The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode 2360: Here’s the REAL Reason Democrats Are Obstructing ICE
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)
Guests: Senator John Kennedy, Matt Walsh, Officer Brandon Tatum

Main Theme

This episode explores the political and cultural battle over immigration policy, specifically Democratic opposition to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in the lead-up to the 2026 elections. Shapiro argues Democrats are creating chaos in areas like Minnesota to undermine Republicans’ strengths on immigration. He’s joined by Officer Brandon Tatum and Senator John Kennedy, discussing border enforcement, PR battles, cultural narratives, and the internal dynamics of Congress.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Landscape and 2026 Election Worries

• Swing in Red States: Shapiro points to recent Texas and other "deep red" special elections swinging Democratic as a warning sign for the GOP (01:03).
• Polling Data: Democrats are +4 on the generic congressional ballot; Republicans are slipping (02:25).
• Key Senate Races: Vulnerable GOP seats (Maine, NC, Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Texas) may be in jeopardy (03:00).
• American Priorities: Top voter issues are inflation/affordability (42%) and immigration (15%) (03:30).
• Perception Gap: Americans inaccurately believe the economy is shrinking and inflation is above 3%. Shapiro blames administration messaging failures (04:00).

2. Immigration Policy and Public Opinion

• Trump’s Strength on Immigration: Majority approve of Trump’s response to anti-ICE protests (51%) and his policy of deporting criminal illegal immigrants is highly popular (73%) (05:00).
• Sanctuary Cities: 67% oppose sanctuary policies; 60% say Democrats encourage ICE resistance (05:40).
• PR Strategies: Shapiro advises focusing on targeting criminal illegal immigrants, a clear "80/20" winner for GOP (06:40).
• Minnesota as Battleground: Locals resisting ICE cooperation create PR problems; bodycams on ICE agents seen as good policy (07:30).

Notable Quote:

"Targeting criminal illegal immigrants in the United States is an 80/20 issue, with Republicans on the side of 80 and Democrats on the side of 20."
— Ben Shapiro (06:40)

3. Democratic Tactics and Media Narrative

• Media "Chaos" Promotion: Democrats, the press, and activists are portrayed as actively seeking confrontations with ICE to create negative images—referencing BLM summer of 2020 (09:00).
• Civil Rights Comparisons: The left presents figures like Don Lemon as civil rights heroes for opposing federal immigration enforcement (09:50).
• Obstructive Activism: CNN profiles teens and local groups monitoring or obstructing ICE, blurring the line between observing and interfering (13:32).
• Political Leaders’ Rhetoric: Governors and mayors (Pritzker, Newsom, Brandon Johnson) amplify anti-ICE imagery, push for prosecution of federal agents, and frame ICE as abusive and lawless (18:39–21:02).

Notable Moment:

"This is a political ploy. It's why Brandon Johnson ... is vowing that he's going to prosecute federal agents. He does not have the power to do that."
— Ben Shapiro (19:13)

4. Officer Brandon Tatum on Law Enforcement

• Chaos and PR Stunts: Tatum asserts activists are incited by "Democrat governors and politicians" into confrontational, pointless protests (22:01).
• Local-Federal Cooperation: Cooperation between law enforcement and ICE streamlines the process and reduces public confrontations; lack of cooperation compels ICE to work the streets, increasing controversy (23:31).
• Changing Protest Demographics: New ICE-related protests, unlike BLM, are mainly fueled by “white liberal” activists, Tatum argues, with less black community support (26:15).

Notable Quote:

"When we cooperated, [ICE] didn’t have to go into the communities and do any of this stuff..."
— Officer Brandon Tatum (24:20)

5. Government Shutdown and Congressional Stalemate on Funding

• Shutdown Status: Partial shutdown centered on DHS, as Democrats push to focus public attention on ICE’s actions (28:09).
• Democratic Hardline: Reps. Ro Khanna and Jim McGovern vow not to fund DHS/ICE, accusing leadership of murder and terror (29:03–29:56).
• Trump’s Stance: Trump publicly urges GOP to avoid a shutdown, focusing on stable governance instead (30:00).
• SAVE Act & Voter ID: Some GOP members want to include national voter ID rules (the SAVE Act) as leverage, leading to internal party conflict (31:17).

6. Nationalizing Voting/Election Law Debate

• Trump’s Proposal: Trump floats idea of nationalizing election rules, which draws storms of criticism from Schumer ("outlandishly illegal") (33:38–34:00).
• Democrats’ Hypocrisy: Shapiro notes Democrats previously tried to federalize elections via HR1, highlighting partisanship over election integrity (34:36).

7. Moat Book, AI Agents, and Media Hysteria

• Viral "AI Emergency": Shapiro addresses the viral panic over AI agents on Moat Book supposedly developing adversarial stances or cults (35:20).
• Technical Analysis: Shapiro and guests argue these are just predictive models, not sentient beings; human manipulation and input is the real concern (36:19–38:25).
• Censorship Worries: The result, they say, will be increased censorship of humans interacting with AI rather than AI itself (39:50).

8. Matt Walsh Interview

• Real History Series: Shapiro plugs Walsh’s new show, “Real History,” particularly an episode challenging prevailing narratives on slavery (42:32).
• Contextualizing American Slavery: Walsh argues Western powers were unique not for inventing slavery, but for abolishing it (44:02).
• AI Skepticism: Walsh admits AI can be useful, especially in medicine, but is broadly skeptical, emphasizing danger comes from excessive reliance and loss of autonomy, not the machines themselves (45:31–46:55).

Notable Quote:

“It’s not that AI technology is evil in and of itself. My concern is that it just kind of... takes over not because it’s sentient, but because human beings become so reliant on it...”
— Matt Walsh (45:37)

9. Senator John Kennedy Interview

• Congressional Dysfunction: Kennedy jokes, “We poll right up there with toenail fungus.” Explains slow Senate as a feature, not a bug, for killing bad ideas (48:09).
• Filibuster Defense: Kennedy opposes ending the filibuster, calling it essential for blocking harmful policies (50:36).
• Future of the GOP: Kennedy hopes for robust intra-party debate, warns against isolationism, and champions American leadership in global security (53:28).
• Reducing Cost of Living: Advocates bills to increase housing starts, lower regulatory burdens, and touts his own bipartisan bill with Elizabeth Warren incentivizing more housing (61:44).
• Obstruction & PR: He cautions the party must address the cost of living directly; otherwise, risk electoral loss (58:48).

Memorable Exchange:

Shapiro: "So let me ask you, how stupid is the Senate?"
Kennedy: "You don't have to be crazy to serve in the United States Senate. They will happily train you."
(48:09)

Policy Suggestion:

"Bring bills to address the cost of living in America. ... If I were king for a day ... every single bill I could think of to lower the cost of living..."
— Senator John Kennedy (59:48)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ben Shapiro (re: Democrats and ICE):
  "This is a political ploy. It is a political ploy. This is why they are doing what they're doing." (19:13)
• Officer Brandon Tatum:
  "These nut jobs who are listening to leadership and the Democrat governors... are just doing what they supposed to do and... they're effing around and finding out." (22:01)
• Sen. John Kennedy:
  "You don't have to be crazy to serve in the United States Senate. They will happily train you." (48:09)
• Matt Walsh (on AI):
  "It's not that AI technology is evil in and of itself. My concern is that... human beings become so reliant on it." (46:00)

Important Timestamps

• 00:44 – Opening on 2026 election warning signs
• 05:00 – Detailed breakdown of Harvard Harris poll on immigration
• 06:40 – “80/20 issue” on targeting criminal illegal immigrants
• 13:32 – Media coverage of ICE watchers and activist tactics
• 18:39 – Discussion of high-profile Democratic rhetoric targeting ICE
• 22:01 – Officer Tatum on local/federal law enforcement dynamics
• 28:09 – Government shutdown and funding stalemate discussion
• 30:00 – Trump statement on reopening government
• 33:38 – Trump proposes nationalizing elections; Schumer’s response
• 35:20 – Moat Book/AI segment begins
• 42:32 – Matt Walsh discusses “Real History” and slavery
• 47:50 – Sen. Kennedy on congressional dysfunction
• 50:36 – Kennedy on the Senate filibuster
• 53:28 – Kennedy: the international order and GOP future
• 61:44 – Kennedy’s bipartisan housing plan

Tone

Fast-paced, direct, and combative, with signature Shapiro sarcasm. The conversation is peppered with humor (especially from Kennedy), skepticism of left-wing narratives, and a sense of urgency regarding the 2026 elections. Frequent disdain for what Shapiro calls media spin and Democratic political strategy. Clear partisan lines, with Shapiro and guests generally arguing for stricter immigration enforcement, strong American leadership, and small-government economic reforms.