The Ben Shapiro Show | Ep. 2366

Title: TAPE Emerges in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping
Date: February 11, 2026
Publisher: The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro covers major breaking news stories with a hard-hitting, conservative analysis. The central theme is the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, with discussion of newly released surveillance footage and ongoing investigation updates. The episode also covers a mass shooting in Canada with controversial media coverage due to the shooter’s identity, warnings about cartel drone incursions into U.S. airspace, and further exposure of Epstein files with implications for prominent political and business figures. Other topics touched on include immigration policy, the SAVE Act, economic data, and bipartisan legislative prospects.

Key Segments & Timestamps

• [00:00 – 04:52] Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Update: Evidence, Ransom Activity, Investigation Developments
• [04:52 – 12:29] Interview with Lyndon Blake (Finding Nancy Guthrie podcast) on latest in the Guthrie case
• [12:30 – 15:26] Canadian Mass Shooting: Media narrative and shooter identity
• [15:26 – 18:50] The trans shooter controversy and societal implications
• [18:50 – 28:12] Interview: Lior Sapir (Manhattan Institute) on “gender-affirming care” & shifting medical consensus
• [28:12 – 40:23] Cartel drone breaches, Epstein files, Trump/Epstein, government and legislative reactions
• [40:23 – 53:27] Immigration policy debate, SAVE Act, partisanship in Congress, clear labeling for pharmaceuticals
• [53:27 – End] Economic update: Trump administration, jobs report, inflation and consumer sentiment

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping: Breakthroughs and Investigation [00:00–12:29]

• Newly released Nest camera footage shows a masked individual at Nancy Guthrie’s home, providing the first images of the suspected abductor 10 days after the kidnapping.
  • Delays were due to missing hardware and lack of cloud backup; however, Google assisted in recovering the feed.
  • Analysis of the footage highlights amateur behavior by the suspect (odd pistol placement, attempts to cover the camera with leaves).
  • [00:45] Ben Shapiro: “He is carrying it directly in front of his crotch, which is a very dumb place to carry a weapon.”
• DNA evidence may have been inadvertently left by the suspect due to a possible glove hole; this is still unconfirmed.
• Ransom-related Bitcoin account reportedly saw activity Tuesday night ([03:05]).
  • Harvey Levin (TMZ): “All I can say is there is now activity in that bitcoin account.” [03:18]
  • Small sums involved (less than $300) suggest either a test or a signal, not proof of life.
• A man was detained and released in Rio Rico, Arizona, after failing to match the suspect’s identification.
  • “I hope they get the suspect because I'm not it.” – Released man, via New York Times [03:53]
• No proof of life has been received; high concern due to Nancy’s age (84) and lack of critical medication.

Interview: Lyndon Blake [04:52–12:29]

• Lyndon Blake provides investigative detail, focusing on the process of image recovery and the impact.
  • “Even though there's a mask on, you can still tell a lot about the person's eyes. Eyebrows. You can see facial hair, a mustache. You can see how tall they are. You can see the way they walk.” [06:05]
• Community efforts to identify clothing and gear in the footage are ongoing.
• Lyndon emphasizes there is still momentum and hope in the investigation:
  • “I wouldn't call this, like, oh, we're back at square one. I wouldn't say that at all. I think the footage is very clear.” [06:45]
• Harvey Levin’s caution about Bitcoin details discussed, as theories about ransom, family testing, or outside manipulation remain unresolved.
• Possible distinction emphasized between the criminal in the video and those sending ransom notes.

Notable Quote:

• Lyndon Blake: “At the end of the day, there's this 84-year-old woman who is dependent on medication and help from people to survive right now. And it's now 11 days without that. But what gives me hope is that…Savannah [Guthrie] is saying…she believes her mother is still alive.” [11:04]

2. Canadian Mass Shooting & The Media [12:30–18:50]

• Ben reports on a deadly mass shooting in British Columbia with 9 killed, 25 injured ([12:30]).
• Media and authorities have withheld the shooter’s identity, initially using the ambiguous term “gun person.”
  • Ben criticizes the reluctance, attributing it to political correctness.
  • [15:27] Ben Shapiro: “I’m less than concerned about the privacy of people who go and shoot school children…they should be blasted all out over the news.”
• Internet reports suggest the shooter identified as trans; Ben openly condemns media’s willingness to use the shooter’s preferred pronouns.
  • [16:06] “If suddenly, statistically, there's just an uptick in women winning boxing matches against men and being able to dunk and also committing murder…that is a slander against women.”
• Points to a concerning trend of trans-identified shooters, linking it to rising rates of mental health issues.

3. Gender-Affirming Care: Medical Shifts & Activist Influence [18:50–28:12]

Interview: Lior Sapir, Manhattan Institute

• Ben and Lior Sapir discuss the significant reversal by major U.S. medical organizations on the endorsement of “gender-affirming” surgery and treatments for minors.
  • The American Society of Plastic Surgeons now advises against surgeries for those under 19 [21:24].
  • The American Medical Association follows suit, though with caveats.
  • “This was never a wide and deep consensus…the result of activists…capturing the decision-making mechanisms…” – Lior Sapir [21:24]
• Discusses motivations: liability fears from lawsuits, scientific evidence, and systematic reviews.
  • “If you read the statement, you see that they are taking very seriously all of the knowledge that has emerged in the last five or six years…” [23:39]
• Explains how some clinicians frame these interventions as life-saving when speaking publicly but as cosmetic improvements in private.

Notable Quote:

• Lior Sapir: “Autonomy is the right to refuse treatments that are appropriately offered to patients. It is not a right to obtain any intervention you want from a doctor. And that distinction…is the distinction between medicine and consumerism.” [25:00]

4. Cartel Drones, Epstein Files & Political Ramifications [28:12–40:23]

• FAA closed El Paso airspace over cartel drone incursions; Shapiro recounts firsthand experience at the border witnessing cartel drones.
  • Praises current administration for shooting them down: “We should not have foreign overflights of American territory.” [29:00]
• New redactions lifted in Epstein files reveal the identities of six wealthy, powerful men, including Les Wexner and others; Ben notes the haphazard nature of the unsealing process can destroy lives without full context.
  • Ro Khanna reads their names into the Congressional Record. [32:22–33:20]
  • Ben distinguishes between criminal and merely unsavory associations with Epstein.
  • Steve Bannon, Peter Mandelson, and Wexner cited for varying degrees of involvement.
• Discussion of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s links to Epstein; no criminal behavior found but association acknowledged. [36:32–38:06]
  • White House stands by Lutnick (“…remains a very important member of President Trump’s team…” — Caroline Levitt [38:06])

5. Immigration, SAVE Act & Congressional Battles [40:23–53:27]

• Trump administration claims record border security; CBS News says only 14% of immigrant arrestees had violent criminal histories, but White House pushes back, noting so-called “non-violent” crimes often include child pornography, human smuggling, etc.
  • [41:27] Caroline Levitt: “Just because a crime is not violent in nature doesn't mean that crime is victimless.”
• Democrats criticized for radical positions—calls to unmask ICE agents and questioning ICE officials about going to hell for enforcement activity. [43:47]
  • Ben mocks the performative outrage: “Ridiculous, ridiculous stuff from Democrats. Truly ridiculous stuff…” [44:14]
• Trump discusses the SAVE America Act (voter ID laws, ban on mail-in ballots); current Senate disputes over immigration enforcement, sanctuary cities, and funding.
  • [44:39] Trump: “You have a thing called Save America Act, Save America…This is simply on voting, voter ID.”
• Interview with Senator Rick Scott (Florida) [45:36–53:23]
  • Senate Democrats prepping for partial DHS/government shutdown by holding the line on immigration enforcement reforms.
  • Scott supports SAVE Act (voter ID, proof of citizenship), criticizes Democrats for opposing it: “They want open borders. They don't care the criminals are murdering our kids or raping our daughters and granddaughters.”
  • Push to force a “talking filibuster” and urges listener activism.
  • Bipartisan work on Clear Labels Act for pharmaceutical transparency with Senator Gillibrand.

6. Economic Update: Jobs Report & Consumer Sentiment [53:27–End]

• January jobs report: 170,000 private sector jobs; 130,000 overall after accounting for government job reductions.
• Surpassed expectations (70,000 predicted); unemployment down to 4.3%.
• BLS revisions reveal fewer jobs in 2025 than initially reported; underlying economic optimism hampered by inflation psychology.
  • Wages are rising, but not enough to overcome the memory of inflation.
  • [54:30] Ben Shapiro: “Even though real wages have risen since 2022, their decline during the previous two years has not been undone.”
• Suggests growing economic optimism as the “Trump economy” continues to strengthen, but public sentiment lags.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Ben Shapiro [00:45]: “He is carrying it directly in front of his crotch, which is a very dumb place to carry a weapon.”
• Harvey Levin [03:18]: “All I can say is there is now activity in that bitcoin account.”
• Lyndon Blake [06:05]: “Even though there's a mask on, you can still tell a lot about the person's eyes…”
• Ben Shapiro [15:27]: “I’m less than concerned about the privacy of people who go and shoot school children…”
• Lior Sapir [21:24]: “This was never a wide and deep consensus…activists…capturing the decision-making mechanisms…”
• Lior Sapir [25:00]: “Autonomy is the right to refuse treatments…not a right to obtain any intervention you want…”
• Caroline Levitt [41:27]: “Just because a crime is not violent in nature doesn't mean that crime is victimless.”
• Ben Shapiro [44:14]: “Ridiculous, ridiculous stuff from Democrats. Truly ridiculous stuff…”
• President Trump [44:39]: “You have a thing called Save America Act, Save America…voter ID…no mail-in ballots, which are very corrupt…”
• Sen. Rick Scott [49:19]: “Well, it's pretty common sense. You have to show an ID when you go to vote…”

Overall Tone & Takeaways

As always, Ben Shapiro employs an assertive, uncompromising tone, foregrounding conservative perspectives on crime, media bias, medical ethics, and border security, while emphasizing transparency and skepticism toward the motives and narratives of public officials and mainstream media. The episode is rapid-paced, switching between granular updates on high-profile cases and broader political debates.

Listeners gain a detailed sense of:

• Ongoing investigative developments in the Nancy Guthrie case
• The role of media narrative in highly politicized crimes, especially those involving gender identity
• The shifting ground in medical policy on gender transition in minors
• Heightened scrutiny over Epstein files and elite accountability
• The intensity of current immigration and voting rights debates in Congress
• Realistic economic optimism, with a caveat on consumer reactions to inflation

For those unable to listen, this summary offers a complete and context-rich overview, including key quotes, topic breakdowns, and the episode’s prevailing arguments and tone.