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Truth vs. Control: The Battle for America’s Soul.

Truth vs Control on The Next Steps Show exposes the war on truth consuming America. Peter Vazquez and Craig Bannister of CNSNews reveal how media manipulation, moral decay, and government overreach threaten faith, freedom, and our nation’s soul.

New York is not suffering from a lack of programs. It is suffering from a lack of courage. Today’s episode walks straight into the storm: Columbus Day revisionism, media gaslighting, Middle East reality, New York’s policy theater, and the quiet crisis on our streets.

We open with first principles. History is not a prop, and faith is not a punchline. While the professional outrage machine demands we “unlearn” the West, we remember that civilizations are judged by what they build and what they defend. The U.S. Navy’s birthday is a reminder that strength preserves peace, not hashtags.

Our featured guest, Craig Bannister, Managing Editor at CNSNews (Media Research Center), steps into the watchtower with receipts. He explains how bias works now—not only by twisting stories, but by burying them entirely. When threats against conservatives are ignored and violent plots receive a media yawn, it is not an accident. It is an algorithm. It is power protecting itself. Craig’s bottom line is simple: document, count, expose.

We contrast selective “peace” narratives with hard facts. Remember the Nobel talk while bombs fell and the press nodded along? Compare that to policies that actually deter bad actors and free hostages—then watch the same press refuse to give credit. Results matter more than vibes, and grown adults know the difference.

Closer to home, we call out Albany’s magic tricks. Executive orders that never end. Unemployment hikes that pay people to stay sidelined. Program after program while the homeless count hits decade highs and families live on the margins. If you keep people dependent, you keep them quiet. That is not compassion. That is control.

Culture gets the same treatment. From campus slogans to halftime marketing stunts, the message is clear: sit down, swallow the narrative, and learn the new language of compliance. No, thank you. Free citizens do not outsource truth to influencers or bureaucrats.

Quote of the day: “When truth becomes a threat, lies become laws.”
That is the line in the sand.

This episode is not for people who want to be managed. It is for people who want to be free—people who can hold faith, politics, and enterprise in balance, and who still believe parents should raise children, men and women are real, borders mean something, and media should tell the truth even when it hurts their team.

Listen in. Bring your spine. Then take your next step.

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Truth vs Control: The Battle for America’s Soul
A Next Steps Show Transcript featuring Craig Bannister, CNSNews

Peter Vazquez:
Mira la izquierda, mira la derecha—look around you. In a world that changes daily, the question is: what will you do next? Welcome to The Next Steps Show, the starting point for discussion y un poco de dirección.

You know something, ladies and gentlemen? When truth becomes a threat, lies become laws. Do we not see that happening here in New York State? From the newsroom to the courtroom, from foreign policy to your paycheck, the battle is no longer left versus right or Republican versus Democrat—it is truth versus control.

America does not need more programs or propaganda. It needs courage—courage to call deceit by its name. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do today, right here on The Next Steps Show.

Bob:
Absolutely, Peter. And since we’re talking about truth—how about a little history lesson? Happy Columbus Day, everyone.

In 1487, five years before Columbus arrived in the New World, the Aztecs sacrificed as many as 84,000 men, women, and children in one ceremony. Meanwhile, in Christian Europe, Oxford University had been educating students for 500 years, Da Vinci was painting The Last Supper, and the printing press was spreading knowledge around the world.

All cultures are equal, right? Happy Columbus Day!

Peter Vazquez:
Exactly. The critics, usually from the far left, argue that celebrating Columbus ignores the darker parts of European history. But what they ignore is that erasing history—pretending it never happened—doesn’t heal anything. It blinds us. They rewrite history instead of learning from it.

And that ties perfectly into what we’re talking about today: exposing lies, censorship, and manipulation fueling what I call the Vanboolzalness Crisis—the war on truth that erodes family, faith, and freedom.

Today’s guest is a man standing watch at the tower, guarding America’s founding principles and demanding accountability in media. You’ve heard him before—Craig Bannister, Managing Editor at CNSNews. Craig, welcome back, and happy Columbus Day to you.

Craig Bannister:
Thank you, Peter, and happy Columbus Day to you as well. You’re right—the attacks on Columbus Day aren’t about truth. They’re about propaganda and control. As Daniel McCarthy wrote in The New York Post, even the indigenous people had slavery long before Europeans arrived. And yet, Columbus’s discovery ultimately allowed Jewish refugees to find a haven half a world away from persecution. That’s a story the left won’t tell.

Peter Vazquez:
What a point to start with, Craig—especially today, with the release of hostages in Gaza.

Craig Bannister:
Exactly. It’s a reminder that truth matters and strength matters. The media and liberal politicians refuse to give President Trump any credit for this. They would criticize him even if he cured cancer. But the fact remains—hostages are coming home. That’s a step toward peace, whether they like it or not.

Peter Vazquez:
You nailed it. The Next Steps Show was built for this—for helping people understand the balance between faith, politics, and entrepreneurship, and how discernment and emotional intelligence are vital when consuming media. Too many people have replaced God with government. They think, “If we just have the right people in charge or more money in the system, it’ll work.” But it never has.

Craig Bannister:
That’s right. Government can’t replace God, and the media enables that delusion. That’s why the Media Research Center was founded—to expose the lies and propaganda of the left-wing press. It’s not just about misreporting—it’s about what they refuse to cover. We’ve seen cases of political violence ignored because it didn’t fit their narrative. Our team at NewsBusters and CNSNews documents every omission, every bias, and every double standard.

Peter Vazquez:
And that’s why your work matters. What’s the most dangerous lie the media is selling to America right now?

Craig Bannister:
The hatred of America itself. They tear down our heroes and rewrite our history under the guise of “truth-telling.” Every nation has flaws, but only ours is taught to despise itself. Much of that comes from decades of attacks on Judeo-Christian culture—on the moral framework that built this country.

Peter Vazquez:
Exactly. The “legacy media,” as you call them, have left a legacy of deceit. Under Obama, for instance, the press downplayed his use of military force, even while he received a Nobel Peace Prize. Then they turned around and vilified Trump for the same actions that kept peace through strength. The double standard is staggering.

Craig Bannister:
Absolutely. Gallup polling shows trust in media is now at historic lows. When they started tracking it in 1972, seven out of ten Americans trusted the press. Today, seven out of ten do not. That is a collapse of credibility across all political lines.

Peter Vazquez:
And it’s well-earned. When truth becomes a threat, lies become laws. This is the product of decades of propaganda—of replacing facts with feelings and accountability with ideology.

Craig Bannister:
And if we don’t reverse it, future generations will look back in disbelief. They’ll ask how we ever accepted things like abortion on demand, attacks on faith, and the denial of biological reality.

Peter Vazquez:
You’re absolutely right. Twenty years ago, who would’ve believed we’d be debating what a man or woman is?

Craig Bannister:
Not me. When I started at MRC, I never imagined I’d see people deny basic biology and be applauded for it. It’s madness, and it shows how deep the cultural rot has gone.

Peter Vazquez:
And that’s why we need courage—courage to expose darkness, like Ephesians 5:11 says: “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Craig, where can people find your work?

Craig Bannister:
Everything’s at NewsBusters.org. That’s where you can see our reports, data, and analysis in full.

Peter Vazquez:
Outstanding. Craig Bannister, Managing Editor at CNSNews—thank you for standing guard over truth and for joining us today.

Now, as we close—ladies and gentlemen, remember this: America does not need another program. It needs courage. Courage to speak truth even when it costs you. Courage to live by faith when the culture mocks it. And courage to defend freedom when others would trade it for comfort.

Be a leader. Be a voice for liberty. And never forget—truth vs control is not just a phrase; it is the defining battle of our time.

God bless you, and God bless these United States of America.

End of Transcript