The Ben Shapiro Show: “THE TRUMP EFFECT: How To Win A War”

Episode 2295 | October 10, 2025 | Host: Ben Shapiro

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro delivers an in-depth analysis of “The Trump Effect” on the Israeli-Gaza conflict, focusing on President Trump’s pivotal role in brokering a war-ending deal between Israel and Hamas. Shapiro explores the meaning of victory in modern warfare, the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, left-wing and media responses, and how strong leadership alters outcomes on the world stage. He also critiques the silence of “anti-genocide” activists post-ceasefire and analyzes current U.S. political maneuvering and media industry shifts.

1. The Israeli Cabinet Approves Gaza Peace Deal

Key Points:

• Deal Details: Israel’s cabinet approved a multi-phased Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange, brokered with U.S. (President Trump’s) mediation, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. Israel will pull back from parts (not all) of Gaza, and Hamas is to release living and deceased hostages.
• Prisoner Release: Nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees will be released, including those convicted of terrorism and murder. Ben Shapiro criticizes this as “a jailbreak on behalf of terrorists and murderers.” (08:24)
• International Task Force: U.S., Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, and Israel will collaborate to recover bodies of deceased hostages.

“In the future, Israel is going to have to radically rethink how it treats hostage situations, because it cannot continue to simply release thousands upon thousands of terrorists and murderers in exchange for hostages taken by terrorists and murderers. That's a bad policy.”
— Ben Shapiro (08:58)

Notable Moment:
President Trump personally called hostage families to inform them of their loved ones’ imminent return:

“You just take care of yourselves. The hostages will come back. They’re coming, all coming back on Monday.”
— President Trump (audio played at 15:40)

Timestamps:

• [03:50] Israeli Cabinet vote and coalition analysis
• [08:24] Critique of prisoner exchange policy
• [15:40] Trump contacts families

2. The Trump Effect: Credit & Critique

Trump and Netanyahu:

• Shapiro emphasizes that while Trump’s leadership was decisive, Netanyahu’s contributions were critical.
• The ceasefire, demilitarization in Gaza, and hostages' release could not have been obtained under prior proposals that let Hamas retain power.

“To pretend that Prime Minister Netanyahu is somehow external to this entire conversation is silly. It's absolutely silly.”
— Ben Shapiro (18:13)

Trump's Own Words:

“It’s brought the whole world together. It’s amazing... I said, Israel cannot fight the world, Bibi. They can’t fight the world.”
— President Trump recounting his conversation with Netanyahu (17:42)

“We will, there will be disarming, there will be pullbacks, there will be, a lot of things are happening... you're going to end up with peace in the Middle East, but we have to get our hostages back.”
— President Trump (19:56)

Trump on Two-State Solution:
He declines to take a position, noting it's for parties to negotiate, citing failures of past U.S.-led initiatives.

3. International and Domestic Praise

Key Endorsements:

• Sen. Marco Rubio (Secretary of State):
  Praises Trump’s unique diplomatic achievement, calls it a “historic moment in the history of our country.” (20:25)

  "There is no other leader in the world that could have put this together... I don't know of any American president in the modern era that could have made this possible."
  — Marco Rubio (21:26)

• Amb. Mike Huckabee:
  “He brought people together that no one thought would ever sit together... It’s a remarkable day. There is a great sigh of relief being heaved throughout Israel today.” (22:23)

• Jared Kushner:
  Credits both the IDF and Netanyahu, lauding the strategic and courageous actions that paved the way for peace. (23:46)

• Media Acknowledgment:
  Even mainstream and legacy outlets like The Washington Post and ABC News’ Martha Raddatz admit Trump deserves “remarkable credit.”

  "President Trump most certainly deserves credit for his role. He has done this through diplomacy, pressure, and the sheer force of his personality and persistence."
  — Martha Raddatz, ABC News (56:50)

4. “How to Win a War” – Lessons for the West

Historical Context:
Shapiro discusses constant western (U.S. and Israel) failures to decisively win wars spanning from the War on Terror to Middle East proxy conflicts.

Why Did Trump Succeed?

• Rejection of “Conventional Wisdom”:
  Trump abandoned U.S. State Dept. “honest broker” neutrality in favor of clear, unwavering support for Israel.
• Peace Through Strength:
  Shapiro credits military action, followed by diplomatic victory, as the only formula that's ever led to lasting Middle East peace.
• Active Deterrence:
  Assassinations of terror leaders in Gaza, Iran, and even Qatar are described as turning points, forcing adversaries to the table.
• Strategic Regional Pressure:
  U.S. guarantees (e.g., to Qatar), coordinated with U.S.-supplied arms, forced Hamas and backers to negotiate.

“The Trump administration openly supported the IDF. They openly provided the weapons. They openly provided the rhetorical support for Israel to win. And it was that that led to Hamas giving up the ghost and to Hamas’s allies realizing that actually Israel was not going to be forced to simply accept the risk of its own survival.”
— Ben Shapiro (43:17)

Timestamps:

• [36:53] Shapiro reviews prior Western military failures
• [43:17] Shapiro explains Trump’s break from tradition
• [45:16] Impact of "peace through strength" in Middle East history

5. The Silence of Progressive “Anti-Genocide” Activists

Observations:

• With war winding down and hostages freed, prominent progressive voices—Bernie Sanders, AOC, Rashida Tlaib, etc.—have gone silent or sour, refusing to celebrate the deal.
• Shapiro argues this is proof their concern was more about delegitimizing Israel than actual humanitarian concern.

“If they were actually concerned about those people, they’d be celebrating the end of the war. But they're not. They're silent, or they are downplaying or they're upset, which shows you what their actual priorities were.”
— Ben Shapiro (1:08:30)

Critique of Far-Left Commentators:
Shapiro points to Mehdi Hasan, Peter Beinart, Francesca Albanese, and others for casting doubt on the peace deal or pivoting to conspiracy narratives about “Jewish power.”

Timestamps:

• [1:05:00] Shapiro singles out activists’ silence
• [1:09:10] Describes the “horseshoe theory” convergence of far-left and conspiracy-right

6. U.S. and Democratic Political Responses

Some Democrats Give Credit:

• Sen. John Fetterman and Hakeem Jeffries acknowledge the deal’s historic nature.
• Rep. Dan Goldman admits Biden failed to pressure Qatar or Turkey, a role Trump fulfilled.

"There was no pressure from Qatar, from Turkey, from Egypt. They were actually facilitating in many ways what was going on. And that is really ultimately how it all came together... Trump has changed that dynamic."
— Rep. Dan Goldman (1:00:57)

Legacy Media Coverage:

• Washington Post’s David Ignatius: “There's no way that I can see that this would have been done without Trump's pressure in the final hours.” (1:02:55)
• CNN’s Jeremy Diamond: “I just need to underscore what an enormous moment this is for so many people in this region... This is a watershed moment.” (1:04:12)

7. The Horseshoe Theory and Political Opportunism

Topic:
Shapiro observes how radical left and far-right (“horseshoe theory”) converge in anti-Israel and conspiracy rhetoric; Mehdi Hasan is seen retweeting Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Media Elevation:
Shapiro comments on how the left-wing media have started platforming and praising MTG, as she criticizes the Trump administration’s policy from the right, seeing her as a tool to divide Republican/MAGA unity.

8. Media Industry Shifts: Conservative Voices Gaining Traction

Barry Weiss at CBS News:
Shapiro notes centrist journalist Barry Weiss has been appointed editor-in-chief at CBS—indicating renewed openness to conservative perspectives.

Washington Post:
Editorial board now taking conservative voices more seriously, with opinion pieces like “Yes, Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.”

9. U.S. Political Sidebars

• Virginia Gubernatorial Race: Abigail Spanberger falters on gender policy questions and refusing to distance herself from a controversial attorney general candidate.
• Rep. Dan Goldman: Dismisses violence against ICE agents, despite evidence to the contrary.
• Palisades Fire:** Recent devastating California fire linked to a left-wing activist. Shapiro notes lack of media interest in the perpetrator’s ideology.
• Government Shutdown:** Shapiro and CNBC’s Joe Kernan critique Hakeem Jeffries’ refusal to negotiate as Democrats keep the shutdown going.

10. “Turnabout is Fair Play”: Prosecution of Letitia James

Shapiro covers the DOJ’s prosecution of NY Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud—framing it as ironic payback for her politicized prosecution of Trump.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shapiro on Peace through Strength:

  “Military action is the only guarantor of support and security in the Middle East. It was military action that removed every supporting pillar beneath Hamas’s feet.” (46:00)

• Shapiro on Progressive Activists:

  “The Palestinians who died in this war, for these folks, were a feature, not a bug.” (1:10:55)

• Martha Raddatz, ABC News:

  “President Trump most certainly deserves credit for his role. He has done this through diplomacy, pressure, and the sheer force of his personality and persistence.” (56:50)

• Marco Rubio:

  “Not only is there no other leader in the world that could have put this together, Mr. President, but frankly, I don’t know of any American president in the modern era that could have made this possible.” (21:26)

• President Trump:

  “We will, there will be disarming, there will be pullbacks, there will be... a lot of things are happening... I think you’re going to end up with peace in the Middle East.” (19:56)

• Rep. Dan Goldman (Democ.):

  “Trump has changed that dynamic... there's a lot that remains to learn about what prompted that change. But I do agree, yes.” (1:01:44)

Conclusion

This episode presents Ben Shapiro’s broad argument for the efficacy of clear, decisive, and unconventional leadership in warfare and diplomacy—contrasting Trump’s approach to the long-standing failures of “conventional wisdom.” The Israeli-Gaza ceasefire and hostage release are showcased as a concrete victory for such an approach, with political and media reactions serving as barometers for shifting norms. Shapiro sharply critiques the motives and responses of progressive activism and notes significant movement in mainstream media toward recognizing conservative arguments.

Key Segments & Timestamps:

• Israel/Trump-Gaza Deal: [03:50–32:00]
• Media/Democratic Reactions: [56:00–1:04:30]
• Winning Modern Wars: [36:53–54:40]
• Far-left Silence & Critique: [1:05:00–1:12:00]
• U.S. Political Responses & Horsehoe Theory: [1:12:30–1:21:00]
• Media Industry Shifts: [1:21:00–1:23:00]
• U.S. Political Sidebars (Spanberger, Palisades Fire, Government Shutdown, Letitia James): [1:23:00–end]

Tone: Fast-paced, critical, unapologetically conservative, with sharp, polemical asides and analysis.

Recommended For: Listeners interested in Middle East policy, conservative analysis of current events, and the nexus of war, diplomacy, and media narratives.