The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode 2374 – “Candace Owens Is Evil”
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro
Guests/Panel: Mary Margaret Olohan, Cabot Phillips

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro delivers a wide-ranging, rapid-fire conservative analysis on pressing cultural and political events. The main focus is a fierce critique of Candace Owens and her recent attacks against Erica Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, as well as a deep dive into contemporary cultural decay through film criticism, specifically spotlighting the new, controversial adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Shapiro also previews the upcoming State of the Union address under President Trump and discusses broader issues in law enforcement, urban disorder, and societal values.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Candace Owens’ Attacks on Erica Kirk

[03:30 – 11:45]

• Shapiro launches a caustic denunciation of Candace Owens, accusing her of exploiting Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erica Kirk, for personal and financial gain.

  • "Candace Owens is an evil, twisted human being." (Ben Shapiro, 03:09)
  • Details Candace Owens’ ongoing insinuations of conspiracies involving Erica Kirk and Turning Point USA regarding Charlie Kirk’s murder.

• Owens' New Series Criticized:

  • Shapiro plays and breaks down the teaser for Owens’ series, which accuses Erica Kirk of being nefariously involved in her husband’s death and other slanderous claims.
    • "Apparently she is calling Erica Kirk... a lesbian pedophile grooming a 15 year old..." (Ben Shapiro, 07:54)
    • "She is a true vampire when it comes to conservatism... she grifts off of them until she's ungrifting them." (Ben Shapiro, 08:22)

• Moral and Legal Condemnation:

  • Shapiro appeals to biblical injunctions, criticizes the silence of other conservatives, and calls for legal action against Owens for slander.
    • "There is a biblical injunction in Exodus 22. You ought not to oppress any widow or orphan." (Ben Shapiro, 09:00)
    • "Erica Kirk absolutely should sue the living hell out of Candace Owens for this sort of stuff." (Ben Shapiro, 09:27)
  • Points out that influential conservatives have failed to denounce Owens' behavior for months, calling it "cowardice."
    • "The people who refuse to condemn Candace's truly vicious attacks, and some of them are speaking here, are guilty of cowardice." (Ben Shapiro, 10:34)

Law, Order, and Social Disorder in NYC

[12:00 – 18:28]

• Shapiro reacts to videos of NYPD officers being attacked with snowballs in Washington Square Park.

  • He decries the episode as criminal, emblematic of deteriorating respect for law enforcement in blue cities.
    • "Every one of these people should be identified and every one of these people should go to jail. Every single one of them..." (Ben Shapiro, 13:15)
  • Blames city governance and "defund the police" rhetoric (esp. Zoran Mandani, new NYC mayor) for the rise in urban chaos and disrespect toward police.

• Homelessness & Mayoral Policy:

  • Shapiro lambasts Mayor Mamdani for ineffective and platitude-laden approaches to homelessness, and criticizes redefining homeless deaths as overdose deaths.
    • "Well, you know what helped is if you had forced those people to go inside..." (Ben Shapiro, 18:56)

“Wrong 1%” and Democratic Politics

[18:46 – 25:41]

• Shapiro addresses James Talarico's comments regarding national priorities, contesting the idea that the focus should be on the "richest 1%" rather than minorities or groups like trans people or Muslims.

  • "Trans People are 1% of the population. Muslims are 1% of the population. Undocumented people are 1%... We are focused on the wrong 1%." (Recounted/Paraphrased, 20:30)
  • Shapiro: "Why is the percentage of the population the relevant categorization here?" (Ben Shapiro, 20:54)
  • Argues that focusing on the rich mischaracterizes American wealth creation and dismisses threats from radical ideologies.

• Gavin Newsom’s Moderation on Trans Issues:

  • Shapiro gives Newsom "partial credit" for recognizing Dems’ cultural disconnect on transgender sports issues.
    • "From the prism of purely politics, there's no doubt that the Democratic Party needs to be, dare I say, more culturally normal." (Gavin Newsom, 23:56)

• Gallego and the Immigration Debate:

  • Shapiro rebuts the characterization of ICE detention as “internment camps,” suggesting this further highlights Democrat disconnect.
    • "If Democrats wish to run on ICE detention centers, our internment camps... doesn’t seem like the world's smartest strategy to me." (Ben Shapiro, 25:43)

State of the Union Preview

[27:19 – 33:29]

White House Correspondent, Mary Margaret Olohan, Joins

• President Trump's Upcoming State of the Union:

  • Expectations: Longer than last year's 99-minute address, a patriotic celebration of achievements, economy, border, and foreign policy wins.

    • "The Trump administration is excited… all eyes are on the President…" (Mary Margaret Olohan, 28:37)

  • Exclusive: Erica Kirk to Attend

    • "President Trump will be bringing Erica Kirk, the widow of the late Charlie Kirk, as his guest to the State of the Union this year." (Mary Margaret Olohan, 29:19)
    • Trump will highlight the spiritual revival following Charlie’s death, and call for the rejection of political violence.
      • "Congress… should reject political violence. And this comes… after Charlie's tragic assassination…" (Mary Margaret Olohan, 30:12)

  • Other Guests:

    • Men's Olympic hockey team to attend; women’s team declined for non-political reasons.
      • "They're very patriotic, very proud of their country… excited to be the President's guests..." (Mary Margaret Olohan, 32:25)

• Political Analysis:

  • Trump's approval ratings are low (CNN: 32% with the right priorities, 36–43% approval across polls).
    • "Pretty bad numbers for the president right now..." (Ben Shapiro, 33:29)
  • National economy’s unease about AI, ongoing trade/tariff debates, and polling consequences for Republicans.

Cultural Critique: “Wuthering Heights” and the Degradation of Values

[38:36 – 1:05:40]

• Shapiro delivers an extended, impassioned review comparing the original 1939 adaptation of Wuthering Heights to Emerald Fennell’s new 2026 version, which Shapiro finds emblematic of the West’s cultural malaise.

The 1939 Version

• Portrayed as a story of romantic longing, virtue, love vs. materialism, and the importance of marriage and self-restraint.
  • "What that film is about is about longing. Unfulfilled longing… that's unbelievably romantic stuff…" (Ben Shapiro, 52:05)

The 2026 Emerald Fennell Version

• Described as “pornification of society,” “BDSM pornography,” and “degrading to women.”
  • Key differences: Lust replaces romance and virtue, no plot tension, morality or proper depiction of love.
    • "Glistening butts from Emerald Fennel. It is insulting, it is degrading, and it is stupid. Truly, it is a stupid movie..." (Ben Shapiro, 52:59)
    • "Instead of virtue being an obstacle... they immediately get together and they start doing the dirty all over the place." (Ben Shapiro, 54:36)
    • "Heathcliff literally has her on a leash, a dog leash, and she's barking like a dog." (Ben Shapiro, 1:01:26)
  • Critiques the miscasting of Margot Robbie (too old for romantic tension), and Jacob Elordi ("just a mewling, whining, tall guy…").
  • Claims society has more sexual content, fewer boundaries, less genuine eroticism, and less sex than ever before.
    • "We are a society that has more pornography than ever... and less eroticism, less romance..." (Ben Shapiro, 1:02:45)
  • Calls for a return to structures of virtue, marriage, and meaningful romance, arguing that degradation in film reflects wider civilizational decay.
    • "Something is wrong in our society that can only be healed by a return to actual understanding... of what is the proper role of sex in a human life…" (Ben Shapiro, 1:04:40)
    • Final verdict: "It is not just an embarrassing film. 0 stars out of 4." (Ben Shapiro, 1:06:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Candace Owens:

  • "She is a conspiratorial, evil person. Because that's who would do something like this." (Ben Shapiro, 04:45)
  • "She is making money off the murder of Charlie Kirk by literally implicating his widow and everyone else at TPUSA in that murder." (Ben Shapiro, 11:33)

• On Conservative Responsibility:

  • "When the signs are there for years on end and people say nothing and people continue to say nothing today, that's cowardice, obviously." (Ben Shapiro, 10:48)

• On Cultural Decay:

  • "When the most successful cultural products of our time are… infused with horrifyingly bad values, it says something more about our values than it does about the quality of our filmmaking..." (Ben Shapiro, 1:06:15)

• On Societal Gender Dynamics:

  • "The best aphrodisiac is Pride and Prejudice… treating [men and women] as the same… is silly. And not only silly, it's degrading to the society as a whole." (Ben Shapiro, 1:07:35)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 03:09 – Shapiro opens the main topic with sharp condemnation of Candace Owens
• 06:32–07:54 – Owens’ trailer for “Bride of Charlie” played and deconstructed
• 09:00 – Biblical injunction and call for legal consequence for Owens’ accusations
• 10:34 – Critique of conservative silence (“cowardice”)
• 13:00 – Law & order: NYPD snowball incident and discussion of urban disorder
• 18:46 – NYC mayor and homelessness response; critique of Democratic priorities
• 20:30–25:41 – James Talarico’s “wrong 1%” and Newsom on trans athletes
• 27:19–33:29 – State of the Union preview with Mary Margaret Olohan; exclusive news on Erica Kirk’s attendance
• 38:36–1:05:40 – Extended Wuthering Heights review, cultural values, and critique of modern sexuality
• 1:04:40 – Concluding thoughts on cultural malaise and call to recover traditional values

Tone and Language

The tone is charged, combative, and unapologetically conservative. Shapiro’s language is direct, sometimes caustic, laced with rhetorical flair, humor, and references to scripture, popular culture, and classical conservatism. He speaks both with rapid, analytical dissection and passionate cultural lament.

Summary Flow

• Starts with condemnation of Candace Owens, exposing her as a figure profiting from conspiracies and grief (3:09–11:46).
• Broadens to a critique of left-leaning political governance, with real-world law-and-order failures as evidence (12:00–18:28).
• Transitions into cultural and ideological conflict within Democratic politics (18:46–25:41).
• Previews the State of the Union and offers exclusive news on Erica Kirk’s public rehabilitation via the President's invitation (27:19–33:29).
• Ends with a sweeping critique of modern culture through the lens of film, warning of societal decline unless we return to virtue-based values (38:36–1:06:15).