Podcast Summary: The Ben Shapiro Show – Ep. 2327

Title: Trump Fights The Climate Change Cult
Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro (with contributions from Scott Bessant, Amy Penkin, and Donald Trump)
Main Theme:
This episode tackles two interconnected battles in American politics from a conservative perspective: combating what Ben Shapiro terms “bad science” in transgender medicine and climate change, and analyzing the Trump administration’s latest rollback on climate-related regulations. The show also covers Democratic Party strategy shifts, immigration policies, and the political landscape heading into the 2026 midterms.

Overview

Ben Shapiro opens with a critique of what he considers the “perversion of science” within Western culture, focusing mainly on transgender healthcare and climate science. He draws parallels between these issues, positioning both as arenas where left-leaning “groupthink” has shaped policy and public opinion, often at significant economic and societal cost. The episode highlights President Trump’s revocation of Obama/Biden-era fuel economy and emissions standards, framed as a defense of economic and personal freedom against "climate change extremism." The episode concludes with reflections on evolving Democratic strategies and the battleground issues for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. “Bad Science” in Transgender Medicine

[01:49 – 13:42]

• Critique of the Medical Establishment:
  Shapiro recounts a “grand delusion” promoted by elite institutions: the separation of gender identity from biological sex. He cites a recent Free Press report exposing clinicians in private admitting they perform experimental procedures with little research or outcomes data.
• Notable Example of Medical Practice:
  Amy Penkin, a social worker, describes performing or advocating for complex gender nullification surgeries at the request of patients, even those with no history of sexual activity or desire (“to look like a Barbie down there” [05:10]).
• Key Insight on Patient-Led Medicine:
  Shapiro underscores a move from medicine as diagnosis-driven to medicine as patient “customer service”:

  “The last part… that patients express their needs… and the doctors are then designated with fulfilling the needs of their patients is precisely the opposite of how medical science is supposed to work.” – Ben Shapiro [06:08]

• Mental Health and Surgical Procedures:
  Discussion of how comorbidities (e.g., multiple personality disorder or psychosis) are explicitly no longer grounds for exclusion from gender surgeries. (Amy Penkin [06:49])
• Groupthink Among Clinicians:
  Shapiro highlights recordings where British endocrinologist Leighton Seal explains the need to make controversial decisions as a group to avoid individual liability over procedures with no outcomes data.

  “If you have a network around you... you then have a framework to say, well, the ethics of this were explored…” – Leighton Seal [12:25–13:13]

2. Parallels to Climate Change ‘Groupthink’

[13:42 – 17:15]

• Retraction of Influential Study:
  Shapiro discusses a recent climate change study published in Nature that projected a 62% decline in global economic output by 2100, which was later retracted due to faulty, outlier data (notably from Uzbekistan) that, once removed, dropped the forecasted impact to just 23%.
• Impact of Bad Science:
  The erroneous study informed decisions and models used by the US Congressional Budget Office, the World Bank, and central banks worldwide.

  “It is on the basis of bad science that many... decisions are made. And this is why it is a very good thing that the President... has decided not to bow to the climate change extremists.” – Ben Shapiro [17:15]

3. Trump Administration Climate Deregulation

[17:15 – 22:44]

• Lowering Fuel Economy Standards:
  Trump administration rolls back corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) requirements from Biden’s 50.4 mpg by 2031 to 34.5 mpg, making more vehicles affordable and abundant.

  “We're officially terminating Joe Biden's... CAFE standards that imposed expensive restrictions and all sorts of problems.” – President Donald Trump [21:11]

• Automaker and Consumer Support:
  Ford, Stellantis (Jeep), and GM representatives praise the move, expected to save Americans $109 billion over five years.
• Comparison to Europe:
  Shapiro contrasts US and European climate policies, noting higher electricity costs and struggling industries in the UK due to aggressive green policies compared to the US.

  “When you decide to go green, you also decide to make your economy significantly less effective.” – Ben Shapiro [24:51]

4. Economic Policy and Political Strategy

[25:39 – 27:42]

• Skepticism of Government Economic Interventions:
  Shapiro counters suggestions from some conservatives to send “Trump tariff checks” as stimulus, likening it to “helicopter money” and favoring instead broader economic deregulation and increased supply for affordability.
• Hiring Data:
  Notes a drop of 32,000 jobs in November per ADP and the absence of recent job stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

5. Pete Hegseth “Code Red” Controversy

[27:42 – 31:18]

• Ongoing Democratic Criticism:
  Shapiro critiques ongoing attempts by Democrats and media to implicate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an alleged war crime, noting lack of substantive evidence.
  • He also flags a minor issue over Hegseth’s use of Signal for sharing sensitive info, but points out the Pentagon Inspector General found no legal violation.

6. The 2026 Political Landscape: Blue Wave?

[31:57 – 34:30]

• Swing in Tennessee Special Election:
  Scott Bessant and Shapiro analyze a Tennessee contest where Democrats gained ground even if they didn’t win, warning Republicans not to count on Democratic errors.
• Gavin Newsom’s Move to the Center:
  Newsom calls for the Democratic Party to become more “culturally normal” and less judgmental, showing a strategic pivot to appeal to broader voters.

  “We have to be more culturally normal. We have to be a little less judgmental.” – Gavin Newsom [34:30]

7. Battleground Issues: Trans, Immigration, DEI

[35:19 – 43:43]

• Democrats Quiet on Divisive Issues:
  Shapiro asserts Democrats have gone silent on trans issues, border reopening, and equity (“DEI”), suggesting they’re learning from prior losses.
• Immigration as a GOP Strength:
  Presents Cotton’s Senate bill to block federal benefits to non-citizens and revoke citizenship for violent protest, predicting this will poll well among Republicans.
• Democratic Extremes on Immigration:
  Criticizes figures like Rashida Tlaib and Jamal Osman for equating ICE enforcement with Nazi Germany, arguing this position is politically toxic.

  “That’s going to be a big no.” – Ben Shapiro on Jamal Osman’s comparison to Nazi Germany [44:49]

8. Attacks on the Media

[45:41 – 46:34]

• Shifting Narratives:
  Scott Bessant and Shapiro take aim at the New York Times’ reporting on Trump, labeling it inaccurate and part of a broader media bias.

9. The Policy Future: Health Care and Foreign Affairs

[46:51 – 50:30]

• Obamacare and Health Costs:
  Shapiro, citing Perplexity’s “Comet” project, notes that per-capita healthcare spending doubled since Obamacare began and questions whether Republicans have the resolve for regulatory reform.
• Ukraine War and US Policy:
  Reports on failed Moscow talks and warns that ongoing Russian gains may harm the American public’s perception, emphasizing the potential risks of withdrawal and American disengagement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Patient-Led Medicine:
  “That... patients express their needs to doctors as though they’re simply going into the store and buying a cup of coffee... is precisely the opposite of how medical science is supposed to work.”
  — Ben Shapiro [06:08]

• On Groupthink in Trans Medicine:
  “If you have a network around you... you then have a framework to say, well, the ethics of this were explored because... we are doing procedures here where we don’t have outcome data.”
  — Leighton Seal [12:25–13:13]

• On Climate Science Retraction:
  “So this study was just wrong... overtly wrong. And they had to pull it. But it is on the basis of bad science that many, many decisions are made.”
  — Ben Shapiro [16:55]

• On Trump’s Regulatory Rollback:
  "We're officially terminating Joe Biden's ridiculously burdensome, horrible actually CAFE standards..."
  — Donald Trump [21:11]

• On European Energy Policy:
  “When you decide to go green, you also decide to make your economy significantly less effective.”
  — Ben Shapiro [24:51]

• On GOP Caution:
  “Democrats may be learning their lesson and Republicans should be careful of that. You cannot Always count on your opponents to suck at this.”
  — Ben Shapiro [35:19]

Important Timestamps

• 01:49 – 13:42: Deep-dive into ‘bad science’ and groupthink in transgender medicine
• 13:42 – 17:15: Climate change study retraction and implications
• 17:15 – 22:44: Trump deregulates fuel economy/emissions; economic rationale and impact
• 24:03 – 25:39: European green policies and US contrast
• 31:57 – 34:30: Electoral landscape analysis and Democratic strategy shifts
• 34:30 – 35:19: Gavin Newsom’s advice to Democrats
• 39:02 – 43:43: Immigration, benefits restrictions, and Democratic radicalism
• 45:41 – 46:34: Media criticism and Republican counter-narrative
• 46:51 – 50:30: Health care inflation, Obamacare critique, and Ukraine/Russia conflict

Conclusion

This episode weaves together critiques of transgender medicine and climate change science, arguing both are symptomatic of ideological “groupthink”—resulting in ill-advised policy. Ben Shapiro frames Trump’s deregulation as both a substantive correction and a vital political statement, echoing through the upcoming 2026 midterms. With Democrats quietly repositioning on divisive issues and the GOP searching for unifying themes, the battle lines for the next election are being drawn around science, economics, and American identity.