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Ep. 2190 - The Biggest Danger To The Trump Administration - The Ben Shapiro Show | Wave AI Podcast Notes

Ep. 2190 - The Biggest Danger To The Trump Administration

Thu May 01 2025

The Q1 GDP statistics come in, and they're not good; Kamala Harris makes her grand reappearance; and we are joined by the Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. Click here to join the member-exclusive portion of my show: https://bit.ly/3WDjgHE Ep.2190 - - - Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelings - - - DailyWire+: Join us at dailywire.com/subscribe and become part of the rebellion against the ridiculous. Normal is back. And this time, we’re keeping it. The hit podcast, Morning Wire, is now on Video! Watch Now and subscribe to their YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3RFOVo6 Get your Ben Shapiro merch here: https://bit.ly/3TAu2cw - - - Today's Sponsors: Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine that searches the internet to deliver fast, unbiased, high-quality answers, with sources and in-line citations. Ask Perplexity anything here: https://pplx.ai/benshapiro PureTalk - Switch to PureTalk and start saving today! Visit https://PureTalk.com/SHAPIRO Grand Canyon University - Fin...

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ben Shapiro Show Episode: Ep. 2190 - The Biggest Danger To The Trump Administration
Release Date: May 1, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro
Platform: The Daily Wire

Introduction

In Episode 2190 of The Ben Shapiro Show, Ben Shapiro delves into the paramount threat facing the Trump administration: an impending economic downturn exacerbated by the ongoing tariff war. Throughout the episode, Shapiro provides a comprehensive analysis of economic indicators, corporate responses, and the broader political ramifications that could undermine President Trump's agenda.

1. Economic Downturn: The Primary Threat

Ben Shapiro opens the discussion by highlighting the recent US economic report indicating a contraction in GDP for the first quarter of 2025. He emphasizes that a significant economic downturn poses the greatest danger to the Trump administration's broader agenda.

GDP Contraction:
Shapiro notes that the US GDP fell at a seasonally and inflation-adjusted annualized rate of -0.3% in Q1 2025, marking the first contraction since Q1 2022. “Two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth is typically termed a recession,” Shapiro states ([02:15]).
Impact of Tariff War:
The primary driver of this contraction is the tariff war initiated by the Trump administration. Shapiro explains, “Net exports subtracted nearly 5 percentage points from headline GDP. This was the biggest quarterly drag from net exports on record dating back to 1947” ([03:30]).
Consumer and Business Sentiment:
Shapiro discusses how economic feelings, driven by consumer and business behaviors, eventually reflect in economic statistics. He asserts, “Sometimes people feel worse about the economy than it actually is... but all of those feelings tend to make themselves actually heard in the economic statistics eventually” ([04:10]).

2. Corporate Responses and Policy Failures

Shapiro transitions to analyzing how major corporations are grappling with the repercussions of the tariff policies.

General Motors (GM) Profit Decline:
Referencing GM’s adjusted financial outlook, Shapiro points out, “GM has now reduced its profits by 6.6% in Q1... They are having a significant problem with the tariff war” ([06:00]). He criticizes the administration for inconsistent tariff policies, suggesting that “Peter Navarro needs to be fired” ([06:45]).
Black and Decker’s Financial Struggles:
Shapiro highlights Black and Decker raising prices and retooling their supply chains to mitigate tariff impacts, “President Trump's tariff war is expected to dent their full-year earnings per share by about 75 cents” ([07:30]).

3. Political Ramifications: Impending Impeachment Threat

The economic downturn has significant political implications, particularly concerning the Republican Party's prospects in the upcoming House elections.

Potential Loss of the House:
Shapiro warns, “If the economy does continue to experience an economic downturn... Republicans will lose the House” ([12:50]).
Impeachment Risks:
Echoing Speaker Mike Johnson’s concerns, Shapiro articulates, “If Republicans lose the House of Representatives, they will impeach Donald Trump” ([13:10]).
Trump's Defiance:
In a noteworthy exchange, Trump asserts, “I'd be the real problem after losing the House. Oh, I'm sure on day one” ([13:20]).

4. Trade Policies and the China Conundrum

Shapiro critically examines the Trump administration's trade policies, especially the strained relations with China.

Stalled Trade Negotiations:
Referencing Politico, Shapiro discusses the preliminary and unfinalized trade offers from over a dozen countries aiming to avoid imminent tariffs, “These are preliminary outlines... far from final offers” ([17:30]).
China’s Economic Slowdown and Threats:
The discussion shifts to China’s economic struggles due to the tariff war, with Shapiro ominously stating, “If China felt threatened enough... they would simply put a blockade around Taiwan” ([19:45]).
De-Dollarization Concerns:
Shapiro underscores the dangers of de-dollarization, explaining, “Higher borrowing costs and reduced financial flexibility... loss of geopolitical and economic leverage” ([04:50]).

5. Internal Democratic Party Struggles

The episode sheds light on the internal turmoil within the Democratic Party, exacerbating their vulnerability.

Leadership Challenges:
Shapiro criticizes the Democratic leadership, particularly focusing on figures like David Hogg, describing him as “an insipid and ridiculous vice chair” ([18:20]).
Kamala Harris’s Unpopularity:
Highlighting recent polls, Shapiro reveals that in a hypothetical race, “Trump would win by one” against Vice President Kamala Harris ([21:00]).
Democratic Strategy Flaws:
He asserts, “The Democratic Party is not in a strong position... All the polls show that the American people do not like them” ([19:00]).

6. Foreign Policy: Strengthening Alliances and Addressing Threats

Shapiro devotes a substantial portion to discussing the Trump administration's foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel and Ukraine.

Alliance with Israel:
In a segment featuring Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Shapiro emphasizes the deep spiritual and strategic ties between the US and Israel. Shapiro notes, “Israel is the only nation in the entire region... mirroring the experience of the birth, formation, and prosperity of the United States” ([40:32]).
Gaza Strip Proposal:
Shapiro praises Trump’s proposal to transform the Gaza Strip, advocating for rebuilding it akin to Singapore, contrasting it with Hamas’s mismanagement, “Hamas turned it into Haiti... not interested in building schools and mosques, but rockets and bombs” ([44:33]).
Iranian Nuclear Program:
Addressing the Iranian nuclear threat, Shapiro relays Trump’s stance, “If the Iranians don't give up their nuclear ambitions... I'll lead the effort. I won't be dragged into it” ([47:39]).
West Bank Sovereignty:
Discussing Judea and Samaria, Shapiro shares personal observations of economic initiatives like the SodaStream plant, highlighting their success before BDS-related pressures forced closures, “700 Palestinians lost the best job they ever had... went back to live in poverty” ([56:14]).

7. Judicial and Legal Commentary

Towards the episode's conclusion, Shapiro touches upon a bizarre judicial decision involving the release of a suspect who attempted to firebomb a Tesla store. While not delved into deeply, this segment underscores Shapiro’s critique of perceived judicial leniency and media narratives.

Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Shapiro presents a robust argument outlining how an economic downturn, primarily driven by the Trump administration's tariff policies, jeopardizes the administration's wider objectives. Through detailed analysis of economic data, corporate impacts, and political dynamics, Shapiro warns of significant consequences, including potential impeachment. Additionally, he lauds the administration's foreign policy strategies while critiquing internal Democratic weaknesses, painting a comprehensive picture of the current political and economic landscape.

Notable Quotes

Ben Shapiro on GDP Contraction:
“Two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth is typically termed a recession.” ([02:15])
Ben Shapiro on Tariffs Impact:
“Net exports subtracted nearly 5 percentage points from headline GDP.” ([03:30])
Ben Shapiro on Potential Impeachment:
“If Republicans lose the House of Representatives, they will impeach Donald Trump.” ([13:10])
Ben Shapiro on US-Israel Alliance:
“Israel is the only nation in the entire region... mirroring the experience of the birth, formation, and prosperity of the United States.” ([40:32])
Ben Shapiro on Iran Policy:
“If the Iranians don't give up their nuclear ambitions... I'll lead the effort. I won't be dragged into it.” ([47:39])
Ben Shapiro on Judea and Samaria:
“700 Palestinians lost the best job they ever had... went back to live in poverty.” ([56:14])

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented by Ben Shapiro in Episode 2190. The episode offers a critical perspective on the Trump administration's economic and foreign policies, the vulnerabilities within the Democratic Party, and the overarching threat of a recession threatening political stability.

Loading summary...

Transcript

Ben Shapiro (0:00)

Well folks as always, tons of news. A fire hose of news. But you need a reliable source for your news. You need a conservative source for your news. The legacy media, they think that you are too dumb to see through their lies. They like to twist the narrative or manipulate the headlines or bury the truth. We don't do that at the Daily Wire. We are going to bring you the facts with no filter or no spin and then you get to get in on the conversation. Join the live chat during Our Daily Shows 100 uncensored ad free packed with fans who actually think for themselves. Get the news the way it should be. Honest, fearless, without an agenda. Your voice matters. Be a part of it. Join now@dailywire.com subscribe all right, so yesterday the US economic report came in. Q1 GDP is down. The biggest danger to the Trump administration and their agenda is very clearly an economic downturn by far. It's not particularly close. I've been saying this now for months. If there were to be an economic downturn under President Trump, the rest of the very important agenda items that he is pursuing, everything from illegal immigration to wiping DEI out of the federal government, everything from rebuilding the United States military to doge, all of it goes out the window if the economy falls. Because the way the American people think about politics is quite simple when it comes to presidents and the economy. If the economy is good, the president gets the credit. If the economy is bad, the president gets the blame. It is really that simple. Well, yesterday the GDP report came in and it showed negative GDP growth. Two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth is typically termed a recession, sort of technical terms. Now obviously Americans are feeling very skittish about the economy in general right now and feelings unfortunately don't care about your facts when it comes to the economy very often. Sometimes people feel worse about the economy than it actually is. Sometimes they feel better about the economy than it actually is. But all of those feelings tend to make themselves actually heard in the economic statistics eventually, because people are buying and selling and doing all of these things based on what they feel their own personal financial status is. According to the Wall street journal, the US economy contracted in the first three months of 2025 as businesses rushed to stock up on imports ahead of the Trump administration's tariffs and consumer spending slowed. The Commerce Department said U.S. gDP fell at a seasonally and inflation adjusted 0.3% annualized rate in the first quarter. That was the first contraction since the first quarter of 2022. Consumer spending did increase at 1.8%. That is the smallest increase since mid 2023. Spending by the federal government fell, but the main driver of the first quarter contraction was, wait for it, the tariff war. Of course. Of course. It turns out everyone has been on the edge of their seats. It's a roller coaster, this tariff war. At best, investors have pulled their money out. If in fact they are spending, they are attempting to beat the tariffs to the table. They're essentially buying things, stocking up on imports before the tariffs hit net exports, the difference between what the United States imports and Exports subtracted nearly 5 percentage points from headline GDP. This was the biggest quarterly drag from net exports on record dating back to 1947. So basically, imports actually radically increased because everybody was trying to get in under the wire before all the tariffs kicked in. Imports subtract from the Commerce Department's calculation of GDP because they represent the spending on foreign made goods and services. So does this mean the economy is. Is weak? It doesn't. The economy is not, in fact weak, weak. The economy, in the absence of the trade war, remains fairly robust at this point. Not like 5% GDP robust, but ready to grow. Deregulation and tax cuts without the trade war and you'd have a booming economy right now. Which is why I've been saying Peter Navarro needs to be fired. Just let Scott Besant run this ship, that's all. Just let it happen. Because of lack of faith in the American economy, de dollarization continues. This is foreign economies moving away from investment in the American dollar. According to Axios, the US dollar index in Trump's first 100 days fell 9.5% compared to a 2.1% drop in the first 100 days of his term. The value of the Greenback increased by 4.5% in George W. Bush's first 100 days when the country was headed into recession and rose slightly for both Obama and Biden. So as recession fears rise, investors are actually moving away from the dollar. There's just less need for it if the feeling is that trade is going to decline. Why exactly would you invest in American dollars if you can't use those American dollars to buy American goods, or if American companies are going to be hurt by their lack of export markets. So when we're talking about the value of the American dollar and what actually has happened under President Trump, de dollarization is a really dangerous thing to articulate that. I asked our friend sponsors over at Perplexity, what would the impact be on American economics of de dollarization and perplexity? Says de dollarization refers to the process of. By which Countries reduce their reliance on the US Dollar for international trade, financial transactions and as a reserve currency. And the key economic impacts include higher borrowing costs and reduced financial flexibility, depreciation of the dollar and inflationary pressures. US Financial assets like equities and bonds could underperform relative to global markets as international investors reallocate away from dollar denominated assets. If they're not using dollars, there's no reason for them to buy American products, for example, or American financial assets. A loss of geopolitical and economic leverage. Remember, President Trump likes using sanctions. Well, sanctions are only effective if you have something to actually take away from the bad guys. And there would be uncertain effects on economic growth, then effective US Economic growth is ambiguous. A weaker dollar could enhance export competitiveness, make it easier for us to quote, unquote, cheaply produce goods. But those benefits might be offset by reduced foreign investment. So again, all this is not a particularly great indicator. Now, President Trump continues to tout his tariff war in Michigan. He did that the other night. Here he was. But I'm thrilled to be back in this beautiful state. I love this state and a lot of auto jobs coming. Watch what's happening.

Ben Shapiro (5:53)

Michigan and build cars again. You know why? Because of our tax and tariff policy. Okay, well that's not exact exactly right. The reason that's not exactly right is because GM reported its actual financials yesterday. Apparently, GM has now reduced its profits 6.6% in Q1 and they adjusted their 2025 outlook as well. Their prior full year guidance had suggested pretty significant growth. Now they say that while U. S. Sales rose, they are having a significant problem with the tariff war. In fact, the chief financial officer Paul Jacobson told reporters on a call, GM will not comment on the cost incurred from tariffs. Why? Because they're afraid of ticking off President Trump. Presumably. President Trump has already blown holes in his tariffs by announcing that there would be some exceptions for American car companies. GM said in January it expected net profits in the range of $11.2 billion to $12.5 billion for full year 2025 and pre tax profits of 13.7 billion to 15.7 billion. But they're now revising all of those statistics significantly down based on the tariff war. So President Trump has been trying to adjust to that by essentially cutting holes in his own tariff regime. Meanwhile, Black and Decker again, this is an industrial company. Black and Decker is raising prices this year and retooling their entire supply chain in an attempt to blunt the impact of the global trade war. According to executives on Wednesday to the Wall Street Journal, they say that President Trump's tariff war is expected to dent their full year earnings per share by about 75 cents as it takes action to mitigate new costs. So this stuff is damaging. What's even more damaging is some of the rhetoric that is now surrounding this stuff. So President Trump put out a post yesterday in which he claimed that this is Joe Biden's stock market, not his own stock market. This brings a strong contrast to 2024 when the stock market started to increase. He said it was his stock market because the markets were expecting him to be President of the United States. Now, he's been president for four months and he is claiming that it is not his stock market. That is a dog that is not going to hunt. Just in terms of pr Quote, this is Biden's stock market, not Trump's. I didn't take over until January 20. Tariffs will soon start kicking in and our companies are starting to move into the US in record numbers. Our country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden overhang. This will take a while. It has nothing to do with tariffs, only that he left us with bad numbers. But when the boom begins, it will be like no other. Be patient. Well, markets yesterday upon this news were not particularly patient. They've not dropped precipitously again because of the hope that President Trump is going to, in the end, back off of this tariff war. But I will say that politically speaking, President Trump is not setting himself up for success when he says what he said yesterday. So yesterday, President Trump said, suggested that this is not a big deal, that if there are problems with these supply chains and things just don't arrive on the shelves, you know, no biggie. They made a trillion dollars with Biden. A trillion dollars. Even a trillion one with Biden selling us stuff. Much of a waiter need, you know, somebody said, oh, the shelves are going to be open. Well, maybe the children will have two.

Ben Shapiro (9:05)

And maybe the $2 will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally. Okay, that is not a dog that is going to hunt in any sort of future election for Republicans. Maybe they won't have $30 or kids. Maybe they will have two and maybe they'll cost more. No biggie. That is a let them eat cake approach to politics. It would be bad if a Democrat said it. It'd be bad if a Republican said it. The reality is that when Americans feel that their choices in the market are constrained, when they have to pay more for their kids toys, when they are told that is not a big deal, if their kid has to have fewer toys because of inflation, they are not going to feel the same way that President Trump just articulated that. That is, that is a tremendous commercial for Democrats. President Trump should be avoiding language like that. Obviously. We'll get to more on that in just a moment. 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So, you know, continuing to rip on the Fed, he's apparently not going to fire Jerome Powell, which would be a mistake to fire Jerome Powell, but he's going to continue to rip on Jerome Powell. What are the markets supposed to take away from that? Well, you know, as somebody who invests, I will say that my takeaway is that doesn't seem like he's going to swerve away from his tariff agenda anytime soon. If he is still hoping that Jerome Powell is going to save him from the consequences of his own tariff war by lowering those interest rates, that suggests that he's going to continue with the very measures that have gotten him into this situation in the first place. And all of this has serious political ramifications. It's not just fun and games. Not not only because it affects the American people, their pocketbooks, their kitchen table, but also because if the economy does continue to experience an economic downturn, if Americans continue to be very unhappy with the trajectory of the economy, by every poll, they are, Republicans will lose the House. And if Republicans lose the House, the investigations are coming. This is a point that Speaker Mike Johnson was making yesterday. He said, listen, if we lose the House of Representatives, they will impeach Donald Trump. Day one, the economy goes south, environment's.

Ben Shapiro (13:35)

So President Trump and team should keep that in mind if Republicans lose the House. Last two years of the Trump administration are basically done. Nothing gets done. And everybody sort of knows this at this point. So how does President Trump turn this thing around? The answer is actually quite simple. End the trade war. Recalibrate. Make a better policy toward China that actually does start boxing them in. Do all the things we've been talking about on the show for weeks now, deregulate and cut taxes. Those are the things. It's not hard. Many of those things are things the Trump administration is already doing. But the markets keep kind of hoping against hope that a bunch of trade deals are coming. And that is not in evidence at this point. According to Politico, White House officials have boasted that more than a dozen countries have put offers on the table to avoid the biting tariffs scheduled to kick in in just over two months. Assigned President Trump's risky trade gamut is paying off, but the documents other countries have submitted to the White House are far from final offers, according to a dozen foreign diplomats. And three officials grant an anonymity to discuss the sensitive conversations. They're preliminary outlines of what their governments are willing to discuss in trade talks. Some trade partners are balking at proposing even an outline of their terms before they get some more guidance from the United States on what President Trump even wants from the talks. One industry official said they're hesitant to negotiate against themselves. If countries are setting the parameters for what the negotiations are and not the administration with concrete asks, it's a little bit like they're setting themselves up. So what is coming down the line? Are these trade deals coming down the line because the tariffs are beginning to bite? Now there's another danger, too. China is experiencing an economic slowdown, as you would imagine. It turns out that cutting the Chinese off from the American markets, they do have an impact on China as well. And that would be a purely good thing if we actually had plans in place to contain the effects of that. So China's economy, according to the Journal, showed its first big signs of damage from the trade war as steep US Tariffs pummeled export orders and production at the country's factories. The sharp pullback shows that President Trump's eye watering tariffs on Chinese imports are starting to squeeze the engine room of China's economy, piling pressure on Beijing to boost its own stimulus efforts to shore up growth. Now China doesn't want to cut a deal with the United States because they feel that this is actually hurting the United States and President Trump worse than it is hurting them. That is despite the fact that it really is hurting China. But here's part of the problem. If China felt that it was hurting China badly enough, this tariff war, China does have a get out of jail free card. And that get out of jail free card is a blockade of Taiwan. If China really felt threatened enough that their economy was going to go under or the CCP was in real danger, they would simply put a blockade around Taiwan, possibly destroy tsmc, which is the manufacturer of the semiconductors that power the globe. And most of the secondary semiconductors are made in China. This is why it is not enough to have a good policy direction. You have to have a meticulous implementation of that policy. Now look, the good news, as always, for the Trump administration is that its enemies are absolutely incompetent and quite terrible at this. Like truly garbage at this. So the Democrats continue to futz around in search of a leader. It is funny to watch them kind of flail around like a fish out of water. James Carville, who, you know, was, was still sort of the voice of reason on the Democratic side for a while there, he's now caving to the Democratic National Committee. So David Hogg, the insipid and ridiculous vice chair of the dnc, he was made the vice chair after launching a failed pillow company, attending Harvard University with very, very low SAT scores because he had been a student at Parkland during the shooting. Well, now he's the vice chair and he's been saying he wants to primary a bunch of moderate Democrats in purple districts. And James Carville had criticized him. Well, now he's backing off. Quote, just called David Hogg. He reminded me of the story of after the Battle of Shiloh, Henry Halleck urged President Lincoln to fire Ulysses Grant. Lincoln said, I can fire him. This man fights. David Hogg fights. The DNC needs him. Ahahahahahaha. So you're telling me that David Hogg, this ridiculous broomstick of a human, is. Is Ulysses S. Grant to James Carville? He doesn't believe that at all. But the Democrats are trying to hold together the crazy wing. He and the somewhat less crazy wing. Well, speaking of the crazy wing, Kamala Harris made her grand reappearance yesterday. Just what Democrats need in a moment where President Trump is actually creating a series of targets for them to hit. They're trotting out the wildly unpopular Kamala Harris. By the way, brand new poll out today. I believe it's from Emerson, showing if there was another national election held today between Harris and Trump, who would win the answer was Trump by one. In any case, Kamala Harris is back out there speaking in San Francisco at the annual Galliford Emerge, a group that recruits and trains women to run for office. Did you miss Kamala? Did you miss her? The answer, of course, is no one has missed Kamala. We barely even recognized she existed while she was running for president, given the fact that she was essentially a random person who was thrust into the limelight because Joe Biden died in the middle of the campaign. Well, anyway, here was Kamala Harris. I know, I know. You missed the. The winding senses, the sentences that run like a free ranging river over the rocks of volubility. Here is Kamala Harris talking about the abandonment of American ideals. Instead of an administration working to advance America's highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals. Wow. It's that sort of articulate, meticulous speech. That's why she's President of the United States today. Oh, wait, here she was slamming the Trump administration. It's an agenda, a narrow, self serving vision of America where they punish truth tellers, favor loyalists, cash in on their power and leave everyone to fend for themselves, all while abandoning allies and retreating from the world. You guys are going to need someone better than that somebody. What about Tim Walls? Remember they trotted him out as a possibility for 2028 after his awful run for Vice president. Well, yesterday he was talking about why he was nominated for Vice president by Kamala Harris at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. It didn't go great.

Ben Shapiro (22:17)

And frankly, I think what people should be most concerned about is the fact that Republicans are trying to cut Medicaid right now and people's health care is in danger. And that's really what my central focus is. That's an avoidance of the question. That is not a no, you'll notice. So that is going to be the battle inside the Democratic Party. Again, the Democratic Party is not in strong position. All the polls show that the American people do not like them, which is why it is very, very important to take the football and run with it and not allow the economy to sink into recession. We'll get to more on this in a moment. First, there's something deeply satisfying about a good spring refresh and refreshing you're betting, might be the most rewarding change of all. Bolin Branches signature sheets crafted from the finest 100% organic cotton, offer a buttery, soft, breathable foundation. Pair them with Bolin branches, airy blankets, duvets and quilts for the perfect seasonal upgrade. Bolen branches 100% organic cotton sheets were pivotal in my sleep quality from the very first night, I could feel the difference. These aren't just any sheets. They really do have this incredible softness that puts you in instant relaxation mode. What really impressed me is how they get softer with every single wash. I didn't think that was possible, but after a few months, it felt even more luxurious than when I first got them. Believe me, I've tried other premium sheets before. Nothing comes close to the breathable comfort of bowl and branch. That's why we got rid of all of our other sheets in the Shapiro household. The best part? They have designs and colors for every mattress size and bedroom style so you can find the perfect fit this season. And for those of you who always sleep hot at night, like me, they have their percale hem sheets specially made with a cool and crisp weave so you'll never toss and turn over heat again. That's what we all need as we head into the summer months. Feel the difference an extraordinary night's sleep can make with bowl and Branch. Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at bowl and branch.com Ben that's bull and Branch B O L L A N D branch.com Ben to save 15% exclusions apply. See site for details. Also Made in America means something to our country's private equity investors when you invest $700 billion annually in American companies and the 13 million workers and families they support, you are investing in the success of Main street. Over the last eight years alone, America's private equity investors have contributed $5 trillion to the US economy. That is money powering growth in manufacturing, tech, energy and innovation, from strengthening supply chains to helping America lead in artificial intelligence. That kind of investment shapes our future. And it starts with private equity backing American ambition. Because investing in our people, our businesses and our communities isn't just good for the economy. It's it's good for the country. Learn more about how private equity keeps American small businesses growing and thriving@investmentcouncil.org paid for by the American Investment Council. And meanwhile, some good news out of Ukraine, says Scott Besant, the Treasury Secretary. He announced yesterday that there would be a Ukraine minerals deal. You remember, this was supposed to be what what was going to happen when Vladimir Zelensky visited the United States back in February, and there was that pretty awful showdown between Zelensky and President Trump and The vice president, J.D. vance, he was supposed to sign some sort of rare earth minerals deal. And the sort of tacit promise of that deal was basically that if there was an economic relationship that was valuable to the United States and Ukraine, obviously the United States would have a stake in Ukraine not becoming Russian. Well, Secretary Bessant made that absolutely clear yesterday in announcing the deal.

Ben Shapiro (31:19)

Oh, no. So, I mean, that is going to be a problem in court. Again, like the economy. Even if you like some of the ideas, the implementation matters. I like the idea of deporting everybody who's like Kilmar, Abrego, Garcia, possible gang members, people with criminal records who beat their wives, like all those people, if they're not American citizens, should be pushed out of the country forthwith. Also, you should actually abide by due process. I don't know why that's really particularly controversial at this point in time. Experience extraordinary by creating the perfect foundation for your best sleep this season, drift effortlessly to sleep in bolin branches signature sheets crafted from the finest 100% organic cotton and offer a buttery, soft, breathable foundation. Pair them with bolen branches, airy blankets, duvets and quilts for the perfect summer upgrade so you never have to sleep hot again. What really impressed me is how they get even softer with every wash. I didn't think that was possible, but after a few months, they felt even more luxurious than when I first got them. And believe me, I've tried some other premium sheets before, but nothing comes close to the breathability and comfort of these. The best part is they're crafted by artisans and woven from the finest 100% organic cotton on earth, with designs and colors for every mattress size, bedroom style and so you can find the perfect fit for your home. Plus you can try Bolin brand sheets for an entire month risk free. You can wash style and feel the difference for yourself. And if you don't get the best night's sleep, you can send them back for a full refund. Feel the difference an extraordinary night's sleep can make With Boland branch, get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets@bolanbranch.com Daily Wire that's Boland Branch. B O L L a n d branch.com wire to save 15%. Exclusions do apply. C site for details. Meanwhile, in some pretty terrible news, David Horowitz died at the age of 86. I knew David really, really well. Obviously I used to work at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Truth Revolt, which was sort of a precursor to Daily Wire, began at the David Horowitz Freedom center. But I knew David for more than a decade before that. Truly a formative person in the modern conservative movement, a person who spoke truth no matter the cost. David started off as a, as a radical communist. He wrote a book in 1998 titled Radical Son A Generational Odyssey that talked about how he was what he called a red diaper baby, that his parents were communists, and he started off as a, as a far leftist writing for Ramparts magazine. He turned to the right when his friend was killed by the Black Panthers, allegedly, and he moved to the right. Basically all of his old friends disowned him, decided that he was untouchable, and David turned into one of the most effective conservative activists of his generation. He used to call the David Horowitz Freedom Center a battle tank rather than a think tank. Pretty much everybody who's anybody in modern conservatism had some initial connection with David Horowitz. I remember I met Charlie Kirk, for example, at a David Horowitz Freedom center event. This is back when Charlie was maybe 18 or 19 years old and he was first getting started with TP USA. And that's true for a huge number of people who got their start in the conservative movement in the 90s and 2000s. Dale very much we missed. You should read his books. He's really an amazing writer, a terrific speaker, a strong voice. There are many videos of him online that are totally worth watching. Here is just one. Will you condemn Hamas here and now? I'm sorry, what? Would you condemn Hamas?

Donald Trump (37:36)

I came here for the first time 52 years ago. It was 1973, July. I was 17 years old, a month away from my 18th birthday. And the story is I grew up, I mean, literally, dirt poor little kid from southwest Arkansas. My soon to be roommate in college grew up rather wealthy and he wanted to take a senior trip. So he asked his dad, dad, can I take a trip? I want to go to the Middle East. His dad said, son, I'm not going to let you go over there by yourself. But his dad liked me, and he said, if you'll take Mike Huckabee with you, I'll pay his way too. That's how I got to come. So we came to the Middle east, we went to Jordan, to Syria, we went to Lebanon, we went to Cyprus, in Greece, we went to Turkey, and we came to Israel. And there were beautiful things to see, fascinating things to see. But, Ben, when I came to Israel, something connected. I can't even describe it. It wasn't the visual, it wasn't that of the five senses. It was deep within my soul. And I've tried to explain it. It's the only place on earth I've ever been where I felt at home in a place I'd never visited. It was a magnetic, spiritual connection. And I said, I gotta. I gotta go back. I started bringing groups here in 1981, and I've brought tens of thousands of Americans to come see Israel since that time. Been to this land probably a hundred times. I never asked the president to put me here. You know, I didn't lobby for it. There were people that he trusted who did encourage him to name me ambassador. And it's the only job in the entire administration that I would have said yes to. I didn't want to babysit some bloated bureaucracy in Washington. I didn't want to be ambassador somewhere else. But when he called, and you know the president very well, he doesn't ask you, he doesn't say, I'd like for you to think about, would you consider. He calls in his classic style and says, mike, Donald Trump, you're going to Israel, you're going to be the ambassador. And that was it. And so for me, it was an Isaiah moment right out of the Old Testament. Here am I, Lord, send me, and here am I. And I can't even begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am at the privilege of serving My president, and most importantly, my country, in this position, in one of the most difficult places on Earth, but also one of the most incredibly strategically valuable places on earth for the United States and its people.

Donald Trump (40:32)

Well, if we divorce anything spiritual from it, Jewish, Christian, which obviously there is a deep spiritual connection that I have as a Christian that you have as a Jewish. Let's take that off the table. Here's why it matters. Israel is the only nation in the entire region, one of the few nations, if not the only real nation in the world that totally mirrors the experience of the birth, formation and the prosperity of the United States. Both nations coming out of people who escaped religious tyranny, economic tyranny, and in the case of the Jews, an outright holocaust. The Jewish people have a connection to this land that goes back 3,500 years. It doesn't go back to 1917 in the Balfour Declaration. It doesn't go to 1948 in Independence, or, you know, when people start trying to make it of, oh, it's a century old. No, no, no, no. It's 3,500 years that the Jewish people have been in this land. And it goes back to Abraham, who I say wrote the title deed and said, this is yours. Now, here's where I can't escape the biblical part. You either believe the scripture or you don't. And if you do, then you have to accept that when God gave the land, he gave it to a people and he gave it for a purpose, and he gave it as a place. And it was not nebulous and it was not ambiguous. It was very specific. So this little sliver of real estate that now is the most contested piece of property on earth has a history that goes back to a covenant that God made with the Jewish people. And I'm a person of the book. I still believe it. But now let me go back and take those things off the table. Let's just say there never was a history. There wasn't 3,500 years ago, Abraham, doesn't matter. Take that off. No nation on earth so reflects our culture and our civilization, which is a Western civilization. Based on a Judeo Christian understanding of the power, the right, and the responsibility of the individual. We're not collectivist. We really believe in Western civilization, religious or not, that the individual matters and that our liberty is personal liberty, that our responsibilities to preserve and protect and pass it on are individual responsibilities. No other nation quite fits that mold. Where the people elect their own government, they can speak out against their government. And I tell people in America all the time, if you think we have divided and contentious politics, you ain't seen nothing till you come here. These people know how to fight politically, and they do it almost like a blood sport. It's, you know. But that's democracy in action. It's what it looks like. When people have freedom. They can scream at their government officials, and they do. They can write nasty things about their government officials, and they do. That's something that we share in America, that we have that level of liberty. And it is something that a lot of Americans take for granted. But if they went to most places in the world, they would not have that level of. Of freedom to express themselves. Even that defies and challenges the government as long as they do it without violence and without threat.

Donald Trump (44:33)

When President Trump sort of shocked the world and said, we'll just take over Gaza, we'll rebuild it, you know, my first thought was that Gaza should have and could have been Singapore. Instead, Hamas turned it into Haiti. Actually, it makes Haiti look good. They turned it into the hellhole they did because they were not interested in building schools and mosques and hospitals and things that really helped the people. They can claim they had those things, but where they put their resources were rockets, bombs, ammunition for one purpose. Not to defend themselves, but to murder Jews. Let's not mince that it wasn't because they thought Israel was gonna come and invade them. Heck, in 2005, Israel, with their own military, forcibly moved 10,000 Jews out of Gaza because Israel thought, if we give it up, you know, you have a Palestinian state over there, you have the whole thing. And if one has ever seen the video From Gush Katif2005, you can't see that without weeping, because these are Jews that have been rescued from the Holocaust, moved out of their homes, and now at the gunpoint of their own military, were moved out of their homes in Gaza because Israel made what, you know, looking at it from a distance. And I'm not saying this is Ambassador, I'm saying this is just a guy was a horrific mistake, but they thought it was a good idea because everyone in the world tells them, if you just give up some land, you're going to have peace. Here's what's happened. Every time they have given up land, they don't have peace, they just have less land. That's all they get out of it. And then they get more threats as people are closer to them who still have the stated intent to murder them. And that's what Gaza was all about. It was about murdering Jews. It wasn't about building a better life for Palestinian families. And that's the great tragedy of all of this, is that it could have and should have been avoided. But Hamas, not a government, it's not a standing army. It's a terrorist organization. And that's all they've ever been. That's what they've acted like, and we see the results of it.

Donald Trump (47:39)

Yeah. I think the President's words are far more important than mine for a host of reasons. Number one, he's the president. He was the only one elected last November, and I was not. And I'm his representative here, so I carry his message, not mine. The President has made it very clear that his message to the Iranians is, you're not going to have a nuclear program. You're not going to be able to have the capacity for a nuclear weapon. If there is any room for them to have some type of energy production, then there's a lot of what they've done and are doing that have nothing to do with that. That's got to be dismantled. That can't stay. You can't have it where they're still within a few weeks of being able to weaponize nuclear material. So the President, I believe, is acting in good faith, trying to give, as John Lennon would so wonderfully say in the song, give peace a chance. We'd all love to see that. We'd love to see the Iranians come to their senses and say, you know what? We don't need a nuclear weapon and we don't need enrichment. We don't need centrifuges. We don't need to get to 3.67 and beyond. That's not really our goal. If that happens and there's an aversion of war, wonderful. Everybody celebrates. The reality is, for 46 years, Iranians have said, Israel is the little Satan, the US Is the great Satan. We're going to destroy Israel and annihilate it, and then we're coming after the United States. They've been very explicit that Israel is the appetizer, but we're the entree. And when Americans act like, well, it doesn't have anything to do with us, how naive are you? Do you not remember 1979 when they took American hostages from the US embassy? Do you not remember that for 46 years they have continually vowed, not just said, someday we might get interested in. No, they have vowed, annihilate Israel and then come after the United States. So when someone's got a gun pointed at you, even if it's from a distance for that long a period of time, you're stupid not to pay attention to that. And so that's why when the President the other day on Air Force One, when he was going to Rome on the air, on Air Force One for the Pope's funeral, and a reporter asked him very leading question, are you going to let Israel drag US into a war. Classic President Trump. He said, nobody's going to drag us into anything. If the Iranians don't give up their nuclear ambitions for weapons, I'll lead the effort. I won't be dragged into it. And I thought that that was as clear a statement that anyone could make and that it came directly from the President, I think was reassuring not only to the people of Israel, but reassuring to the people of the world that this is a regime that can't have that kind of capacity any more than you would give car keys to a Lamborghini and a bottle of whiskey to a 16 year old boy.

Donald Trump (51:38)

I believe what the President did in his first term is sort of a clear indicator. The first thing he did, he made it very clear that it's not illegal, it's not a violation of international law for Israelis to live in Israel. That was pretty important. Maybe it's not considered one of the bigger things that he did because people remember the embassy move, they remember recognizing Jerusalem as the indivisible and indigenous and permanent capital of the Jewish people, recognized the Golan Heights as sovereign territory. You know, he did a lot of things, more than any other president, in fact more than all the other presidents put together in one term. So the indication is that his policies haven't really changed what the timing looks like, how it all works out. It's really not the US's position. We don't make that decision, the Israelis do. And I think it's a matter of seeing how does it unfold in a way that provides a potential prosperity for Palestinian people. Here's what I don't think people understand. There have been many efforts to bring economic prosperity to people in Judea and Samaria. And by the way, I don't use the term west bank, and I just won't. I know that that's the nomenclature of the day, but I find it indescriptive for one thing. And it is not the ancient and I would say not the biblical terms for it. But even beyond that, it's not an accurate reflection of the land and its boundaries. But the attempts. A great example. Several years ago, I was in Judea and I visited the SodaStream plant that they had built. 1100 workers. 700 were Palestinian. 400 were Israeli. There were Jews, Muslims. There were men and women, Palestinian, Israeli, all working side by side in a place that was extraordinary because in this facility, these people were not looking at each other like enemies. They were neighbors and they worked together. Their families even socialized together, because they found out that these people aren't horrible people. Even though there were 700 Palestinians over only 400 Israelis, the Palestinians were getting the same wage the Israelis were. They weren't paid a different wage. This nonsense of apartheid and, you know, racism, I saw with my own eyes. And by the way, I was given permission to go talk to anybody in this. In the factory. Nobody would monitor the conversation. I could ask any questions I wanted, and I did. And I found that the Palestinians working there were ecstatic. They had four times the wage they'd ever earned, ever in their lives. They had paid benefits like health insurance and paid vacation and educational benefits for their children and even meals provided while they were at work. It was something like they'd never seen before. And then the brilliant BDS movement raised its ugly head and went after SodaStream. And the result of the pressure was that SodaStream had to close that plant, move it, I think, near Netanyahu, but in an undisputed area where even the UN can't say it's not Israel. And the result was all those 700 Palestinians lost the best job they ever had and all the benefits and went back to live in poverty. So who won that? Who benefited from that? Nobody. And it's that kind of thing that the world never understands and doesn't see. Israelis are constantly just vilified. It's like they're trying to make life miserable. Every Israeli I know personally, and I'm sure there are exceptions, but every Israeli I know is not interested in violence and they're not interested in making life miserable for Palestinians. But they've lost their patience with Palestinian Authority leadership that says that if you kill a Jew, we'll reward you with a lifetime pension. And if you die from it, your family will get a pension. We'll name a street or a park after you. That's pay for slay. And when you create a culture that from the time a child is 5, 6 years old that says your greatest goal in life is to kill Jews. I'm sorry, but that's a culture that doesn't have the right to exist next to the very people that you've been told one day you'll grow up and kill them.

Donald Trump (56:58)

When I first came here, Bethlehem was a wonderful, hospitable community. It was made up of about 80% of Arab Christians. They ran the best stores, and not just souvenir shops with trinkets, but with some of the finest artists that made everything from olive wood furniture, olive wood, art pieces for one's home. And it was just a delightful place to go in the 80s, and then especially in the 90s when the Muslims came in and radicalized the population. They burned out their own Arab neighbors and really, family members, if you will, closed down their shops, put them out of business. Many of them came to Jerusalem. Many of them just never had another place to be. They turned Bethlehem into a very different place where now it's 80% Muslim, and it's a very different place. And it's not the kind of place that you will feel as comfortable as once was. I'm not saying that everybody there is A radical, because that's not true. There are Christians there that love God. There are a lot of people that are not radicalized. But the leadership and the prevailing culture is dramatically different than it once was. You mentioned Oslo, and I'll give you a good example of why Americans don't get it. Under Oslo, everybody was supposed to have their holy sites protected, preserved and accessible. No matter whether we're Jew, Christian, Muslim. The Israelis have lived up to that. The Israelis. This is what most people have no idea. They are as protective of Muslim worship sites as they are Jewish worship sites. If you want to get in trouble with the Israeli government, be a Jew or a Christian and try to violate the sovereignty of the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa Mosque, you can get hurt. And it won't be the Muslims doing it to you. It's going to be the Israeli forces that will say, you can't do this up here because we're going to respect their right to be here. I went to the tomb of Joseph, which is in Nablus. It is in sort of forbidden territory for most Jews and Christians, supposed to be accessible. After all, it is a holy place, certainly for Jews, but also for Christians. And we had to go at 2 o'clock in the morning. There's only one trip a month that goes in a dozen people, limited armored vehicles, military escort. We got into Nablus at two in the morning, people burning tires in the street, throwing Molotov cocktails at our vehicle. We only were allowed to be there to go and pray in the tomb of Joseph for like 30 minutes. And then we had to get out of there. And it was a stark reminder. This is how Jews, and in this case, Jews and Christian. I was the only Christian. Everybody else was Jewish. This is how they access the worship sites. But the next day, I could go to the Kotel and I could look up and see Muslims who were going to their place to pray. And the Israeli government was giving every protection to them in order to do that. That's the dual sort of application of law that Israelis live with every single day. And I would say that Christians live with every single day.