The Ben Shapiro Show – Ep. 2370: Dave Chappelle Has LOST IT

Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro
Guests: Jason Riley (Wall Street Journal), Buck Sexton (author and radio host)
Main Theme:
Ben Shapiro analyzes recent media controversies, left-wing “virtue signaling,” the state of the Democratic Party, issues in celebrity culture, and the psychology of mass delusion. The episode features critiques of media bias, a deep-dive on Dave Chappelle’s public stances, and in-depth interviews on race politics and propaganda.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media Bias in Reporting Violent Incidents

• Narrative Over Reality: Ben covers a Rhode Island shooting and criticizes the mainstream media for not highlighting the shooter’s transgender identity and neo-Nazi affiliations.
  • “The broader left wing problem these days is that narrative is more important than reality.” (05:27)
• Selective Coverage: Contrasts media attention to attacks depending on narratives aligning with progressive priorities.
• Breitbart & New York Times Example: Shapiro cites John Nolte’s Breitbart piece arguing the New York Times is “spreading disinformation by refusing to report” full details about the shooter.
• Wider Cultural Problem: Asserts this selective attention is representative of celebrity culture and the Democratic Party.

2. CBS, Colbert, and the FCC Equal Time Rule

• Colbert’s Rant & CBS Interview Controversy:
  • CBS spiked a Late Show interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, fearing the FCC’s equal time rule implications.
  • Colbert mocked the FCC decision, quipping: “It’s the FCC’s most time honored rule right after no nipples at the Super Bowl.” (08:16)
  • Ben derides Colbert for partisanship: “Every day on the Stephen Colbert show is basically an ad for some Democrat or other.”
• Legal and Political Nuance:
  • CBS clarifies it provided options for equal time, but the show chose to just post the interview online rather than feature other Democratic contenders on air.
  • Talarico’s “Pastor Pete” routine is mocked; Ben argues Democrats now “retail their own religiosity” by reframing biblical messages into progressive talking points. (10:53, 12:15)

3. Virtue Signaling & Celebrity Wokeness

• Dave Chappelle’s Memorial Visit:
  • Shapiro criticizes Chappelle for visiting and laying flowers at a memorial for anti-ICE activist Alex Preddy, characterizing it as “virtue signaling to his liberal audience.” (16:03)
  • Highlights Chappelle’s prior opposition to affordable housing near his residence, calling this “NIMBYism at its finest.”
    • “Want to see NIMBYism in action? … But never should you ever build affordable housing within general eyesight of my home.” (18:24)
• Spike Lee’s NBA All-Star Protest:
  • Describes Lee’s pro-Palestinian attire as performatively oppositional, particularly in response to the presence of an Israeli NBA All-Star:
    • “What a schmuck. Seriously, a dude from a country you’re not fond of makes an All Star Game and you decide that you have to protest it.” (20:35)

4. The Democratic Party’s Internal and Electoral Problems

• Focus Groups & Dissatisfaction:
  • NYT focus group reveals Democrats view their party as “sold out, afraid, paralyzed.” (22:13)
  • Base desires more “performative outrage” and combative public figures.
• Purity Tests & Outsider Influence:
  • Analysis of an Alicia Nieves piece in Compact Magazine: National progressive organizations shape candidate funding and messaging, imposing cultural debates (abortion, LGBTQ+) over local priorities. (23:15)
• NYC Budget & Radicalism:
  • Ben critiques left-wing Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s massive budget increases, noting the contradiction between promises to lower rents and policies that raise property taxes and living costs.
    • “You’ve lowered the prices by raising the prices.” (25:16)

5. Interview: Jason Riley on Jesse Jackson’s Complicated Legacy

• Jackson’s Transformation:
  • Early advisor to MLK → presidential runs → what Riley calls "racial hustling" by financially pressuring businesses, shaping a “racial grievance industry.”
    • Riley: “He became a very wealthy man doing this over the years, over the decades. And that, unfortunately, is one of his legacies.” (28:24)
• Shift from Colorblindness to Special Treatment:
  • Jackson and Sharpton presented race-based preferences, undermining prior civil rights coalitions, especially with Jewish organizations.
  • Riley: “King and his generation was all about colorblindness… Jackson transformed this into racial preferences. Special treatment.”
• Debate Over Black Political Power:
  • Riley asserts more black elected officials have not necessarily improved quality of life in black communities:
    • “Black people need much more a black man in the home than they do a black man in the White House.” (32:21)
• Democratic Party Embracing Grievance Politics:
  • Ben and Riley argue the modern left has adopted Jackson’s divisive identity politics over class-based redistribution, to the detriment of national unity.

6. Immigration, Sanctuary Cities, and Weakness in Governance

• Sanctuary City Dodges:
  • Philadelphia’s mayor deflects on what a “sanctuary city" means; Ben chides this as bureaucratic evasion. (37:34)
• Rubio Strongman Statement:
  • Marco Rubio: “A visa is a permission to enter our country as a visitor…if you undertake activities that are against the national [security] interest, we will take away your visa.” (38:41)
• Adult Governance Needed:
  • Ben calls for less performative rage and more “adult governance” from both parties, stressing the public merely wants calm, steady leadership. (39:14)

7. RFK Jr., Kid Rock, and the Problem of Online Meme Politics

• Viral Politics vs. Seriousness:
  • Ben critiques a viral “Make America Healthy Again” ad with RFK Jr. & Kid Rock as emblematic of the administration’s unserious tone, despite high approval ratings for focusing on health. (41:16)

8. Interview: Buck Sexton on Mass Delusion and Propaganda

• Thesis of New Book:
  • Buck argues mass delusion and hysteria are society’s greatest modern threat, more than climate change.
  • “It’s actually human beings going insane in crowds and then only regaining their senses one by one…” (45:26)
• Tactics of Manipulation:
  • Confusion, degradation (“say things that are fundamentally obviously untrue”), and forced public confessions are tactics to break societal resistance and shape opinion. (49:18)
• Defense: Refusing to Live by Lies:
  • Sexton urges listeners to actively reject collective lies and not succumb to viral false narratives, warning that brainwashing now moves at “the speed of social media.” (54:12)
  • “Every time someone’s lying to you or wants you to lie, you have to just say no, there’s a problem here.” (53:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Bias:
  • “When the media ignore this kind of stuff, they are only ignoring it for one reason… that the narrative is more important than reality.” (05:27)
• Colbert’s Satirical Take:
  • Colbert: “It’s the FCC’s most time honored rule right after no nipples at the Super Bowl.” (08:16)
• On Chappelle's Activism:
  • “The goal here, of course, is to serve as a critique of the Trump administration and their immigration policy… It is a virtue signal to his liberal audience that he is one of them.” (16:03)
• On NIMBYism:
  • “Want to see NIMBYism in action? … But never should you ever build affordable housing within general eyesight of my home.” (18:24)
• On Jesse Jackson:
  • Jason Riley: "He became a very wealthy man doing this [racial shakedowns] over the years, over the decades." (28:24)
• On Left-Wing Confusion Tactics:
  • Buck Sexton: “These are all tactics of confusion in the public discourse that are meant to undermine people’s ability… to see through what’s going on.” (49:07)
• On Defense Against Brainwashing:
  • “Every time someone’s lying to you or wants you to lie, you have to just say no, there’s a problem here.” (53:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Media narrative and transgender shooter coverage: 02:15–06:30
• Stephen Colbert, CBS, and the FCC equal time rule: 08:07–13:08
• Dave Chappelle’s Alex Preddy tribute and affordable housing hypocrisy: 15:55–19:00
• Spike Lee at NBA All-Star Game & performative protests: 19:00–21:00
• Democratic voter focus group & party’s messaging crisis: 22:13–25:00
• NYC budget and leftist radicalism: 25:00–27:00
• Interview: Jason Riley on Jesse Jackson’s legacy: 27:13–37:01
• Sanctuary city and Rubio on visas: 37:30–39:14
• RFK Jr. & Kid Rock’s “Make America Healthy Again” ad: 41:16–44:00
• Interview: Buck Sexton on mass delusion and propaganda: 45:00–54:47

Episode Flow and Tone

Ben Shapiro delivers his signature rapid-fire, critical commentary with a focus on exposing perceived left-wing hypocrisies, media malfeasance, and cultural trends. The show interweaves news breakdowns, satirical asides, and interviews, maintaining an urgent, sometimes sardonic, and always combative tone towards progressive institutions and ideas.

Summary prepared for listeners who missed the episode— capturing key arguments, memorable commentary, and the episode's critical lens on contemporary political and cultural issues.