The Ben Shapiro Show

Ep. 2350 – "The Left Says Opposing Illegal Immigration Is WHITE SUPREMACY"
Air Date: January 20, 2026 | Host: Ben Shapiro

Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro confronts the recent narrative from left-leaning commentators and activists that labels opposition to illegal immigration as inherently "white supremacy." He dissects the rhetorical escalation within progressive circles and the blurring of lines between enforcing immigration laws and accusations of racism. Shapiro hosts several guests—journalists, reporters, and authors—who highlight recent events in Minneapolis involving ICE, protests, and the political dynamics around immigration enforcement. He also explores claims that foreign governments weaponize US immigration and comments on current global politics, notably the Trump administration’s focus on Greenland.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Searching for a “New Civil Rights Movement”

• Ben starts by framing Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) as a touchstone reminding Americans of true civil rights struggles—contrasting those historical battles with current left-wing attempts to cast modern issues (like illegal immigration enforcement) as the equivalent.
• He notes how Democrats, in his view, have struggled to find new areas of widespread American racism, and asserts:

  “The demand is higher than the supply.” (07:22)

Immigration Enforcement as “White Supremacy”

• Shapiro critiques the rhetoric that paints ICE as a tool of white supremacy simply for enforcing the law, calling such comparisons “insane” and “pathetic.”
• He plays and analyzes comments by Jennifer Welch (liberal commentator), who describes Trump-supporting evangelical churches as “white nationalists” and ICE enforcement as an extension of that mindset.
• Notable Quote:

  “To support deporting criminal illegal immigrants is insane. But it's part and parcel again of a broader, self-referential, self-righteous program on the part of Democrats to claim that whatever they are doing is the political corollary of what was happening in the 1960s in Selma, which is really quite pathetic.” — Ben Shapiro (11:41)

Media & Protest Culture

• Clips from Jennifer Welch and Don Lemon show a narrative in progressive media linking anti-ICE protests and enforcement with white supremacy and toxic masculinity.
• Notable Quote:

  “He is a fascist, apparently… And this church is filled with white supremacists. And the, the casual way that Democrats throw this kind of language around is pretty astonishing.” — Ben Shapiro (13:22)

• Ben criticizes Don Lemon for using personal identity (as a gay black journalist) to justify his prominence in these events and rebuts Lemon’s language toward critics like Nicki Minaj.

On-the-Ground: Minneapolis ICE Protests

• Shapiro highlights increasingly confrontational and disruptive protests, including sit-ins at local businesses, describing left-wing protest tactics as detached from mainstream concerns.
  • Notable Moment: Protesters literally “sitting in the makeup section of a Target,” chanting against ICE. (19:29)

Guest Segment: Mary Margaret Olahan (Daily Wire White House Correspondent)

• Discusses revelations of political and legal insiders—prosecutors, lawmakers—being tied to anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis churches, calling the activism “astroturfed” rather than grassroots.
• Raises the seriousness of protests disrupting worship in a climate of recent violence at houses of worship.

Guest Segment: Jenny Terror (Daily Wire Immigration Reporter)

• Jenny recounts her ride-along with ICE agents in Minneapolis, describing the intense, coordinated efforts by activists to obstruct enforcement, putting officers at risk.
  • Notable Quote:

    “Those ICE officers are there to arrest illegal immigrants. The ones who we were going after that day had rap sheets... They’re up against some really organized chaos.” — Jenny Terror (27:40)

• She explains that agents face exponentially more threats, including physical obstruction and sabotage (like tire-slashing), and describes ICE’s de-escalation efforts.
  • Notable Stat: Death threats against ICE agents “are up like 8,000%.” (30:31)

Foreign Powers & “Weaponized” Immigration

Guest Segment: Peter Schweitzer (Author, “The Invisible Coup”)

• Schweitzer outlines claims from his book on how countries like Mexico, China, and groups like the Muslim Brotherhood exploit US immigration policy to influence or destabilize the country.
  • Mexico: He describes Mexican officials’ open discussion of “reconquista"—leveraging mass migration to reclaim US territory and political influence.
    • Quote:

      “They want to exert sovereignty over portions of the United States that they say were stolen from them… and mass migration is the way of doing it.” — Peter Schweitzer (36:20)

  • China: Schweitzer alleges an “industrial scale” use of birthright citizenship by Chinese elites, potentially creating millions of “US citizens” who grew up in China.
  • Muslim Brotherhood: Framing immigration as “civilizational warfare,” preaching public aid fraud as religiously justified.

National & Global Political Updates

Trump, Greenland, and Global Alliances (43:21–52:56)

• Shapiro pivots to major news: President Trump’s push on seizing control of Greenland, reportedly linking it to issues like the Nobel Peace Prize, and applying tariff pressure on US allies.
  • He questions the wisdom of staking US-European relations over Greenland and warns about the economic cost of tariffs.
    • Quote:

      “Why would we revivify a bipolar world by giving up our hegemon status for no reason? That I can really see it doesn't make a lot of sense.” — Ben Shapiro (56:14)

• Includes reaction clips from European and British officials, as well as comment from Russian and Chinese representatives.

Shifting World Orders

• Ben analyzes at length the demographic and economic crises facing Russia and China, questioning the rationale of antagonizing allies rather than focusing competitive efforts on genuine geopolitical adversaries.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments w/ Timestamps

• “Democrats have been searching ever since the civil rights movement for the next civil rights movement... and now Democrats seem to have hit upon the idea that the new civil rights movement is in fact illegal immigration...”
  — Ben Shapiro (05:01)
• “There is not in fact a concerted effort to resegregate America. And no one who is sentient in America believes that there is.”
  — Ben Shapiro (06:42)
• “These are white nationalists. And the DOJ got their panties in a wad because these protesters went straight to them and addressed their hypocrisy.”
  — Jennifer Welch (09:48)
• “The casual way that Democrats throw this kind of language around is pretty astonishing.”
  — Ben Shapiro (13:22)
• “You're not fighting. You're sitting in a Target, my dude, that’s beautiful. I mean, that’s talent right there.”
  — Ben Shapiro (19:29)
• “He loves to hop on the phone with them. And, you know, he's always said that Michael Cohen was a corrupt lawyer... Michael Cohen finally admitting that coerced, after not admitting to that after all this time, was just too much for the President to resist.”
  — Mary Margaret Olahan (22:46)
• “There's this narrative going around right now is that ICE is going after targeting US Citizens. They don't want to be arresting US Citizens, but they do have authority to go after them if they're trying to impede their arrest.”
  — Jenny Terror (28:38)
• “It's not the immigration of 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. It's been weaponized by foreign governments.”
  — Peter Schweitzer (34:20)
• "[China has] created an industrial scale use of birthright citizenship... The Chinese government believes... roughly 100,000 Chinese nationals have done this in the United States, meaning we're looking at roughly 1 million U.S. citizens.”
  — Peter Schweitzer (38:44)
• “Alliances endure because they're built on respect…and not pressure. That is why…tariffs against allies is completely wrong.”
  — Keir Starmer, UK (50:23)
• “I do not see the rationale for why the United States would be targeting, for example, the Europeans as opposed to Russia and China. Russia is in serious trouble... China is upside down... So why exactly would be taking the pedal off the metal in order to pressure NATO on Greenland?”
  — Ben Shapiro (55:46)

Timestamps for Core Segments

• MLK Day, Race, and the Search for the Next “Civil Rights” Cause: 05:01–07:22
• Illegal Immigration Framed as White Supremacy: 07:22–13:22
• Progressive Commentary (Welch and Lemon), Media Rhetoric: 09:48–15:35
• Protests in Minneapolis (Target, Churches) & Analysis: 19:18–22:00
• Interview – Mary Margaret Olahan on Minneapolis Protests & Political Links: 20:25–24:06
• Interview – Jenny Terror on ICE Ride-Along, Risks, and Realities: 26:25–33:07
• Interview – Peter Schweitzer on Foreign Powers Weaponizing Immigration: 33:05–43:20
• Global Politics: Trump, NATO, Greenland, and Tariffs: 43:21–52:56
• European & Russian/Chinese Responses: 49:19–52:56
• China’s Demographic/Economic Problems: 52:56–56:14

Tone & Language

Ben Shapiro’s tone remains combative and analytical throughout, with frequent sarcasm and exasperation at what he sees as overstatements or misapplications of civil rights rhetoric by Democrats and left-leaning commentators. Guest segments provide factual on-the-ground reporting and in-depth analysis aligned with Shapiro's conservative perspective.

Summary for Listeners

If you missed this episode, Ben Shapiro walks you through the debate over illegal immigration and the left's increasingly forceful rhetorical approach, tracing its connection to electoral strategies and the co-opting of civil rights language. He brings in firsthand reporting on activism, law enforcement challenges, and interviews with authors chronicling how America's immigration debate is shaped by both internal political motives and external adversaries. He closes with reflection on global politics and the potential pitfalls of current US foreign policy maneuvers.