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Steve Bannon and Matt Gaetz Talk '4000 Shock Troops' to Take Over the Government—and It's Chilling AF

Steve Bannon and Matt Gaetz Talk '4000 Shock Troops' to Take Over the Government—and It's Chilling AF
@thetonymichaels/Twitter

At all levels, the Republican party has continued to embrace the idea of a militarized overthrow of the United States government to install a far-right regime.

Right-wing representatives Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia have both cited the spilling of blood as necessary to regain what they believe to be freedom. Far-right Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio compared the "battle" against Democrats to the battle against Nazis and slavery in America's past. Republican Senator of Ted Cruz wouldn't rule out an eventual secession of Texas from the Union.


The rhetoric is even more incendiary at the local level, with Northampton County Executive candidate Steve Lynch calling for the help of "20 strong men" to storm local school boards and forcibly remove members from their positions.

And this past week, far-right Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida—who's currently at the center of a child sex trafficking investigation—appeared with white nationalist Steve Bannon, where the pair fantasized about "4,000 shock troops" occupying government positions as soon as a Republican takes office.

Watch below.

Gaetz told Bannon:

"People didn't like that Donald Trump raised his voice but sometimes you've got to raise your voice to raise a ruckus and to raise an army of patriots who love this country and will fight for her. We're going to operationalize the performance to go right after the people who are imposing the vaccine mandates, who are enriching themselves and who are selling out the country."

Bannon agreed:

"Understand, this is a theory of governing. It's fresh and it's new. This is Trumpism in power. That's when we went to the 4,000 shock troops we have to have that's going to man the government. Get them ready now. Right? We're going to hit the beach with the landing teams and the beachhead teams and all that nomenclature they use when President Trump wins in 2024 -- or before. You're going to have those as the 4,000 political appointees ... No more powderpuff derby. This is going to be hardcore accountability at every [congressional] committee."

Gaetz responded:

"Yes, and we're going to go after this administrative state and we're going to start at the Department of Justice and the FBI. That's the job I want. You know, send me over to the Judiciary Committee and their sphincters will tighten because they have been doing a lot of corrupt things over there."

This is at least the second time Bannon has invoked the idea of "shock troops." This past October, while speaking to a conservative social club, Bannon insisted they were necessary to "take over the administrative state and deconstruct it" the second a Republican takes office.

The rhetoric raised eyebrows on social media.






People are demanding something be done.



Bannon is currently in litigation after being charged with contempt of Congress for his refusal to answer questions about his involvement in the January 6 insurrection.

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