The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode 2269: The Trans, Catholic-Hating, Trump-Hating OMNICAUSE Killer

Date: August 28, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro
Guests: Mary Margaret Olahan (Daily Wire White House Correspondent), various news clips and soundbites

Overview

This episode centers on the recent tragic mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, dissecting the political, cultural, and ideological dimensions underpinning the perpetrator’s motivations. Ben Shapiro asserts that media and political figures distort the narrative depending on the shooter’s ideological background, and explores what he terms the “omnicause”—an intersectional radical left-wing ideology. Shapiro critiques the response of the media, political officials, and the medical establishment while advocating for actionable security reforms and a critical approach to mental health policy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Details of the Minneapolis Catholic Church Shooting

• Incident Recap:
  • A shooter, identified as a 23-year-old trans-identified individual, opened fire during a Wednesday Mass, killing two elementary-age children (8 and 10) and injuring 17 others (mostly children).
  • All weapons were legally purchased, and the perpetrator took their own life at the scene.
• Police & Survivor Testimonies:
  • [02:12] Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: Describes the deliberate violence against children and worshippers.
  • [05:09] 10-year-old Survivor: Shares the harrowing experience from inside the church.

Notable Quote:

"The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible." – Police Chief Brian O’Hara [02:43]

2. Media & Political Reaction: Selective Framing

• Shapiro’s Rule:
  • If the shooter is perceived as right-wing, media focuses on conservative ideology; if left-wing or “trans,” focus shifts to guns and gun control.
• Call-Outs:
  • Criticizes politicians and media (ex: Jen Psaki, Jacob Frey) for allegedly downplaying the shooter’s identity to push gun control.
  • Suggests that the radicalization and violence from the political left is ignored or covered up.

Notable Quote:

"If the shooter is somebody who is of the left, then the issue is guns. Always and forever. That is the way that the formula works." – Ben Shapiro [00:54]

3. Shooter’s Motive: The "Omnicause" and Mental Illness

• Shooter’s Identity and Evidence:

  • Name change from Robert to Robin at age 17 (with parental sign-off).
  • Diaries and manifestos filled with left-wing slogans, anti-Catholic, anti-Trump, and anti-Semitic messages; cited admiration for previous mass shooters.
  • Weapons bore slogans such as "kill Donald Trump," "Israel must fall," and "6 million wasn’t enough" (Holocaust reference).

• Shapiro’s Analysis:

  • Argues that a “perverse ideology” combines mental illness with a stew of radical left-wing causes ("the omnicause"), leading to violent actions.
  • Draws a line between trans radicalism and an increase in targeted violence, particularly against religious institutions.

Notable Quote:

"This person was a trans radical who believed...in what can best be termed the omnicause, the gigantic aggregation of radical left-wing beliefs that if you buy into one, you have to buy into all." – Ben Shapiro [06:00]

4. Comparative Responses to Ideological Violence

• Patterns in Other Shootings:
  • Lists previous incidents with trans-identified or left-leaning assailants (e.g., Nashville Covenant School, STEM School Highlands Ranch, attempted attacks).
  • Claims media downplays left-wing motivations, highlighting only gun access instead.

Notable Quote:

"When the ideology is on the other foot, then they run screaming away from it." – Ben Shapiro [12:11]

5. State Policy and Security Measures

• Lack of Security Funding for Non-Public Schools:
  • Guest Mary Margaret Olahan recounts how Catholic/independent schools in Minnesota urgently requested security funding after previous attacks, but were denied by Gov. Tim Walz’s administration ([38:37]).
  • Shapiro blames prioritization of “trans sanctuary” policies over basic safety needs for students.

Notable Insights:

• Schools sought “$50 million in building and cybersecurity grants”—request was ignored ([32:57]).
• Shapiro: "If that's what [armed guards] it takes to protect kids, then that's what we should have." [30:50]

6. Critique of Gun Control Arguments

• Weapons were purchased legally under existing "strong" Minnesota laws, undermining calls for further federal regulation.
• Shapiro argues mass shootings are not unique to the United States and that “assault weapons bans” do not address the root issue.

7. Mental Health, Policy, and Transgenderism

• Red Flag Laws and Transgenderism:
  • Shapiro proposes that gender identity disorder (transgenderism) should be screened as a mental health red flag in gun permitting.
  • Criticizes political and medical establishments for “normalizing” mental disorders if they are politically protected.
• Consequences of "Affirming" Transition:
  • Claims that not treating gender dysphoria as a disorder is endangering, not helping, vulnerable youth.

Notable Quote:

"Transgenderism, which is a mental disorder, gender identity disorder, is a mental disorder...Why you are supposed to treat somebody who has manic depression differently from somebody who is suffering from transgender confusion and gender identity disorder?" – Ben Shapiro [43:52]

8. Medical Establishment & Ideological Drift

• Shapiro discusses the resignation of Dr. Dimitri Daskalakis from the CDC, framing it as emblematic of the medical establishment’s prioritization of “trans propaganda” over science, contributing to public distrust ([46:45]).
• Analyses the ongoing debate over autism, vaccine policy, and shifting diagnostic standards, referencing recent comments by RFK Jr.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Prayer and Cultural Divide:

  "Nobody is suggesting that's what prayer is meant. But by the way, [Jen Psaki] knows that...in 2017, after the congressional baseball shooting, she tweeted out thoughts and prayers with Steve Scalise..." – Ben Shapiro [28:05]

• On Identity & Hate Crime:

  "Absolutely textbook definition of a hate crime. If you believe in the concept of hate crimes, this certainly fits the bill." – Ben Shapiro [04:42]

• On Media Selectivity:

  "Weaponizing the shooter's identity is meant to distract from what matters. That is what they are doing." – Jen Psaki [21:53]

• Concluding on Policy:

  "If you are going to use red flag, should they not actually flag these things?...How about an application to change your gender from male to female? That should be a red flag." – Ben Shapiro [43:52]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:54: Shapiro introduces his "rule" on media reporting on mass shootings.
• 02:12: Police Chief recounts shooting details and aftermath.
• 05:09: Survivor, 10, explains surviving the attack.
• 06:00–11:00: Shapiro details shooter’s trans identity, manifesto, family involvement in transition.
• 13:50–19:00: Discussion of trans radical violence, state policies, and Minnesota's public statements.
• 21:53: Jen Psaki on media narratives and gun control.
• 28:05: Shapiro and Psaki on "thoughts and prayers."
• 32:57–38:00: Neglected security funding for non-public schools.
• 38:01: Interview with Mary Margaret Olahan; focus on security and hate crimes.
• 43:52: Shapiro on mental health screening and red flag laws for transgender applicants.
• 46:45–54:12: Critique of CDC, medical establishment, and sociopolitical drift.

Flow and Tone

Shapiro employs a rapid-fire, polemical style, blending reporting, analysis, and pointed commentary. He oscillates between detailed narrative (crime details, policy history), ideological critique (media, left-wing politics, medical field), and prescriptive advocacy (for school security and mental health reform). Other voices (victim, politicians, journalists) are sampled, usually to serve as foil or illustration for Shapiro’s central arguments. The discussion remains deeply colored by conservative values and skepticism toward mainstream media and progressive policy.

Summary Takeaway

The episode leverages the Minneapolis tragedy to renew critiques of left-wing ideology, media framing, and policy failures regarding gun control, school security, and mental health—particularly around transgenderism. Shapiro’s consistent message is that cultural, political, and institutional establishments ignore inconvenient truths for ideological reasons, at the cost of both safety and honesty in public discourse.