Bannon Calls Silicon Valley an ‘Apartheid System’ That Must Be Broken, Slams Newt Gingrich

Steve Bannon resolutely responded to Newt Gingrich’s recent comments about mass deportation, particularly Gingrich’s labeling of Republicans who support deportations as “rabid.” Bannon made it clear that his stance was not a critique of President Trump but rather a condemnation of the system that he believes needs urgent reform. Bannon emphasized that the issue is not about being “rabid” but restoring American sovereignty and addressing the systemic flaws that harm American workers.

Here is a short clip of Monday’s remarks:

Steve Bannon: "There Is No Legal Immigration Right Now, All Of It Is A Con And A Scam.” pic.twitter.com/DiFdg8OmzX

— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) January 13, 2025

Bannon began by rejecting Gingrich’s characterization of deportation advocates as extreme. “We’re not rabid at all,” he said, referring to the calls for mass deportation. He made it clear that the focus is on safeguarding American sovereignty, which he believes is being undermined by illegal immigration. “One of the bases of our sovereignty is people that came here illegally,” Bannon asserted. He believes that regardless of the circumstances, individuals who enter the country unlawfully must be deported. “They all gotta go,” Bannon stated bluntly, signaling that this was a non-negotiable issue for his movement.

He argued that the influx of illegal immigrants has harmed American workers, particularly the low-skilled, working-class populations, including Black and Hispanic Americans. “It’s crushing the low-skilled working class workers of blacks and Hispanics,” Bannon said, reinforcing that his stance is about protecting American citizens and their livelihoods. The solution, according to Bannon, is mass deportation, which would help restore the integrity of the American labor market.

Bannon also rejected the notion that his position was driven by emotional extremism. “We look at this very dispassionately, but it has to happen,” he explained. He was not calling for deportation out of some misguided fervor, but as a practical necessity to protect the nation’s interests.

Another key point in Bannon’s critique was his assertion that the current immigration system is a scam designed to benefit large corporations at the expense of American workers. “All of it’s a con and a scam,” Bannon declared, claiming that the system allows big corporations to exploit foreign workers while pushing down wages for Americans. He specifically criticized the H-1B visa program, which he believes is not only a flawed system but one that should be entirely shut down. “It can’t be reformed because it’s a scam,” Bannon said, calling for the immediate deportation of all H-1B visa holders. He emphasized that American citizens should be prioritized for jobs, not foreign workers brought in under programs like H-1B.

Bannon took particular aim at Silicon Valley, which he described as operating like an “apartheid entity.” He argued that the tech industry has become a tool for undermining American workers, specifically through its use of H-1B visas to import foreign workers. “Silicon Valley is run as an apartheid entity that has to be broken,” Bannon declared, signaling that he believes the dominance of big tech in the economy has contributed to the marginalization of American workers. He contended that foreign workers brought in through these visa programs do not offer unique skills that American workers cannot provide. “We still haven’t seen one H-1B worker with a skill set greater than an American,” Bannon argued.

In Bannon’s view, this system needs to be rethought entirely. “The whole thinking has to be put the American citizen in the middle of this,” he said, insisting that the primary focus should be on protecting the American workforce.

Bannon concluded Monday’s WarRoom comments by calling for a moratorium on legal immigration, suggesting that this pause would allow for a reassessment of the country’s immigration policies. “Let’s just have a full stand down on quote unquote, legal immigration,” Bannon urged, to provide time to address the abuses inherent in the system. He believes this is necessary to ensure that immigration policies are restructured to benefit American citizens first and foremost.

In essence, Bannon’s response was a sharp rebuke of both Gingrich’s dismissal of deportation advocates and the current state of the American immigration system. His message was clear: the system is broken, and reform—starting with mass deportation and a total overhaul of visa programs—is necessary to restore American sovereignty and protect American workers.