, but not...
Without taking the big stick with him, as Teddy Roosevelt would say, he takes the big stick and says, look, we have the American military.
We will do what needs to be done to protect this nation.
but he'll also...
It's what he ran on.
It's what he's trying to deliver.
It's why he's working so hard with Steve Witkoff and others to try to deliver peace in Ukraine, to try to deliver peace in Gaza, to prevent wars between Pakistan and India, and to tell these recruits.
That we hope for peace.
We hope that you don't have to go fight wars.
We hope that the young man whose father died in 2004 in Iraq, that he doesn't have to see the same sort of thing.
But if it comes to that, he's willing to back them with the best equipment, the best training, the best education, and without woke nonsense and DEI.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
I think we can say we're going to go to a short commercial break.
I've got Steve Gruber at Mikey Stadium.
We have Patrick O'Donnell, the great combat historian, in studio.
We're going to be joined by a very special guest when we come back after break.
And I think we can say, and I think the Warren Posse would agree with this today, historic coverage.
And by the way, Real America's Voice is going to let us go past 12 noon.
As we incorporate all this, including the classic hat toss at the end, this is what we voted for.
No doubt.
Short commercial break.
We're going to be back to the United States Military Academy, Mikey Stadium, and our wall-to-wall coverage of the graduation of the class of 2025.
E. Hurst.
unidentified
Nicholas P. Flood.
Aaron E. Jacobs.
Nathaniel S. Gelsimino.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay, you're watching right there.
The Corps of Cadets get their diplomas.
I want to go.
We've got a very special guest.
A new member of the Board of Visitors has been there today.
Captain Maureen Bannon Moe.
First off, give us some stats on this.
I think your class had 1,200 or 1,300 because it was in the middle of the Iraq War when you entered, I think, in 2006.
I believe you graduated.
Just under 900.
There were a lot of rollouts at that time, I think, because of the war.
Give me some stats on this class.
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
When this class was admitted into West Point, they admitted 1,214 members of the class of 2025 out of 14,000 applicants that applied.
Out of those...
So I know Steve Gruber was shocked with how many women there were, at least today, that's still more than the class of 2010 graduated with back when I graduated.
So we have increased the amount of women that have been admitted to the Academy each year, but it is great to see so many women graduating today.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
You know, when you went in the Iraq war, it was said that, it was said, okay, we're not taking breaks, we're just going to go through it.
Okay, fine.
We're producing here as we go along.
Mo, when you entered in 06 during the Iraq and Afghanistan war, the issue was they needed women because this was the way that in your in your civics affairs, your medical corps, your other your logistics as you were in, that this was the way that, quite frankly, in these nations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Muslim women who felt very intimidated.
So there was a justification at that time of why they need it.
You still think that holds true today?
Pete Hexitt, as you know, is pretty adamant about no women in combat.
I know you're going on the board.
I don't want to start too big a controversy on your first day, but, uh, you know, Gruber and guys that are Patriots, I think that it is still a need today.
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
And also, I know that the comment Pete Hegseth made was about women in combat.
However, that was misinterpreted.
It's women in combat arms on the front line.
Women still do a lot of support roles in the military that support those on the front line.
Such as when I was in Iraq, I was a logistics officer, so I made sure that everyone had food, water, and ammunition.
So while I wasn't directly on the front line, I was supporting those on the front line and making sure that they could do their jobs.
So I think that it is very important to still have women in significant roles, and we need to increase the number of women in the military.
So I'm very honored, one, to be a female on the Board of Representatives.
Another female presidential appointee is also a West Point grad, Dr. Megan Mobs.
She was class of 08. There's also another West Point grad as a presidential appointee, Representative Wesley Hunt, who's class of 2004.
four.
So I'm truly honored to be on the board with two fellow West Point grads, but also another female that also took up the call for service during a time of war.
Cause when I entered the Academy, when these other two represent representatives and, We went in during a time of war.
We knew that as soon as we graduated, that we would most likely be called upon to go over and fight in Afghanistan or Iraq.
It's different with this class.
While we're not in wartime, there are different calls of duties for them, and they need to be prepared for any of those calls.
So I'm truly honored to be here today to see them receive their diplomas, graduate, and they commission as the Army's newest second lieutenants.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
You know, the thing about the Iraq and Afghanistan war, there really was no front.
I mean, that's one of the issues.
Everything was a front.
When you were up at the logistics base and dragging everything in, like today, your old unit, the 101st, has a brigade of, I think there's still a regiment or a brigade, I think it's a brigade of 101st is on the border of Romania and Ukraine.
So throughout the world, these young Americans, particularly second lieutenants and first lieutenants with the noncommissioned officers are the backbone of that.
Mo, hang on.
You're going to stick with us for a few minutes.
We are going to go to a break in a second.
I want to get Steve Gruber in here.
Gruber, I understand that you're a big proponent of women in the military, sir.
unidentified
Thank you.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
No Gruber?
Okay, I can't read that.
You're going to have to just tell it to me.
Okay, let's go back.
Mo, we're going to get Gruber up in a moment.
You see the cadets right there on the screen.
They're still graduating.
What do we got?
unidentified
Yeah.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay, fine.
Perfect.
We're going to take a break.
I tell you what, let's go and just hear it.
Let's hear the cadets.
We're going to take a break at the top of the hour, and when we come back, I'll do a whole reset.
Historic coverage.
I got Gruber.
One way we can get him.
It's very tough.
To get Steve at Mikey Stadium, we're going to try again.
We've got Mo Bannon at Mikey Stadium.
We have Patrick O'Donnell, the great combat historian, is in the war room.
We're going to go through the end of this as we wrap up Wall-to-Wall coverage and including a historic commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
I think it showed President Trump in the top of his game.
Number one, incredible humanity.
Really connecting with the Corps of Cadets, calling up a number of athletes, the lacrosse team, called up a number of, of course, this cadet who had been five years.
Like I said, some of these people roll back.
He was five years.
He graduated.
Also, he was one of the ones there for the maximum demerits.
I think they call him the Century Club.
These turn out to be some of our best combat leaders.
You don't need to be number one in your class or have a 4.0 to serve your country.
Historic day at West Point.
President of the United States was there.
He just left on Marine One, as he said, to go back and try to work on ending the Ukraine war.
We're going to keep right here.
On the screen, you've got the graduates right now getting their diplomas.
We're going to take a short commercial break.
We'll do a reset.
Mo Bannon at Mikey Stadium.
Steve Gruber at Mikey Stadium.
Patrick K. O'Donnell in the War Room in Washington, D.C. Short break.
Back for the conclusion of the commencement ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
unidentified
Back for the conclusion of the commencement ceremony at West Point.
Jade A. McBride.
Caleb S. Kaiser.
Ida R. McLaughlin.
Molly D. Kim.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay.
unidentified
Lawrence W. Minnie.
John C. Kling.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
We're in the M's, and they're ripping through this.
Got two lines going.
These are the cadets, the long gray line, getting their diplomas today.
Like we said before, this is...
The last time they wore the uniforms as cadets, uniforms they've worn for four years, sometimes five years.
And they will change into their military uniforms as second lieutenants, and they will go have their bars put on them in their commissioning ceremony, which is done by a family group and smaller groups throughout the day.
I think have we lost – I think Mo took off to go down as a board member.
I think she's out doing her thing.
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
I'm still here.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Do we have Mo?
Okay, fine.
Any closing comments?
I know you've got to bounce.
Any observations on what you've seen today?
I mean, President Trump, the humanity he had with connecting, President Trump gave an address that was over an hour long, connected with the cadets, tremendous response by the parents and the Corps of Cadets.
And then, but also gave a speech that had, I think, pretty big geopolitical impact, including on a day after he blew out 100 deep staters.
out of the National Security Council and send them back to the Pentagon or send them back to the CIA or DHS or Justice Department.
I actually think they ought to be sent home permanently, but that's a topic for another day.
Mo, your observations on what you saw today.
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
I thought it was a great speech by President Trump.
He addressed the You know, he's going to make sure that they have everything that they need and that this is going to be the strongest military again.
You know, he rebuilt the military after President Obama weakened it.
He built it back up.
And he is going to do that again after President Biden.
And it pains me to say that word before Biden's name.
However, he is going to strengthen it again after this last four years.
So this class has a great commander-in-chief.
I'm truly honored to be here and to see them graduate.
And I also, I thought it was great.
Not only did President Trump bring up athletes, he brought up That was very touching.
And the fact that his dad's class ring, part of it was melted into this current class's class ring.
So this entire class will carry a part of their classmates' dad with them in their class ring.
And I also thought it was pretty cool how President Trump brought up that cadet that completed the Ruck March in two hours.
And then when he asked for the...
depending on how many you got.
or if you're a athlete like myself, I might've had to sit a few hours.
But for members of the team, They had over a hundred hours marching.
So that cadet that went up there that completed the ruck in two hours was also part of the Century Club.
So I thought it was pretty funny that President Trump made a comment about that in his speech as well.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
No, it's amazing.
And also the other thing was the culture is destiny and the culture of winning.
Is what he's trying to reinstall in America, and particularly at the academy.
He committed never to send these young people into a conflict that he wasn't prepared to win.
And he talked about ISIS, which I was there at the time, and Obama told us to take a generation to destroy the caliphate, President Trump.
I don't know, in six weeks to six months, it was gone pretty quickly when people told us it would take decades.
Mo, any closing observations before you let your punch in?
We're going to get Steve Gruber up.
Let's go ahead and text Gruber.
Any closing thoughts, Mo?
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
You said President Trump has no plans to get us into forever wars again, and I hope that this class does not have to live through a forever war.
Like my class and many before me did.
And I believe in my heart that President Trump will make sure, like you said, that we do not get into any conflicts, but if we must, that we will win those conflicts.
So I truly support our Commander-in-Chief, and I know these graduates do as well.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Mo, social media so people can follow your adventures throughout the day.
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
You can find me on Getter and Twitter at Maureen underscore Bannon and Instagram at RealMaureenBannon.
I've been trying to post during my time at Mikey Stadium, but cell service has been spotty, so I will get up my pictures and stuff after the graduation ceremony.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay, Mo.
Good job.
Talk to you later.
Great job.
Thank you.
I want to thank Real America's Voice for letting us continue this coverage right now.
I think we're to the S's.
I think we're to the S's.
These are the 1,000 cadets that are getting their diplomas.
President Trump spoke for over an hour, and I think one of his best addresses I've heard, a mixture of high policy, direction of the country, what he's attempting to do, and had just tremendous humanity.
And I can tell you, as a parent that has been at one of these graduations, The connection he made with the class is what, you know, you just sit there and go, the sacrifices these kids have made for the last four or five years, plus the sacrifices they're about to be made.
Remember, this afternoon they're going to be commissioned as second lieutenants right after graduation.
Do we have – can we let Steve Gruber text him and let's bring – Gruber is actually on the field in Mikey Stadium.
unidentified
I think it's a privilege and an honor to sit here and watch this graduation.
1,002 cadets.
They started with somewhere just shy of 1,300 when this class embarked on its journey to become the...
And it really is a privilege.
I've never been to this event previously, and I feel honored to be here.
And I felt honored to see the President of the United States, who's obviously taking us on a different journey.
I heard you mention that he's going back to work more on the Ukraine-Russian war to see if he can bring some resolution to that.
And that was the message as he continues here today, is peace through strength.
And I think it resonated very well.
Of course, in a moment here, we'll have the hat toss as tradition continues.
And tradition is a big part of what West Point is, obviously.
West Point has stood here since the Revolutionary War.
It's not lost on the people here.
It reflects in everyone that comes through this academy.
And you mentioned this, too, Stephen.
I think this is important.
These are the best of the best.
These are high-excelling students, athletes, leaders, people that have all the ingredients to be the next great leaders of the United States military, maybe to be instructors here at West Point, maybe to lead America into battle, but maybe to lead us into the peace.
And again, that was the message.
It has been the message on this president.
He does not want to be the president of endless wars.
He doesn't want to have folly.
He wants to talk to the countries of this world to bring peace through strength, and he's willing to use levers that haven't been used in the past, economic levers, trade levers, tariff levers, to pursue peace, and I think that is what is so special about this president.
I also heard you mention, Steve, that I was surprised by the number of women.
I was, and I am.
I didn't realize that about 20 or 25 percent of this class are, in fact, women.
You obviously have a close understanding of that with Mo.
But for me, it was a revelation.
And a good one.
I certainly don't If you look, a lot of ignition points right now, be it China or Russia or Ukraine or Iran, we have a lot of places where conflict could begin.
And hopefully this president heading back to work on peace can get us there.
But these cadets, they're here standing ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to defend this country in an America first world.
And God bless them for doing that, and it is truly an honor and a blessing for me to be here today.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Steve, for the parents in the audience that responded so strongly for President Trump, I'd like your observations on...
Oh, okay.
Steve, can you hear me?
Because I got a question about he made a commitment.
I'm only going to send these troops in battles and wars are going to win.
I'm really peace through strength.
unidentified
Thank you.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay, we don't have any return for Steve.
Let me go to Patrick O'Donnell.
We'll get Steve up in a minute.
We're having a text.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
A couple points.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Go ahead, Patrick.
Go ahead.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Steve, to springboard a little bit off of what Maureen mentioned about women in combat, you know, West Point has a really rich tradition with women in combat, especially our first combat veteran, comes from the Revolutionary War.
And this is a really great untold story that I uncovered in my next book.
It's Margaret Corbett, who was in the paddle of Fort Washington on November 16, 1776.
The fort's surrounded, and they have the first Pennsylvania, they have a battery of cannon.
And she's next to her husband, and he is manning the gun, and he's wounded, and she takes over for him and mans the gun and keeps it firing.
But in the process, she's very critically wounded, almost to the point of a mortal wound.
And she recovers, but she is in the Corps of Invalids at West Point.
She is a member of the U.S. military at West Point during the war, and she is the first woman to receive a military pension from the United States government.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
By the way, right there, I think that might be the tradition of the anchorman of last in the class.
And remember, some of the best combat leaders we've had have been the people that are at the bottom of the class.
In fact, I was at one of Mo's, her firsty dinner that starts the first year, and they had like two or three generals had shown up from Iraq and asked the cadets at the bottom of the class to stand up.
The bottom hundred.
And they said all three of us were in the bottom hundred.
I think two were in the bottom ten.
So the traditional anchorman, which the tradition, I think everybody gives them a dollar as a kind of a tribute.
But these turn out to be some of the best combat leaders we have.
Patrick, talk about – I want to go back.
You're the historian here.
Why has West Point been so central?
Even before the academy was built, the reason the academy was built there is for a reason.
Why was it so important for General Washington and the revolution to the degree that Benedict Arnold made a deal with the British behind the scenes under the table to give it back to them?
What is it about West Point that was actually almost legendary even before the academy came in 1802?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
The key is the Hudson River.
Basically, whoever controls the Hudson River would control, be able to divide the colonies, a large portion of the northern colonies and part of the southern colonies from New York.
And if you recall back in 1777, the British plan was to divide that by coming down from Canada.
They met at Saratoga, but there was a plan potentially to have a force, a larger force come up and meet them.
And, you know, Lord Howell went over to Philadelphia instead.
But a smaller force did come up and they defeated some of the small forts that were there.
West Point becomes kind of the linchpin of those defenses, guarding the Hudson River.
They have this massive chain that they build.
To blockade the river from British ships from going up it.
And then West Point and other forts in and around the area are the absolute key to the defense.
And, you know, basically they strengthen those defenses after the Battle of Saratoga, which is a glorious American victory, which leads to French involvement.
Then they strengthen the forts up at West Point and others to prevent the British from, you know, potentially taking advantage.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
When people go, and I just want to describe it to you, you go across the famous plains of West Point.
And that is not to be walked on or stepped on by any civilians, only cadets and members of the military.
This is kind of sacred space.
And the reason this is where the Continental Army was really hammered in to being.
By Polish officers that had come in Washington, had felt that they had the drill, they really understood the drills that were needed by European armies to instill.
But when you're there, it's actually, you're looking down and it's like a mountain gorge, the Hudson River.
This is not like around New York.
As you get up to Hudson at West Point and this big turn it takes at West Point to go up, you're literally in a mountain gorge.
West Point's on a very high cliff where the Plains is that looks over this.
At the bottom, you're right, and people almost think it's like insane.
They put a chain, a shot of chain across the entire river.
To essentially block – try to block the British from coming up and this is one of the whole reasons that Benedict Arnold – it was such a strategic location because it's really the high ground on the Hudson and the Hudson was considered the central – at least in the beginning of the war.
The central zone of conflict because to control the Hudson, you would break off the more radical New England, and particularly the John Adams, the Sam Adams, the Hancocks, and the revolutionary fervor of Lexington and Concord, and obviously Bunker Hill, of which we're coming up to in just a couple of weeks.
That's why there was such a big deal.
And this is why it was such a central part.
Patrick, in your thoughts about hammering really what was militia and really backwoodsmen into an army that could actually withstand the onslaught of really one of the best field armies in the world, and that was the British Expeditionary Force.
Your thoughts, sir?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
The Hudson Valley is an absolutely crucial area, as I mentioned, beginning in 1777, Battle of Saratoga.
And then we move forward in time.
And the British continually try to creep up the Hudson.
And I brought out in my book, Washington's Immortals, the Battle of Stony Point, which is really one of the great special operations missions of the American Revolution.
The British capture Stony Point, which is a little bit below West Point.
And then they fortify it with about 19 guns.
They build some Atabay and other things.
And Washington sends in his light infantry.
And these are men that are lightly armed.
They're early precursor to special operations forces.
They surround the fort and they seize it.
And they take hundreds of prisoners.
It's an incredible story.
It's around this time that, you know, Benedict Arnold, who's really one of the great heroes of the early American Revolution, he's vitally important up north in Canada.
He's vitally important at Saratoga.
But many things occur that his honor is tarnished.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Well, hold on.
Hang on.
At Saratoga, which was the...
It was his leadership on the battlefield when he was told by Gates to be restricted.
Critically wounded.
This is what starts his whole downward spiral of what led him.
In his madness and his bitterness about that and not being recognized like Gates to actually betray his country.
Tell me about that.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, there's a number of things that have happened, and he's also accused of profiteering later on.
A lot of these things are dismissed.
But it really doesn't sit well with him at all.
He's a guy that sacrifices everything for his country.
And he's critically wounded in tremendous pain after a musket ball strikes his leg and he's crippled from it.
And he decides to betray his country.
And he is the commander at West Point.
And he decides to weaken West Point's defenses deliberately and then deliver the plans to General Clinton on where the American forces are deployed in return for being a brigadier general within the British Army, which he turns coat and then he becomes a general within their army.
And he's a fairly effective general.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Talk to me about West Point as a historian.
I think every war now, you're doing a series on the Revolution.
You've got a new book out about the Civil War.
West Point through the ages.
Right now you're seeing what we call the Long Gray Line.
And this you saw in March in a Day.
Very powerful.
But this is connective tissue for every American war all the way back to Thomas Jefferson's administration.
Walk me through the importance of West Point in American memory, American culture.
And in the actual combat fighting of our military, sir?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
In many cases, a great general or leader can change the course of history.
And what we've seen is many of these great leaders come from West Point.
Either Robert E. Lee, for instance, or Ulysses S. Grant, who, as you mentioned, graduates at the bottom of his class.
But he's really one of the greatest military leaders in history, and he's also a great president.
Maybe his greatest accomplishment is at Appomattox, where he recognizes the importance of respect and forgiveness.
And as he defeats Robert E. Lee, he offers an olive branch and a way of reconciliation, which will change our country.
And it's at Appomattox that I bring out in The Unvanquished that, you know, The healing begins and we start to come back together.
But it's Grant's terms at Appomattox of, you know, paroling Lee's army versus putting everybody in a POW cage, which has just this dramatic transformative effect of where men are going home and there's still, you know, 250,000 Confederates in the field.
But as these other armies are still fighting, they're seeing men go home to their homes, which has a completely demoralizing effect on their ability to continue to fight.
And, you know, once you lose that, it's very tough to keep fighting as an insurgency.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Hey, Patrick, hang on for a second.
We're going to take a short commercial break.
They're still going through the cadets themselves getting their diplomas.
We're going to continue this to its culmination.
Still a few more things to do.
Let's go ahead and take a short commercial break.
We'll be back in Real America's Voice and the War Room's continual coverage of the graduation ceremony at West Point, the United States Military Care.
Let's go ahead and go.
unidentified
That's it, sir.
Parker C. Massey.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
We're returning to the last few.
Here we go.
unidentified
Emma L. McGovern.
William F. Niven.
Congratulations.
There you go.
Michael M. Nixwaselek.
Nelly B. Ray.
Matthew D. Rhodes.
Carl J. Stahlberg.
Grayson M. Stewart.
Ronald D. Taylor Jr.
Gordon Z. Turner Giving out the last diploma to the long gray line.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
We're going to continue with our coverage.
unidentified
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the singing of the alma mater.
Attention!
And shun!
Hail all the modern dear, to us the ever near.
Help us, I'm not so aware through all the years.
Let truth see me, well before, all early air on top.
Country be ever armed, Westport by thee.
Class.
Free.
Cover.
Class.
Free.
Class.
Cover.
Free.
Cover.
Class.
Free.
Cover.
Clap!
Clap.
Clap.
Free.
Cover.
Thank you.
Please remain standing while the oath of office is administered to the Class of 2025 by the United States Military Academy Commandant of Cadets, Brigadier General R.J. Garcia.
Class of 2025, raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I state your full name.
Having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States in the grade of second lieutenant, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
That I take this obligation freely without a mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I'm about to enter.
So help me God.
Congratulations.
Please lower your hands.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing and join in the singing of the official Army song.
The Army Goes Rolling Along.
The Army Goes Rolling
The Army Goes Rolling
The Army
Goes Rolling The Army Goes Rolling The Army Goes Rolling Please remain standing for the benediction by United States Corps of Cadets Chaplain, Father Matt Pawlikowski.
Lord of life, throughout this land on Memorial Day weekend, we honor all military members who lost their lives in the line of duty.
And it is in the light of such sacrifice that we are so grateful for this legion of lieutenants, just now commissioned, the air of their oath still floating before their faces, who are prepared perhaps to give, but certainly to live, their lives for our country.
Such character and selfless service demands respect from our citizens and is worthy of your grace.
And so, God, we beg your blessings upon all of them, now in the Army and later in life, that they will always live honorably, lead honorably.
And demonstrate excellence to all around them now and all the days of their lives.
Amen.
Amen.
Second Lieutenant Robinson, dismiss the class of 2025.
maureen bannon ▲ ● ▼
Go Army, sir.
unidentified
Go Army.
Beat Navy.
Graduating class.
Recover.
Class of 2025.
Dismissed.
Applause.
Music.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay, right there you're seeing the joy of after four or five years of struggle and tribulation, they will now go change their cadet uniforms into their second lieutenant uniforms, and they will have these private commissioning ceremonies.
We'll have their second lieutenant bars put on them by family members and commissioning folks that are going to commission.
Either members of the faculty or staff or people they know.
unidentified
Tremendous music today, too.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
The Girl I Left Behind.
Calvary song right there.
unidentified
Calvary song right there.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Tremendous.
Patrick O'Donnell.
We're going to try to get Gruber back.
He may be down hard because of the batteries.
Patrick K. O'Donnell, you're our best combat historian.
Put it in perspective, what we saw today.
By the way, I want to thank Real America's Voice.
Historic coverage, wall-to-wall coverage of a graduation at West Point.
Never been done before in national television, including a one-hour address by the 45th and 47th President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Donald J. Trump.
Auld Lang Syne playing right now.
Patrick K. O'Donnell, your thoughts, sir?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
This, Steve, is really a glorious and historic day for this class.
That oath of commissioned officers goes all the way back to 1775, June 14, 1775, when first it was Congress that commissioned the first Continental officers, and then the men in the ten rifle companies.
Six from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, and two others came together, and then the Continental Congress chose their officers for them, and then they elected their own officers within those companies.
This is a very special moment, taking the oath of commission that goes back to 1775.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Patrick, talk to people before we punch you.
Patrick's going to be with me.
He will be in studio.
We're going to cover the ceremony for our honored dead at Arlington National Cemetery on Real America's Voice live from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday.
I want to thank, of course, Robin Parker Sieg for doing this.
The President of the United States will make, I think, remarks at about 11 o 'clock.
So we'll cover the entire thing as we did here.
Patrick, how can people get your books, particularly your last couple I know have resonated so about the revolution and the Civil War as you expand out from Korea and the Iraq War?
Where do people go to get your writings and all your comments you're putting up on Instagram and all that?
Where do they get it, sir?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
I'm at UnX at CombatHistorian as well as Getter.
The Unvanquished, best place to get that is probably Amazon or Barnes& Noble.
They typically have it at the front of the store or independent bookstores.
Washington's Immortals and The Indispensables, which now we're approaching 2,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
Many, many readers from The War Room, which I'm very grateful for, and many of the other books.
You know, which has been 26 years as a full-time historian.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Well, your books have been bestsellers, but, man, you're really picking up steam.
Even these last couple have been blockbusters.
I mean, it's a Patrick O'Donnell book.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, The Unvanquished in particular.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
That's the word, posse.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, the posse has gone to many of my book signings.
We had one in Warrington where we had over 400 people in the theater there, which was just tremendous.
Just many others as well.
Many members of the War of Posse have been there, been ardent supporters and great readers.
I really appreciate them.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Right there, you're seeing the families now down with the cadets.
Momentarily, the cadets will leave.
They'll go do their last administrative things, change out of these cadet uniforms.
The last time they'll be in their cadet uniforms is today.
They'll change into the uniforms of second lieutenants in the United States Army.
And they will have these private commissioning ceremonies where the family's there and then either family members or people they're close to will actually do the commissioning themselves and put their bars on, which is very powerful.
One more time, Patrick.
Patrick's going to be with me on Monday as we do Memorial Day.
Traditionally, Patrick and I do a couple of specials, but because of live coverage, we're going to be doing commentary and we'll have a little time before the event starts at Arlington.
Patrick, one more time.
Where do people go?
Because when people dip into your writings, they normally go back and want to buy as many of your books as possible because they get a real sense.
What I'm so proud of you, you don't really write at 60,000 feet.
You really do the research.
You started with oral histories of the greatest generation of World War II.
You've then gone, as you've gone back in time to the Civil War and the Revolutionary War, your archival Research is amazing, and that's what brings these books to life, whether it's Washington Immortals, whether it's the other books on the Revolution, this new book, The Unvanquished.
I've read hundreds, if not thousands, of books on the Civil War, and your book, The Unvanquished, and this is my part of the country.
It reads like a novel.
There's so many things I didn't understand or didn't know because you went back and did basic research that other people hadn't done.
Your writings today, these books read like novels, whether it's the first-person account of your time with your unit that you went as a combat historian in the Iraq War or these new books.
So one more time, where do people go to get all your writings?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
At Combat Historian or my website, patrickkodonnell.com.
Amazon.com is a great place to purchase The Unvanquished or Barnes& Noble or other independent bookstores.
And thank you so much for those compliments, Steve.
All my books are true stories.
In many cases, there are untold stories that tell a larger story.
It's about, you know, Americans, a small group of Americans, one or two people that have made a difference or changed history, bent or shaped history in a way that, you know, is unexpected but changed the course of history.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
You know, we started this even before War Room and Real America's Voice.
We started this when I had the Breitbart Radio.
I don't know, 10, 11 years ago.
So we've been doing the big Veterans Day and, of course, Memorial Day.
And we've always focused Memorial Day not on veterans but really on the honored dead of the American military.
And I think that's why these shows have had so much power.
And it's because, Patrick, from the very first time I did it at Breitbart Radio, you were the first guy I brought on.
And we did these and it just resonated.
We stuck the landing with the audience, so to speak, because they just loved it.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Thank you, Stephen.
Yeah, I mean, on Monday I'll have a story on the man that's on the cover of this book, Sergeant Frith, the lost man of Memorial Day.
I mean, he was killed in action.
As a Jesse scout, his picture is sort of haunting.
I mean, he just looks back at us in time.
Sergeant Frith was killed in a gun battle by a clerk that wasn't supposed to be with him.
He discharged his pistol, the ball lodged in his abdomen, and he writhed in pain for two days.
And I found a letter from his father from Milan, Ohio.
You know, that was just a very powerful story about how, in the letter he quotes, I'll summarize, it basically says, Joseph taught you how to live, but also how to die.
And he died in a dignified manner, in a very quiet manner.
And one of my goals when writing this book is to find his grave because he's buried somewhere in Covington, Virginia, in a homestead likely behind the house that he was mortally wounded at somewhere in Covington, Virginia.
We're trying to track him down for his family members.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
The coverage we'll have on Monday starts at 10 o 'clock in the traditional war room morning slot.
We're going to cover wall-to-wall coverage of the commemoration ceremony and event at Arlington National Cemetery with the Commander-in-Chief and President of the United States, President Trump.
Patrick O'Donnell, social media, where do people get you over the weekend, sir?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
At Combat Historian on Getter or X and patrickkodonnell.com or on amazon.com.
Just look up The Unvanquished and then there's 13 other books up there with just scores and scores of reviews.
This one had the Wall Street Journal give it a glorious review and just about every other one.
It's probably my best-selling book right now and my best-reviewed book.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
The Wall Street Journal eventually – it always catches up to – Eventually.
Patrick K. O'Donnell, thank you.
We'll see you Monday.
And I want to thank, really, Parker Sigg, Rob Sigg, the entire crew in Denver.
Of course, my own production crew in Washington, D.C., in the nation's capital, and here on the road.
Had a great team.
That set this up.
Do we have Steve Gruber?
Gruber, I think we're maybe down on battery.
Steve Gruber's done such an amazing job.
Steve is at West Point at Mikey Stadium.
No, we lost the battery.
Steve is going to be there live at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.
So we're going to have coverage again.
Steve Gruber will be there.
We'll have a great camera crew from Real America's Voice.
And Patrick O'Donnell is going to be in the war room, so this will be another event.
So honored to do these.
And I've got to tell you, President Trump delivered today a speech that was over an hour long and had something for everybody.
I can tell you as being a parent of West Point grad, the comments he made about I will not send your sons and daughters into these forever wars of conflicts.
We're not going to win because if you want to understand how little power you have in the world is have your have your child go to West Point or go into the military and deploy overseas where it's totally out of any of your control.
I think for a parent, I can tell you, President Trump's saying that.
Makes today even more special.
And you look at Trump, and you look at President Trump's actions, the people know that he backs this up, and I think that's what's so incredibly powerful.
I want to thank everybody.
I want to thank Real America's Voice.
We're going to take off right there at West Point, the closing shots.
We will see you Monday morning at 10 a.m.
I will also tell you we're going to replay today and tomorrow this amazing historic coverage.
First time ever in national television from the beginning to the end of the graduation of the United States military class 2025 with a one-hour fantastic speech by President Trump.
We'll see you back here on Monday.
We'll be up on Getter all weekend.
Grace will be up, Mo, everybody.
We'll see you back here Monday morning live, 10 a.m.
Eastern Daylight Time, when you will be back in the war room.
unidentified
Good morning.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
I want to thank Real America's Voice for expanded coverage here in the boardroom as we cover the graduation ceremony at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Steve Gruber is with us at Mikey Stadium live.
unidentified
It's a historic day.
It's a new future for America.
Ladies and gentlemen, the 47th President of the United States of America.
A few moments you'll become graduates of the Usta Lee in
Story, Military Academy of Human History, Cadet Chris Verdugo, completing the task in two hours and 30 minutes flat, smashing the international record for the competition by 13 minutes.
Where is he?
Where is he?
Come up here.
Come up here, Chris.
Come up here.
Love you again.
People like all of you have picked up the banner of service and carried forward the flag of freedom.
No matter the odds, no matter the cost, no matter the danger, through every challenge and every battle, you'll stay strong, you'll work hard, you'll stay tough.
And you will fight, fight, fight and win, win, win.
This has been a live special report.
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