The Ben Shapiro Show — Ep. 2337

President Trump Pushes The Affordability "RESET" Button
Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro analyzes President Trump’s recent primetime address on affordability and its effectiveness in changing the national conversation about the economy. Shapiro scrutinizes Trump’s use of charts, narrative strategies, and the ongoing political repercussions both within Congress and the Republican Party. The episode pivots into broader ideological debates on American identity, creedal versus heritage Americanism, and political coalitions for the post-Trump era. The show also covers US policy towards Venezuela, developments in the Trump administration, and notable trends in the Democratic Party.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. President Trump’s National Address on Affordability

[06:42–16:15]

• Narrative Reset:
  President Trump aimed to recapture the economic narrative, shifting focus from left-wing messaging about affordability to his policies.

  • “President Trump last night attempted a reset... an attempt to seize the narrative away from a left which keeps saying the word affordability.” — Ben Shapiro (06:04)
  • Shapiro lauds Trump for using charts à la Reagan to compare economic changes under Biden vs. Trump in sectors like hotels, gasoline, propane, and sporting events.
    • “He showed Joe Biden’s price increases and Trump’s price decreases … those are all good things to show the American people.” (07:28)

• Shapiro’s Critique:

  • The baseline issue: Lowering prices now cannot erase inflation accumulated during previous years; prices are still higher than before Biden’s term.
  • Affordability as a “weasel word”: It's a subjective feeling, not a statistical fact.
    • “Affordability is a feeling; it is not a statistical fact.” — Ben Shapiro (10:45)

• Public Reception:

  • Americans feel inflation most acutely in groceries and everyday staples, not in less frequent purchases like mortgages.
  • Only 2–3% of Americans get a new mortgage yearly, dulling the impact of that talking point.

• Notable Quote:

  • “If the thing you buy most frequently is up in price, you are going to feel pressed. If the thing you buy once every 20 years is down, you're not going to feel that quite as much.” — Ben Shapiro (09:46)

2. Trump’s Economic Policy Details

[12:32–16:15]

• Trump’s Opening Framing:

  • Clip: “11 months ago, I inherited a mess and I’m fixing it…inflation was the worst in 48 years… during a Democrat administration…” — Trump, as aired by Shapiro (12:32)

• Attack on the Left:

  • Clip: "The US was ruled by politicians who fought only for insiders, illegal aliens, corporate lobbyists, and foreign nations…” — Trump (13:15)

• Emphasis on Tax Cuts:

  • Promotion of the “largest tax cuts in American history,” bundled into a sweeping bill removing taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security for seniors.
    • “Many families will be saving between $11,000 and $20,000 a year. And next spring is projected to be the largest tax refund season of all time.” — Trump (15:04)

• Critique of Performance:

  • Shapiro comments the delivery was “not his best,” but argues the spotlight on affordability is a political win.

3. Congressional Fallout Over Health Care Costs

[16:15–23:30]

• Party Divisions:

  • Four vulnerable House Republicans sided with Democrats to seek a vote extending ACA (Obamacare) subsidies, illustrating internal GOP fractures.
    • “There’s been an attempt to say that this is a blow to Mike Johnson’s leadership, but… Speaker Johnson…has done an extraordinary job in navigating an incredibly fractious and tough caucus.” — Ben Shapiro (18:22)

• Shapiro’s Strategic Commentary:

  • Points out the Democratic tactic of obstruction to force the GOP’s hand.
  • Republicans are criticized by WSJ for failing to propose spending cuts as offsets.

• Electoral Implications:

  • The Republican brand on affordability is crucial for swing districts; preserving the issue for the midterms is high-stakes politics.

4. 2028 Election Polls and Coalition Building

[24:04–28:45]

• AOC vs. J.D. Vance:

  • Shock poll shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeating Vice President J.D. Vance 51–49% for 2028.
    • “Should scare the hell out of Republicans if the poll is in any way accurate.” — Ben Shapiro (24:08)

• Coalition Dynamics:

  • Shapiro cautions no candidate inherits a predecessor’s coalition intact (e.g., HW Bush, Hillary Clinton), urging Vance to build his own.
    • “No one inherits someone else's coalition. If they do, it is usually a smaller coalition.” (25:00)

5. Creedal vs. Heritage Americanism: The Conservative Debate

[29:00–35:55]

• The Ideological Divide:

  • Debate between “creedal” (idea-based, assimilation-driven) and “heritage” (ancestry-based, blood-and-soil) definitions of American identity.
  • Shapiro forcefully defends the creedal vision:
    • “America is in fact different. It is a nation based on an idea, not an idea based on a nation.” (31:00)

• Vivek Ramaswamy’s Op-Ed:

  • Shapiro highlights Vivek’s NYT piece distinguishing between ideologically inclusive, assimilationist Americanism and exclusionary heritage definitions.
    • “Americanness isn't a scalar quality … You're an American if you believe in the rule of law, freedom of conscience, the US Constitution…” — Quoting Vivek Ramaswamy (33:12)

• Practical Implications:

  • Shapiro warns focusing on heritage shrinks the GOP base and alienates the Hispanic and immigrant voters Trump won.

• Notable Quote:

  • “If you say that the longer you're in the country, the more American you are, you're alienating your potential voters.” — Ben Shapiro (31:50)

6. U.S. Policy toward Venezuela

[40:30–45:36]

• Naval Blockade and Regime Change Rhetoric:

  • Trump orders "a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers" in and out of Venezuela.
    • “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America…” — Trump (as recounted by Shapiro, 40:47)
  • Goal: Create internal pressure for regime change without military invasion.

• Democratic Responses:

  • Rep. Jason Crow and others decry the move as dangerous, referencing failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    • “We pulled out of Afghanistan. We saw how poorly that went. The US needs to get out of the regime change business.” — Rep. Jason Crow (42:39)
  • Shapiro rebuts: No talk of ground invasion, just economic pressure.

• Controversy Over Military Actions:

  • Senate presses for transparency over boat strikes in the Caribbean related to drug running.
  • Rep. Benny Thompson alleges war crimes, but Shapiro dismisses these as overblown.

7. Additional Political Developments

[45:38–54:07]

• Dan Bongino’s FBI Tenure Ends:

  • Bongino steps down after a brief but public year, credited for patriotism and the January 6th pipe bomber arrest.

• NYC Mayoral Appointments:

  • Zoran Mamdani’s administration hires a controversial lawyer linked to anti-Israel activism and al-Qaeda defense cases.
    • Shapiro lampoons Mamdani’s promises of safer cities via free buses and “caricatured” definitions of socialism.
    • “If socialism means that everybody lives a better life and is richer, then I’m a socialist. Well, no, that's not what socialism means.” — Ben Shapiro (52:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The President trying to drill down and get into the stats… is actually quite good.” — Ben Shapiro (11:19)
• “Affordability is a weasel word; affordability is vague. Affordability is a feeling.” — Ben Shapiro (10:45)
• “President Trump is fine with giving a mediocre performance as long as the spotlight is on him.” — Ben Shapiro (14:14)
• “America is a nation based on an idea, not an idea based on a nation.” — Ben Shapiro (31:00)
• “No one inherits someone else's coalition … Usually it's a smaller coalition.” — Ben Shapiro (25:00)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic Description | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:42 | Trump’s speech: Purpose and charts on affordability | | 09:46 | Why Americans don’t feel improvements in prices | | 12:32 | Trump: “I inherited a mess and I'm fixing it” | | 15:04 | Trump on “largest tax cuts” and economic improvement | | 16:15 | Congressional friction over extending Obamacare subsidies | | 24:04 | AOC vs. J.D. Vance 2028 polling & Shapiro’s analysis | | 29:00 | Discussion: Creedal vs. Heritage Americanism on the Right | | 31:00 | “America ... based on an idea, not ... a nation” | | 40:30 | Trump’s Venezuela blockade/armada strategy | | 42:39 | Rep. Jason Crow on dangers of regime change | | 45:38 | Dan Bongino steps down from FBI | | 50:21 | Mandani on free buses and public safety | | 52:37 | Shapiro on “socialist” redefinitions |

Conclusion

Ben Shapiro delivers a sweeping analysis of President Trump’s efforts to regain the upper hand on economic messaging, critiques vague political language around affordability, and forecasts the shifting coalitions and ideological debates on the American right as the post-Trump era approaches. The episode underscores the Republican Party’s crossroads on economics, identity, and strategy, while also examining policy disputes over healthcare, Venezuela, and law enforcement at the administrative level.

Shapiro’s tone is brisk, analytical, and characteristically combative, interlaced with humor and pointed critiques of both left- and right-wing missteps.

For listeners interested in US politics, conservative strategy, or current narratives around economics and American identity, this episode offers a detailed, opinionated roadmap with plenty of quotable moments.