The Ben Shapiro Show

Ep. 2316 – The Democrats’ Circular Firing Squad CONTINUES

Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)
Special Guest: Matt Fradd (Pints with Aquinas)

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, Ben Shapiro discusses the intensifying internal divisions within the Democratic Party, characterizing it as a “circular firing squad” between radicals, traditionalists, and moderates. He analyzes recent events exemplifying the leftward shift, the mainstream’s inability to resist radicalization, and the consequences for broader American politics. The episode touches on economic policy under Trump, debates about affordability and economic solutions, the controversy over H1B visas, and the rise of polygamy discourse among supposed traditionalists. Ben is joined by Matt Fradd for a deep dive into biblical perspectives on polygamy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Democratic Party’s Civil War

(Main Segment: 00:00–14:30)

• Ben opens by highlighting growing fractures within the Democrats:

  • The “radicals” (AOC, Zoran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders) are gaining momentum, while traditional liberals and moderates now seem out of step with their own party.
  • Shapiro ties radical ascendancy to recent election wins, specifically Zoran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral victory.
  • He references Ryan Enos (Harvard political scientist), noting that voters, fueled by dissatisfaction and anger, are willing to elect radical outsiders.
  • Shapiro argues: “Anger at the status quo leads people to embrace radicalism… when no leaders are willing to stand up and say the truth… what you end up with is the radicals taking over the party.” [06:24]

• Contrasting Democratic and Republican Patriotism:

  • Clips of Trump’s Veterans Day speech exemplify patriotism (“…the man loves the country, obviously. He loves the American flag. He loves the American military…” [02:33]).
  • In contrast, left-wing commentators like Hasan Piker, speaking in China with no sense of American patriotism, are portrayed as indicative of the radical rot within Democratic ranks.

• Radicals & Violence:

  • Shapiro highlights a TPUSA (Turning Point USA) event at UC Berkeley disrupted by left-wing agitators, using it as a sign that fringe elements are growing bolder and mainstream Democrats lack the “immunity” to resist them.

Notable Quote:

“If the Democratic Party refuses to stand up and say no [to radicals], then you know, I think the Democrats are in some real trouble here.”
— Ben Shapiro [04:22]

2. Democratic Infighting Over Policy & Shutdowns

(Shutdown Debate, 08:54–13:00)

• Liberals and radicals both voice consternation at mainstream moves to end government shutdowns, fearing loss of momentum.
  • Gavin Newsom (CA governor) attacks bipartisan compromise as “a surrender.” [09:38]
  • Ro Khanna (progressive Rep.): “It’s mind boggling. It’s just people who are out of touch who don’t understand the political moment that we’re in…” [10:38]
  • JB Pritzker expresses disappointment at Democrats who crossed the aisle, suggesting a lack of “protection” for key policies.
  • Shapiro compares this dynamic to the Russian Revolution; moderates lack “systemic immunity” to stop radicals.

Notable Quote:

“The systemic immunity is gone.”
— Ben Shapiro [11:10]

3. Dilemmas of Economic Policy and Affordability

(Economic Analysis, 13:15–23:10)

• Ben describes economic uncertainty as the true threat to Republicans and the nation.
  • Inflation remains elevated from Biden-era surges, though moderating.
  • Interviews with economic advisors (Scott Bessant, Kevin Hassett) suggest a mix of optimism and realism about inflation’s trajectory [15:23–16:41].
  • Affordability, Shapiro argues, comes from supply, not demand-side government intervention:
    • “If you actually want affordability, then either you have to change policies or change locations. Those are really the only two things.” [43:11]
  • He critiques central planning and rate cuts, asserting that past government-backed programs and subsidies (like in housing, healthcare, or education) increase prices, not reduce them.
  • Analysis of Trump administration ideas: Ben criticizes proposals for government-backed 50-year mortgages as a “subprime crisis” in the making.

Notable Quote:

“The way to make things affordable, the way to bring down prices, is fairly simple. You increase supply. That is how prices go down.”
— Ben Shapiro [18:24]

4. H1B Visas and the Right’s Incoherence

(Labor & Immigration Policy, 23:11–37:40)

• Republican base splits over whether legal skilled immigration (e.g., H1B visas) is good for economic growth or hurting domestic workers.
  • Ben outlines common-sense restrictions (security, loyalty, welfare dependency), but defends high-skilled immigration as a net positive, citing examples of celebrated immigrant founders.
  • Trump’s nuanced take with Laura Ingraham: you can’t just fill highly specialized jobs by “taking people off the unemployment line” [36:40], using battery manufacturing in Georgia as a case.
  • Shapiro’s principle: Increased labor supply lowers costs and boosts “affordability” for consumers, even as it has tradeoffs for certain domestic workers. Complete restriction would make the U.S. uncompetitive.

Notable Quotes:

“There are in fact, certain positions… that require a level of expertise that may not be reachable in the numbers that are currently being churned out by American universities.”
— Ben Shapiro [29:17]

“If you are simultaneously complaining about affordability and also seeking to restrict the supply of an item, then what you are saying is logically and economically incoherent.”
— Ben Shapiro [22:12]

5. Affordability, Mobility, and Personal Responsibility

(Cultural Discussion, 37:41–54:10)

• Shapiro addresses viral criticism that he told young people desperate for affordable housing to “just move.”
  • He clarifies: policy change and personal relocation are both valid approaches, with American history showing mobility as a normal response to economic opportunity.
  • Argues marriage and family decline are not economic, but cultural; people in poorer countries marry more.
  • Cites data: moving to areas like Pittsburgh offers affordable housing and more opportunity.

“Ignoring reality in favor of political utopianism is a recipe for personal unhappiness, and it’s not something that, honestly, people on the right should be promoting.”
— Ben Shapiro [52:10]

6. “Trad” Movements and Polygamy in Modern Religious Circles

(Polygamy Segment with Matt Fradd, 54:11–65:29)

• Emerging subcultures among supposed “traditionalists” are reviving polygamy, citing Old Testament precedent.
  • Ben and Catholic author Matt Fradd dismantle these claims scripturally and with reference to long-standing Jewish and Christian tradition.
  • Both emphasize that “description is not prescription” in scripture: just because polygamy appears in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s ethical or ideal.

Notable Exchange:

“Just because something is described in scripture, it doesn’t mean that it is commended in Scripture.”
— Matt Fradd [60:29]

“Multiple marriages in the Bible tend not to work out particularly well.”
— Ben Shapiro [59:50]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Democratic infighting:
  “You now have inside the Democratic Party… some soft socialists… trying to hold off the Reds… Eventually, there wasn’t enough systemic immunity to stop them.”
  — Ben Shapiro [11:14]

• On labor and markets:
  “Autarky comes with the fun feeling… but the very large downside: your products are economically inefficient, don’t work as well, and you’re not globally competitive.”
  — Ben Shapiro [28:41]

• On personal responsibility:
  “If you want a better life, you should feel better about the world and worse about yourself until you actually go do the right things.”
  — Ben Shapiro [44:30]

• On biblical interpretation:
  “This is the problem, I think, when you take the Scriptures and you interpret it without the magisterium of the church. Just because we see polygamy, it doesn’t follow that polygamy was God’s idea.”
  — Matt Fradd [60:29]

• On tradition and modern “trads”:
  “When you just free yourself of all tradition and start freewheeling it, you end up in some pretty bad areas, whether that’s secular or whether it is pseudo religious in this way.”
  — Ben Shapiro [59:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Democrats’ internal war, Trump vs. Piker patriotism: 00:00–06:30
• Radical violence at TPUSA event: 08:48–09:38
• Shutdown, party infighting, analogies to Russian Revolution: 09:38–11:52
• Economic policy, inflation, and Federal Reserve rates: 13:15–18:30
• Housing affordability, critiques of 50-year mortgages: 18:31–22:30
• H1B visas, labor markets, and Trump-Ingraham exchange: 23:11–37:40
• Affordability and mobility, critics of Ben’s advice to “move”: 37:41–54:10
• Modern “traditionalists” and polygamy, with Matt Fradd: 54:11–65:29

Summary Takeaways

• The Democratic Party faces existential threats from its increasingly powerful radical left, while moderates and liberals lack the will or ability to halt the leftward slide.
• Economic “affordability” is a supply-side phenomenon; government intervention and subsidy have historically inflated prices.
• Immigration and labor supply issues are complex; absolute restrictionism undermines economic dynamism.
• Personal mobility, not static victimhood, is intrinsic to American opportunity and history.
• Attempts to revive polygamy under the banner of “tradition” reflect a selective, ahistorical misunderstanding of religious texts and tradition.
• The show remains focused on challenging narratives, advocating personal accountability, market realism, and the importance of interpretive tradition.

End of Summary.