The Ben Shapiro Show Episode 2331 – Is Affordability a “Democrat Hoax”?! Date: December 10, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode closely examines the political narrative around “affordability”—with Ben Shapiro arguing it has become a strategic Democratic talking point rather than a substantive policy metric. He investigates recent Democratic gains (notably in Miami), analyzes the evolving meaning and polling around affordability, critiques current health care and tariff debates, and discusses broader societal trends including religion among young Americans and emergent political/legislative scandals. The episode’s tone is sharp, skeptical, and deeply critical of Democratic policy, with Shapiro urging Republicans not to misread fleeting victories or ignore policy vulnerabilities.

Key Discussion Points

1. Shifts in Political Power: Miami Goes Blue (02:00 – 05:45)

• Discussion: Miami elected its first Democratic mayor in 30 years, flipping a longtime GOP stronghold despite major Republican support.
• Analysis:
  • Shapiro calls it a "ding in the Republican armor," particularly concerning for the Hispanic vote.
  • Suggests Democrats have deftly pivoted from divisive culture-war themes toward "affordability," which resonates with voters’ economic frustrations.
• Quote:
  • “Miami has been Republican for decades...Now it has turned blue despite Republicans rallying in favor of the Republican candidate.” (03:45)

2. The “Affordability” Issue: Political Hoax or Real Problem? (05:45 – 11:30)

• Polling Data:
  • Nearly half of Americans say basic costs (groceries, utilities, health care, housing, transportation) are hard to afford.
  • 27% have skipped a medical checkup, 23% skipped prescriptions due to cost.
• Shapiro’s Framing:
  • Distinguishes between inflation (rates going up or down) and affordability ("how far my money goes right now").
  • Criticizes “affordability” as a buzzword—suggests Democrats use it to shift blame for inflation started under their policies.
• Insight:
  • “Affordability is a broad buzzword...very few people ever think things are, quote, unquote, affordable.” (04:57)
• Notable Data:
  • Since 2019: Rent, food, health insurance up ~20-25%; nominal incomes up only 10-15%.

3. Trump’s Response & Health Care Blame Game (11:32 – 18:32)

• Trump Quote (11:34):
  • “They have a new word, you know. They always have a hoax. The new word is affordability. So they look at the camera and they say this election is all about affordability.”
• Shapiro’s Take:
  • Democrats use “affordability” to dodge responsibility for policy failures; when program costs (e.g., Obamacare, ACA subsidies) skyrocket, they blame Republicans for not bailing out their unsustainable policies.
  • Highlights how the game is played: create unaffordable programs, demand more subsidies, and then fault Republicans for resisting expansion ("the beauty of being a Democrat").
• Legislative Stalemate:
  • Republicans push for more Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and against extending ACA subsidies.
  • GOP Senators warn failure to fund subsidies will invite political disaster.
• Quote:
  • “This is the game ... they make it unaffordable, destroy the mechanism ... then ask you to fill in the gap based on the current unaffordability.” (13:42)
  • “The reality is that Republicans have never had a comprehensive plan to replace Obamacare...” (17:32)

4. Tariffs, Steel & Farming: Disconnected Economic Policies (21:28 – 28:46)

• Tariffs Unpopular:
  • Trump advocates tariffs as making America stronger, especially in steel, but Shapiro argues tariffs raise prices for Americans and hurt farmers via lost export markets.
  • American Soybean Association quote:
    • “This is a band-aid on an open wound...What we truly need are market-based solutions.” (23:50)
  • Trump’s claim: “Tariffs are making them [farmers] rich.”
  • Contradicted by data showing $27 billion in export losses from trade wars.
• Quote:
  • “When people are feeling bad about their own personal economic situation, you can't tell them that they are actually doing great.” (24:28)
• Broader Point:
  • The economy is "discombobulated": AI and tech sectors boom, but many Americans feel left out due to declining affordability elsewhere.

5. The AI Boom & Economic Uncertainty (27:57 – 32:00)

• Comparing AI Boom to Dot-com Era:
  • Big tech companies drive the AI surge, insulating the sector from “explosive collapse.”
  • Suggests that while some “winnowing” is likely, it won’t match the severity of past tech bubbles.
• Investor Caution:
  • Public feels disconnected: AI stocks soar, but everyday expenses (housing, food, insurance) outpace wage growth.
• Interest Rates & Fed:
  • Anticipated rate cuts may not be sustainable; questions about who will succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair.
• Quote:
  • “We need more of [deregulation] and less of the interventionism already.” (32:15)

6. Exposing Government Fraud: SBA & DEI Programs (34:06 – 40:22)

Guest Segment: Sen. Joni Ernst & Luke Rosiak on Federal Fraud

• Target: SBA 8A Program:
  • Intended to aid disadvantaged businesses but rife with fraud (contracts granted on dubious minority status, frequently subcontracted to ineligible companies).
  • Ernst: “We have found a boatload, boatload of fraud in this program.” (34:27)
  • Rosiak: “If you think about the Somali fraud in Minnesota, think that times a thousand ... it's giving benefits oftentimes to non-Americans over Americans.” (35:43)
• Legislative Action:
  • Ernst’s “Stop 8A Contracting Fraud Act”—aims to tighten oversight/audit procedures, potentially end unconstitutional aspects of the program.
• Outstanding Cases:
  • Detailed anecdotes about millions in fraud, especially during COVID relief and minority set-aside contracts.

7. Republican/Conservative Blind Spots & Cultural Trends (40:22 – 45:33)

• Electoral Shifts:
  • Warns GOP may overread ephemeral victories; voters often vote against, not for, parties in two-party systems.
• Religious Trends:
  • Washington Post data: religious affiliation declining among youth (56% self-identify as religious in 2024 vs. 74% in 2007); those still religious skew more devout.
  • Warns both sides (left and right) not to misread anecdotal evidence as trend.
  • Quote:
    • “If you misread those trends, you tend to think either that all Americans are going secularist or that Americans, broadly speaking, are becoming more religious...both are wrong.” (43:40)

8. Christmas, Catholicism, & Faith Discussion (w/ Matt Fradd) (45:33 – 50:15)

• Special Interview: Matt Fradd (Pints With Aquinas)
  • Christmas' spiritual meaning, the Immaculate Conception explained, and the commercialization debate.
  • Fradd Quote (on Immaculate Conception):
    • “It doesn't mean that Christians don't believe that Christ could not have been born of a sinful woman... The idea is that it was so fitting...that the Mother of God would be preserved from all sin.” (47:05)
  • Both Fradd and Shapiro advise enjoying Christmas but remembering its spiritual roots.
  • Fradd: “We can all just kind of calm down and not everything has to be a war. ... I kind of like it [commercialization].” (49:55)

9. Democratic Victories and Urban Policy Critique (50:15 – 53:48)

• NYC Mayoral Controversies:
  • Zarn Momdani, new NYC mayor, taps a former convict/rapper for criminal justice advisory position—Shapiro mocks the move as worsening "law and order."
  • Highlights Momdani's public advice on avoiding ICE, portraying it as undermining immigration enforcement.
  • Quote:
    • “We got criminals in New York trying to make jail policy. That’ll be great.” (51:08)

10. Media Megadeals & Regulatory Concerns (53:48 – 54:17)

• Paramount vs. Netflix for Warner Bros.
  • Paramount outbids Netflix with backers including foreign sovereign funds and a Trump-linked equity firm.
  • Shapiro dislikes government involvement in such private sector decisions, objects to suggestions of regulatory or White House intervention.

Standout Quotes & Timestamp Index

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 03:45 | “Miami has been Republican for decades...Now it has turned blue despite Republicans rallying in favor of the Republican candidate.” | Ben Shapiro | | 04:57 | “Affordability is a broad buzzword...very few people ever think things are, quote, unquote, affordable.” | Ben Shapiro | | 13:42 | “This is the game ... they make it unaffordable, destroy the mechanism ... then ask you to fill in the gap based on the current unaffordability.” | Ben Shapiro | | 24:28 | “When people are feeling bad about their own personal economic situation, you can't tell them that they are actually doing great.” | Ben Shapiro | | 35:43 | “If you think about the Somali fraud in Minnesota, think that times a thousand ... it's giving benefits oftentimes to non-Americans over Americans.” | Luke Rosiak | | 43:40 | “If you misread those trends, you tend to think either that all Americans are going secularist or that Americans, broadly speaking, are becoming more religious...both are wrong.” | Ben Shapiro | | 47:05 | “[The Immaculate Conception]...The idea is that it was so fitting...that the Mother of God would be preserved from all sin.” | Matt Fradd | | 49:55 | “We can all just kind of calm down and not everything has to be a war. ... I kind of like it [commercialization].” | Matt Fradd | | 51:08 | “We got criminals in New York trying to make jail policy. That’ll be great.” | Ben Shapiro |

Key Takeaways

• Democratic strategy is winning in urban centers by focusing on “affordability” and de-emphasizing divisive identity issues.
• Economic statistics show real pain points for many Americans, but partisan narratives obscure root causes.
• Republican and Democratic parties risk misreading short-term victories and shifting cultural trends, especially in religion and demographics.
• Health care and trade remain unresolved policy vulnerabilities for the GOP, which could create blowback in upcoming elections.
• Federal programs tied to DEI and minority preferences face growing scrutiny over fraud and effectiveness.
• Media consolidation and big tech’s AI investments raise both regulatory and popular concern.
• Shapiro calls for honest, conservative policy reevaluation—especially on health care and economic regulation—to avoid repeated electoral setbacks.

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:00: Ads/Intro (skipped)
• 02:00 – 05:45: Miami flips blue, GOP concerns
• 05:45 – 11:30: Poll data on affordability, definitions, and political positioning
• 11:32 – 18:32: Trump response, Health care/Obamacare politics
• 21:28 – 28:46: Trump tariffs, steel, farming, and economic disconnection
• 27:57 – 32:00: AI boom, economic uncertainty, rate/fed discussion
• 34:06 – 40:22: SBA/8A fraud, interview with Sen. Ernst and Luke Rosiak
• 40:22 – 45:33: GOP electoral weaknesses, trends in youth religion
• 45:33 – 50:15: Christmas, faith, commercialization (Matt Fradd)
• 50:15 – 53:48: NYC politics, mayoral advisor controversy
• 53:48 – 54:17: Warner Bros acquisition battle, regulatory implications

Overall, a fast-paced, data-driven critical review of the 2025 political and cultural battlefield, urging conservatives to address real voter concerns and policy pitfalls rather than rely on old narratives.