Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

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.

More from News

Elon Musk Just Revealed His New Net Worth Goal After Hitting $800 Billion—And The Greed Is Off The Charts
Elon Musk Ripped After Setting Net Worth Goal To $10 Trillion

Elon Musk Just Revealed His New Net Worth Goal After Hitting $800 Billion—And The Greed Is Off The Charts

If you're wondering if there's an amount of money that would ever be "enough" for gazillionaire sociopath Elon Musk, the answer is apparently no.

He's already the world's richest man, with his net worth surpassing $800 billion in February after his company SpaceX acquired xAI earlier this year

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Meidas Touch Network

Trump Just Tried To Impress Some Kids With His Putting Skills At A White House Physical Fitness Event—And It Went Hilariously Awry

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump signed a memo at the White House on Tuesday, reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test Award.

Seated at the C&O Desk—Trump removed the Resolute Desk in February of 2025 for some "light refinishing"—in the Oval Office, the POTUS was flanked by schoolchildren, professional athletes, and members of his cabinet during the event to mark National Youth Sports and Fitness Month.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chuck Schumer; Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Chuck Schumer Claps Back Hard After White House Shades Him With Racist Cinco De Mayo Meme

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded after the White House marked Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday by sharing a racist AI-generated meme of him and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrating the holiday.

In the image, the two men are depicted seated at a table near the border, wearing sombreros and raising margaritas in a toast, with a sign placed in front of them that reads: “I LOVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Hannah Natanson
Tom Brenner/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

'Washington Post' Journalist Who Had Home Raided By Trump's FBI Just Won Pulitzer Prize—And Her Reaction In Viral Video Says It All

Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for her coverage of the Trump administration's disastrous DOGE initiative and her somber reaction to the news underscores how taxing the political environment has been for journalists just trying to do their jobs.

DOGE founder Elon Musk previously stated that his goal was to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion from the $6.75 trillion annual budget recorded in the 2024 fiscal year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kid Cudi (left) removed M.I.A. (right) from his Rebel Ragers Tour following backlash over her onstage remarks.
Joseph Okpako/WireImage via Getty Images; Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Rapper Kid Cudi Fires M.I.A. From His Tour After Her Rant About 'Illegals' Draws Instant Backlash

If M.I.A. was hoping for attention, she got it—just not the kind that comes with a tour slot. Following backlash over her rant about “illegals,” Kid Cudi made it clear he’s not co-signing the controversy, dropping her from his Rebel Ragers Tour with zero hesitation.

It all went down on May 2 at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas, where fans captured the British rapper in a monologue that quickly went viral online.

Keep ReadingShow less