PBD Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast: PBD Podcast
Episode: “85 Unofficial Sharia Courts” — Piers Morgan On UK Migrant Crisis & Tommy Robinson | PBD Podcast 682
Date: November 11, 2025
Guests: Piers Morgan
Host: Patrick Bet-David
Episode Overview
The episode centers around substantive debates on immigration in the UK and the US, the rise and impact of unofficial Sharia courts, multiculturalism, identity, and political leadership, with Piers Morgan critically reflecting on both British and American sociopolitical landscapes. The discussion navigates controversial figures (Tommy Robinson, Sadiq Khan), government policy failures, extremism, assimilation, and Piers Morgan’s experiences with global interview subjects and media. In classic PBD Podcast style, the host and guest explore highly topical, sometimes divisive issues with a blend of candor, challenge, and humor.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. London, New York, and Political Transformation
[00:00–08:36]
- Sadiq Khan: London's first three-term Muslim mayor; compared with New York’s new "self-acclaimed socialist" mayor, Mamdani. Piers notes these are different types of Muslim political figures; Sadiq Khan is more establishment, not radically left, while Mamdani is "utterly determined to try and deliver" a socialist agenda ([00:09]).
- Piers predicts New York will soon face the same fiscal realities as London's Labour government: "At some point, somebody has to pay for this…" ([04:18]).
- The conversation is framed as a warning for how political promises built on progressive ideals can collide with economic reality and public patience.
2. Immigration, Multiculturalism, and Social Cohesion
[08:36–16:35]
- Tommy Robinson’s resonance: Piers credits Robinson for exposing the UK’s grooming gang scandal, emphasizing establishment and media failures to address uncomfortable truths about ethnicity and crime ([08:36]).
- Britain’s infrastructure strain: Net migration has reached "nearly a million people" a year, with the NHS (designed for 50M people in the 1950s) now creaking under the weight of nearly 70M.
- Concerns over illegal immigration via the English Channel, alongside legal migration, are fueling rising resentment and political traction for anti-immigration figures.
3. Assimilation & Identity — The Debate on Sharia Courts
[13:43–16:35]
- Piers acknowledges reports of "as many as potentially 85 unofficial Sharia courts in the UK now, which are not operating under UK law, they're operating in their own law for their own communities. That clearly is not a good thing…" ([13:43]).
- He asserts the "vast majority of Muslims living in the UK have assimilated perfectly well", but warns about the growing issue of parallel societies and declining national cohesion.
4. Generational Attitudes and Historical Context
[16:35–24:03]
- Piers brings a generational perspective via his grandmother’s WWII experiences, cautioning against overstating today’s challenges ("We've been through a lot more difficult times than this…") ([17:10]).
- Reflection on Trump’s and Obama’s immigration policies—Trump's border crackdown was effective, but Obama deported even more people, a fact often ignored by critics.
5. Leadership & Political Vacuum
[25:05–29:46]
- On leadership deficit: "We now have a very mediocre tier of politicians in the United Kingdom … You're left with a mediocre [class]." ([28:25])
- Piers argues Britain lacks a tough, pragmatic leader like Churchill: "I don't really see the person … All the smart ones … don't want to poke their head into a political arena. It's become too toxic, too damaging."—[28:25]
- He supports a Muslim PM in theory, provided they're not radicalized, and applies the same skepticism to any form of extremism, regardless of faith.
6. Filtering Immigration & Social Trust
[35:05–45:11]
- Discussion about data and social trust: PBD advocates a pragmatic, results-oriented approach ("I think if you looked at the stats and the data … let's get more [of those who assimilate] ... If not, listen, keep it where it's at.").
- Piers supports having immigrants who "come and contribute," but adds a note of historical and moral obligation ("if you go and bomb a country … the United States does have a duty of care to bring some of those people in"—re: Iraq).
- Both agree those arriving and hating the host nation should not be welcomed.
7. Israel–Gaza War & Media Responsibility
[47:23–55:39]
- Piers underlines October 7th as "one of the most heinous terror attacks of modern times," attributing full blame to Hamas ([47:23]).
- Yet he is deeply critical of Israel’s continued blockade on Gaza ("that is a criminal act") and especially the barring of independent journalists ("If you’ve nothing to hide or worry about … let war correspondents do their job"—[48:39]).
- On whether the situation constitutes genocide: He doesn’t use the word, citing the "exceptionally high" standard, but notes the rhetoric from Israeli government figures calling for ethnic cleansing is deeply alarming ([52:14]).
- Praises Trump’s diplomatic intervention in stabilizing the aftermath and moving toward reconstruction.
8. Censorship, Platforming Controversy & Free Speech
[56:25–68:26]
- The ethics of platforming figures like Alex Jones and Nick Fuentes: "My only criticism was, why didn’t you give him as hard a time as you gave me?" Piers emphasizes the need to challenge people with large followings rather than granting uncritical platforms ([65:18]).
- He differentiates between giving a platform and endorsing views: "If I have [Candace Owens or Andrew Tate] on, I challenge them about it. We have a proper old ding-dong about it."
- On the role of interviewers in shaping the public sphere, both agree adversarial interviews serve the public interest.
9. Royal Scandals, Accountability, and Public Life
[69:49–74:00]
- Epstein and Prince Andrew: "He was a predatory pedophile ... I think [Andrew] has been very disingenuous...he’s now been effectively deroiled by his brother the King." ([70:00])
- Contrasts the gravity of Andrew’s scandal with the "grifters" nature of Harry and Meghan.
- Piers recounts Meghan Markle cutting ties with him after befriending Prince Harry, speculating it’s part of a recurring pattern in her personal life ([74:37]).
10. Media, Guns, and Culture Wars
[57:39–62:12]
- Piers discusses his controversial gun control stance in America and why he’s shifted to emphasizing gun safety ("Let it be Americans having a debate amongst themselves … focused on reducing the number of people who get killed by guns.").
- Reflections on contrasts in violent crime in US (guns) vs. UK (knives).
11. On Woke Culture and His New Book
[83:47–86:58]
- The "Woke Mind Virus" is, for Piers, about "the most joyless people in the world ... a constant scolding ... anyone who deviates from their ‘woke worldview’ has to be shamed, vilified, scolded, destroyed, canceled" ([84:39]).
- Frames Trump’s reelection as a slap-down of cancel culture excess ("the ultimate repudiation of a really insidious thing").
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
"At some point, somebody has to pay for this... And I think this is what's gonna happen in New York."
—Piers Morgan, [04:18]
"Tommy Robinson resonates with people because of two things. One, he was absolutely right about the grooming gang scandal… but nobody dared say what that community was because they were trapped in woke ideology."
—Piers Morgan, [08:36]
“It’s been reported as many as potentially 85 unofficial Sharia courts in the UK now… That clearly is not a good thing in a country like the UK.”
—Piers Morgan, [13:43]
"We've been through a lot more difficult times than this... My grandmother was 19 at the start of World War II... we face bigger challenges than this."
—Piers Morgan, [17:10]
“We now have a very mediocre tier of politicians in the United Kingdom. All the smart ones... don't want to poke their head into a political arena.”
—Piers Morgan, [28:25]
“I don't want to radicalize Muslim running the country. I don't want a radicalized anything running the country... I don't like anyone who's radicalized.”
—Piers Morgan, [29:56]
"If you have an open border, you don't have a country."
—Piers Morgan (quoting Ronald Reagan), [22:03]
"My only criticism was, why didn’t you give him [Fuentes] as hard a time as you gave me?"
—Piers Morgan, [65:18]
"I think [Jeffrey Epstein] was a predatory pedophile... we may well find out [more about Andrew]... I think he’s been lying."
—Piers Morgan, [70:00]
“Because I felt in a way that Trump’s reelection was the ultimate repudiation of… this woke mind virus, as Elon Musk calls it…”
—Piers Morgan, [84:39]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Sadiq Khan, Mamdani, and New York's Political Shift: [00:00–07:28]
- Tommy Robinson, Grooming Scandal & Immigration Anger: [08:36–12:49]
- 85 Sharia Courts & Assimilation Concerns: [13:43–16:35]
- Generational Perspective & Trump’s Immigration Policy: [16:35–24:03]
- Leadership Vacuum in UK Politics: [25:05–29:46]
- Data-Driven Immigration Filtering: [35:05–45:11]
- Gaza, Hamas, and Israel’s Response: [47:23–55:39]
- Censorship & Platforming Dangerous Ideas: [56:25–68:26]
- Prince Andrew, Epstein, and the Royal Family: [69:49–74:00]
- Woke Culture & Piers’ Book: [83:47–86:58]
Conclusion
This episode of the PBD Podcast stands out for its forthright, nuanced conversation between Patrick Bet-David and Piers Morgan on some of the thorniest topics of the era: social and political change in the West, the complexity of migration and assimilation, the perils of extremism and identity politics, and the role of media in both polarizing and informing the public. With trademark directness, Morgan defends the necessity of strong debate and principled, moderate leadership—while never shying away from calling out hypocrisy, incompetence, or cowardice in any sector of society.
For listeners pressed for time: Jump to [13:43] for the heart of the Sharia courts/assimilation debate and [47:23] for the Israel–Gaza segment. For commentary on cancel culture and media responsibility, start at [83:47].