December 21, 2022

Right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon told a crowd of young conservatives that they were an "awakened army" at "war" with the deep state.

Bannon began his Tuesday speech at Turning Point's America Fest event with a battle cry.

"Are we at war?" he shouted.

"Yeah!" the crowd answered.

"Are you prepared to take this to its ultimate conclusion and destroy the deep state?" Bannon asked.

"Yeah!" the audience exclaimed.

"This is what they fear," Bannon said. "They fear not just an electorate that is informed, but an electorate that says, 'No longer are we just going to sit there and take it!'"

"You are an awakened army!" he bellowed to cheers.

Bannon acknowledged that he would be criticized for getting the crowd "all worked up." But he also didn't condemn violent actions.

"Trump won! You're damn right he won and Trump won big," the former White House adviser insisted. "If we're prepared to accept [Trump's loss], you're prepared to be a subject; you're prepared to comply. You're prepared to get on your knees to the administrative state."

Bannon held the microphone up so the crowd could chant, "We will not comply!"

The conservative podcaster is facing four months in prison after being found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 Committee. Bannon has been accused of plotting a coup to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

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