In a special interview Monday on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by good friend and former Breitbart colleague Steve Bannon, who discussed the latest events in the U.S. Senate’s impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
Bannon advocated for the calling of witnesses to the trial and urged the president to take off the gloves and fight. He noted that the attack from Democrats is never going to stop and that now is the time for the American people to hear President Trump’s side of the argument.
“Let’s have a throwdown,” Bannon said.
“Last night you and I exchanged some texts about the breaking news. The New York Times had a story that they got a copy of the manuscript of the Bolton book which says, according to The New York Times, that yes, President Trump in August wanted to hold up 390 million in aid until the investigation of Democrats started. Steve, what do you make of that?,” Leahy asked.
“Look, everybody’s known John Bolton for a long time,” Bannon responded.
“I’m kind of shocked by this. Here’s what I’m shocked about. They went up simultaneously. Not that we’re not calling him ‘Book Deal Bolton’ every day on the podcast radio show. They also announced simultaneously the Amazon page for the book. It’s called The Room Where It Happened,” Bannon continued.
“They put up the Amazon page and they announced that 17 March of this year is the date of publication. Well, Michael, you’ve written enough books to know that book has been to the publisher before Christmas probably late November or around Thanksgiving. If any type of typical process where a final draft had to be signed up on the book has to be bound,” the former White House chief strategist added.
“I’ve been an advocate of witnesses from the beginning, right? And when I say witnesses, if they want Bolton, Mulvaney, and Pompeo and people like that. Hey, let’s bring in the whistleblower. Let’s bring in Brennan. PresdientTrump continues to say it’s the crime of the century and I believe that. It’s certainly the trial of the century,” Bannon said later in the interview.
But he thinks the crime of the century is this coup against him. My point is hey, if they want witnesses fine, let them have them. I’d get the whistleblower and the people then ran the IG report. I would bring in Brennan. I mean let’s get down to it. Let’s have a throwdown. Let’s see what the American people believe,” Bannon concluded. (emphasis added)
You can read the transcript of the entire interview here:
Leahy: As promised we are joined now by our good friend Steve Bannon. The former chairman and CEO of the Trump campaign in 2016. The former chief strategist for President Trump. Former Chairman of Breitbart news. And the guy who hired me at Breitbart news almost eight years ago now, Steve Bannon. Welcome to the Tennessee Star Report.
Bannon: And I just want to say I do not regret doing that Michael Patrick Leahy. (Laughing) I will officially go on the record this morning. I embrace that date.
Leahy: Thanks so much, Steve. And we’ve had a lot of fun at Breitbart. Now you’re doing the War Room Impeachment podcast. A big big success. Last night you and I exchanged some texts about the breaking news. The New York Times had a story that they got a copy of the manuscript of the Bolton book which says, according to The New York Times, that yes, President Trump in August wanted to hold up 390 million in aid until the investigation of Democrats started. Steve, what do you make of that?
Bannon: Look, everybody’s known John Bolton for a long time. I’m kind of shocked by this. Here’s what I’m shocked about. They went up simultaneously. Not that we’re not calling him ‘Book Deal Bolton’ every day on the podcast radio show. (emphasis added)
They also announced simultaneously the Amazon page for the book. It’s called The Room Where It Happened.
They put up the Amazon page and they announced that 17 March of this year is the date of publication. Well, Michael, you’ve written enough books to know that book has been to the publisher before Christmas probably late November or around Thanksgiving. If any type of typical process where a final draft had to be signed up on the book has to be bound.
It’s normally three or four months before the publishing date. Remember, there are no coincidences in Washington. And as you remember Mike I’m the last guy to go by conspiracy theories. I just look at the critical path of what happened. But they’ve got the books literally in stores by March 17th, which means that John Bolton was writing this book up until the day he left the White House.
This makes sense of why he got such a big advance. He wasn’t showing them an idea. He actually showed the publishers a draft of a manuscript very shortly after he left the White House. So I think the whole issues of the legality, confidentiality, and security clearances all of this falls into it. I know it complicates it. But I’ve been an advocate of witnesses from the beginning, right?
And when I say witnesses, if they want Bolton, Mulvaney, and Pompeo and people like that. Hey, let’s bring in the whistleblower. Let’s bring in Brennan. PresdientTrump continues to say it’s the crime of the century and I believe that. It’s certainly the trial of the century.
But he thinks the crime of the century is this coup against him. My point is hey, if they want witnesses fine, let them have them. I’d get the whistleblower and the people then ran the IG report. I would bring in Brennan. I mean let’s get down to it. Let’s have a throwdown. Let’s see what the American people believe. (emphasis added)
Remember, the Senators are not the jury. Lamar Alexander is not the jury. They are the instruments of the American people. The jury and the audience is the global audience. And particularly now with this pandemic that’s upon us from China. It’s more important than ever to show the stability and strength of the American government. And that’s what I’ve advocated for President Trump to throw down.
Leahy: Throwdown!
Bannon: Throwdown. Let us get some witnesses in here. If John Bolton’s got that, put him under cross-examination. Let’s cross John Bolton. And I don’t think it will be very pretty. Give me the whistleblower. Give me John Brennan. Give me other people associated with the NSC and other branches of government.
Give me Adam Schiff because he’ll be a witness of fact because I’m sure we’ll find emails, text messages, etc. with the whistleblower and his investigative apparatus of a House intelligence. Let’s do it. You want to have it? Do it. Game on.
Leahy: When do you think that vote will be held to have witnessed or not?
Bannon: Well this is a great point. I’ve advocated and I think the President’s team did a great job the other day of laying out the case. You got to put Schiff and these Democrats on trial. Most of the stuff is all circumstantial evidence and hearsay.
We’ve advocated on the show, Jason, my guests and myself have said to take every second that Schiff and those guys took. If they took 24 hours. Take 24 hours. Wash, rinse, repeat. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Leahy: I remember that our days at Breitbart together Steve. (Chuckles)
Bannon: Michael you know you have to do this. And here’s the reason. The American people are just coming in now to Trump’s counter-narrative. They’ve had what, five months, four months of free shots on goal with every day in the mainstream media backing up their perspective.
The first time people really saw it. I’ll use an example and people should go online. Jessie Waters has followed this as close as anybody. He does an eight-minute open to this show last night that’s up online that people should listen to.
And Jessie admits. He says hey, I think I’m on top of this more than anybody. He says I’ve learned so much new information on the President’s open on Saturday. I think you take all 24 hours and go over it and over it. You go to the substance of their case. You take it apart brick by brick and then you do it again. You take it apart brick by brick.
And then you do it again so it’s emblazoned upon this global audience of the American people of what the lies were about the President. And then I think hopefully there will be sixteen hours of questioning. I would assume that the vote on the witnesses would not happen Thursday or Friday. And this is what we’ve advocated since day one. Delay the state of the union until your acquitted. Don’t play Nancy Pelosi’s game.
Remember, last year she didn’t even invite him because of the government shutdown. It wasn’t important enough to her during the government shutdown. Now she’s invited him over the Christmas holiday. As soon as I saw that, the fix is in. (Leahy chuckles) They are going to slow-walk this investigation to make sure, they’ve already got the headline in The New York Times.
Which is ‘under investigation’ or ‘with disturbing allegations President Trump addresses the nation right?’ I think he has to wait till and then go give the state of the union to talk about how strong the union is. If I was President Trump, I’d start firing back. People should not think these are random events that let Parnas’ tapes and John Bolton’s manuscript come out over the same weekend. This is the nullification project.
This is the party of impeachment. They are going to continue no matter what the vote is on acquittal or witnesses. They are going to continue to hammer this and hammer it and hammer up until election day. Now, Michael Bloomberg’s taken ads right now. And I think it’s time for the President to take the gloves off and throw down. Show me what you got. Let’s get it on. I love a good fight. Let’s fight.
Leahy: (Chuckles) I think a fight might be coming. Steve Bannon, a busy day. You’ve got to jump off now because you’ve got War Room Impeachment episode 134 now coming up?
Bannon: 135. We’ve also launched over the weekend War Room Pandemic. Right after War Room Impeachment today if you watch it we’re all over with Chinese experts. Global healthcare experts. What’s coming out of China, you may not have an interest in it, but it has an interest in you.
This pandemic is something the American people have to focus on now to really ascertain what’s going to happen not just the health of the nation and the world but also the US and global economy. This is a big one.We’re trying to get to the facts. There’s been so much misinformation put out there.
We’ve got a whole cast of world experts on both China and viruses and communicable diseases. We’re starting every day with a show following the War Room impeachment about the pandemic. So I hope everybody tunes in. We’re going to push this out on the internet big time.
Listen to the third hour here. The Bannon interview begins at about the 26:00 minute mark:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 am to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
