Ep. 2382 - Trump: You’re FIRED!!

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode: 2382 - Trump: You’re FIRED!!
Date: March 6, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)

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Overview

This episode centers on President Trump’s high-profile dismissal of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security and his public rebuke of prominent conservative voices, notably Tucker Carlson. Ben Shapiro explores the underlying causes—political “brain rot” driven by online engagement and clickbait—and contrasts Trump’s approach with the increasingly performative, scandal-ridden antics among both right- and left-wing political actors. Shapiro also covers ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran, reactions from across the political spectrum, and the broader implications of “brain rot” for American politics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Dismissal of Kristi Noem (00:28–13:20)

• Noem’s Performance and Scandals

  • Noem’s approval tanked Trump’s standing on border security, plummeting his approval from 49% (Apr. 2025) to 40% (Feb. 2026).
  • Shapiro distinguishes between Trump’s popular immigration policies and Noem’s “performative politics,” highlighting incidents such as calling individuals shot by ICE “domestic terrorists” and a controversial $220M ad campaign that allegedly benefited her inner circle.
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (04:57):
    “Kristi Noem proceeded to put the administration in an unwinnable public relations position by going whole hog. And then she blamed everybody else…”

• Ethics and Personal Scandals

  • Intimates the widely rumored relationship between Noem and advisor Corey Lewandowski, citing Wall Street Journal and Daily Mail reports, and points to questionable use of government resources.
  • Highlights a tense congressional exchange where Noem refuses to directly deny an affair.
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (13:20):
    “The proper answer to that question would be no. Come on. [If you don't say no,] we can all spot that you didn't say no. I'm sorry. Them's the brakes.”

• Trump’s Response

  • Announces Noem’s “promotion” to special envoy and her replacement by Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, delivered with Shapiro’s trademark sarcasm.
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (14:22):
    “Well, you know, the president has decided to upgrade his employees by getting rid of Kristi Noem.”

2. “Brain Rot” on the Right: Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly (17:19–27:08)

• Tucker Carlson and Conservative Rifts

  • Trump distances himself, accusing Carlson of "not being MAGA," largely over criticism of Trump’s Iran policy and Carlson’s statements on the Jewish group Chabad.
  • Shapiro lambasts Carlson for promoting fringe anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, calling them “clinically insane” and “psychotic break, insanity.”
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (19:56):
    “[Tucker’s] slandering Chabad as basically Hamas. Well, actually worse than Hamas, since Tucker actually thinks Hamas isn’t really a terror group. This is legitimately psychotic stuff.”

• Candace Owens’ Escalation

  • Owens amplifies underground conspiracy theories about Jewish influence, prompting Shapiro to directly compare her rhetoric to that of “Joseph Goebbels.”
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (22:17):
    “She’s... utterly indistinguishable from the work of Joseph Goebbels at this point. Candace Owens.”

• Megyn Kelly's Clickbait Culture

  • Shapiro argues that Kelly follows trending views to maximize clicks—pro-trans, then vehemently anti, pro-Israel, then hedge—without underlying principle.
  • Critiques her for prioritizing YouTube metrics over “morality,” and for refusing to address controversies inconvenient for her brand.
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (29:01):
    “There is not and has not been a political parade that begins without Megyn Kelly at the front, that ends without Megyn at the front waving of a don.”

3. “Brain Rot” Beyond the Right: Newsom, Hassan Piker, and the Horseshoe (34:11–38:36)

• Gavin Newsom’s Position Shifts

  • Cites Newsom’s “apartheid state” comments and his overtures to the far left, sitting with figures like Hassan Piker (Pod Save America).
  • Highlights Newsom’s willingness to echo anti-Israel rhetoric and shift positions to appease the “brain rot” demographic.
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (34:11):
    “Because Democratic primary voters now suffer from a severe case of brain rot, Newsom is steering directly into it.”

• Platforming Extremists (Piers Morgan, Podcasters)

  • Critiques media figures like Piers Morgan for inviting Nazis and extremists onto their shows under the guise of click-driven “conversation,” further normalizing brain rot.

4. The Impact of Online “Brain Rot” on Public Opinion (38:36–46:03)

• Political Polarization & Generational Divide

  • Presents data: 45% of Republicans under 44 think Jews are a threat to America (Feb 2026); 22% of young liberals endorse celebrating deaths of political figures they dislike.
  • Quote, Ben Shapiro (41:23): “Brain rot is, in fact, an infectious disease. Young Americans who think differently than their elders aren’t suddenly becoming wiser…they’re spending a lot of time with the brain rot machine.”

• The Real World vs. Social Media

  • Stresses most Americans—left and right—want normalcy and decency rather than the conspiracy-laden, engagement-maximizing extremes.
  • Credits Trump’s “offline” instincts for winning 2024.

5. U.S. Operation in Iran & Political Fallout (44:32–53:38)

• Military Situation Update

  • Mary Margaret Olahan (Daily Wire) reports from Pentagon and CENTCOM on the state of the war: U.S. & Israeli forces are inflicting massive damage on Iran; U.S. leadership confident; rumors of U.S. pilot deaths refuted.
  • Trump signals intent to oversee Iran’s leadership transition, determined there will be "no more Khomeinis."
  • Quote, Trump to Time, cited by Shapiro (50:30):
    “I’ve killed all their leaders. One of the things I’m going to be asking for is the ability to work with them on choosing a new leader. I want to be involved in the selection…”

• Political Priority of the War

  • Notes foreign policy is the public’s lowest priority (Harvard Harris Poll), meaning Iran is unlikely to sway 2026 unless scandal erupts or midterm dynamics override.

6. Texas Senate Race and “Brain Rot” Politicians (53:38–54:20)

• Upcoming Endorsements
  • Trump threatens an endorsement to end the Texas Senate primary and frames Democrat hopeful James Talarico as reflective of the far-left, “too online” culture.
  • Quote, Senator John Kennedy (53:38): “Prophetic voices like Jesus have helped me reckon with my own whiteness, my own masculinity…”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Kristi Noem’s Communication Stumbles:
  (03:04–03:38) Her tough-on-crime media statements are ridiculed as performative and counterproductive.
• Senator Kennedy Grilling Noem:
  (05:22–05:57) “Did you say these appeared to be acts of domestic terrorism?” - Kennedy pushes Noem to admit to inflammatory rhetoric.
• Tucker Carlson’s Descent, per Shapiro:
  (21:49) “That be cray, as the kids say.”
• Ben Shapiro on Platforming Extremists:
  (38:18) "That’s how I feel about those young men in Gaza." — lampoons attempts to justify “concentration camp” analogies on talk shows.
• Mary Margaret Olahan Recap from the Pentagon:
  (46:18–50:28) “I got to go to a press conference at the Pentagon... What’s the mood in the Pentagon? In general, what we’re hearing is that they’re feeling really good… very confident.”

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Timestamps to Key Segments

• Trump Fires Kristi Noem / Rises Markwayne Mullin: 00:28–13:20
• Noem Scandals & Congressional Hearings: 03:04–13:20
• Trump Criticizes Tucker Carlson / Chabad Conspiracies: 17:19–22:17
• Candace Owens’ Antisemitism: 21:49–23:30
• Megyn Kelly & Click Culture: 27:08–30:15
• Brain Rot on the Left (Newsom, Podcasters): 34:11–38:36
• Online Brain Rot & Generational Shifts: 38:36–41:23
• US, Israel, and the War in Iran: 44:32–50:30
• Texas Senate Race & Brain Rot Politicians: 53:38–54:20

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Central Takeaway

Ben Shapiro argues that Trump’s recent firings, public rebukes, and staffing decisions reflect a shrewd rejection of “brain rot” politics—an epidemic of online incentives, performative outrage, and conspiracy that, left unchecked, warps both right- and left-wing discourse. Shapiro insists that most Americans aren’t participants in, or swayed by, this online culture war, and that Trump’s relative “offline” pragmatism will continue to serve him—and the country—well, provided both sides resist the siren song of the algorithmic circus.

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Transcript

[Ben Shapiro]

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[Kristi Noem]

and visiting this facility. And first of all, I want to thank El Salvador and their president for their partnership with the United States of America to bring our terrorists here and to incarcerate them and have consequences for the violence that they have perpetuated in our communities. I also want everybody to know, if you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face. First of all, do not come to our country illegally. You will be removed and you will be prosecuted. But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people.

[Ben Shapiro]

Now, this stuff may play online. There are people online who get very excited about this kind of performative politics, but it does not play particularly well in mainstream America. Just doesn't. Or you'll remember that time that Kristi Noem decided to call Renee Good. That was the agitator who was shot by ICE after running her car into an ICE agent. Remember, she called Renee Good a domestic terrorist.

[Kristi Noem]

We're continuing to gather more information, but this goes to show the assaults that our ICE officers and our law enforcement are under every single day. These vehicle rammings are domestic acts of terrorism. We're working with the Department of Justice to prosecute them. As such, we will continue to protect our ICE officers and in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies as well.

[Ben Shapiro]

And then she did it again with Alex Preddy, who similarly was shot by ICE Agents while resisting arrest. White House has labeled the man who was killed in Minnesota as a domestic terrorist. Is that something you agree with? And have you seen any evidence to.

[Kristi Noem]

When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism. This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism. That's the facts.

[Ben Shapiro]

Now, listen, I think that both the good and the pretty shoots were legally justifiable. But do I think either of them was a domestic terrorist with mass murder on their minds? I don't. Most Americans don't. But Kristi Noem proceeded to put the administration in an unwinnable public relations position by going whole hog. And then she blamed everybody else in the administration for it, and then she denied it. So just a couple of days ago, Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, grilled her about this.

[Senator John Kennedy]

I believe at the time, you. You said these were acts of domestic terrorism. Is that right, sir?

[Kristi Noem]

In answer to questions at the press conference that afternoon, it was that. It appeared to be.

[Senator John Kennedy]

Yeah, but you said these appeared to be acts of domestic terrorism.

[Kristi Noem]

And as I've said previously in this hearing, is that first.

[Senator John Kennedy]

Madam Secretary, did you say that?

[Kristi Noem]

Information about a chaotic scene on the

[Senator John Kennedy]

drive, did you say that?

[Kristi Noem]

And relaying information to the American people.

[Senator John Kennedy]

Now, again, those videos are public. People can draw their own conclusions.

[Ben Shapiro]

Well, again, that is what Kristi Noem was and does constantly do. She goes whole hog. That was her whole MO. In fact, she apparently spent some $220 million on an ad campaign featuring. Wait for it. Kristi Noem. Here is one of those ads, why

[Kristi Noem]

do I love these white.

[Ben Shapiro]

She's riding a horse for those who can't see.

[Kristi Noem]

They remind me of why our forefathers came here. Not just for its beauty, but for the freedom only America provides. I'm Kristi Noem. From the cowboys who tamed the west to the titans who built our cities,

[Ben Shapiro]

she's riding next to buffalo.

[Kristi Noem]

To the dreamers who chase the impossible, America has always rewarded vision and grit. Our greatness calls people to us for a chance to prosper to live how they choose, to become part of something special. Anyone who searches for freedom can always find a home here. But that freedom's a precious thing, and we defend it vigorously. You cross the border illegally, we'll find you. Break our laws, we'll punish you. Harm American citizens, there will be consequences. But if you come here the right way, your American Dream can be as big as these endless skies From President Trump and me welcome home.

[Ben Shapiro]

I'm Kristi Noem and I approve this message. I mean, that's basically a presidential ad, right? I mean, pretty clearly. While she apparently put together a sweetheart deal for her friends to produce exactly those commercials, according to ProPublica, the Department of Homeland Security has kept at least one beneficiary of the nine figure ad deal a secret. Records and interviews show a Republican consulting firm with long standing personal and business ties to Nome and her senior aides at dhs. The company that ran the Mount Rushmore shoot, called the Strategy Group, does not appear on public documents about the contract. Main recipient listed on the contracts, according to ProPublica, is a mysterious Delaware company which was created two days before the deal was finalized. No firm has closer ties to Gnome's political operation than the Strategy Group, which played a central role in her 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial campaign. Corey Lewandowski. According to ProPublica, her top advisor at DHS. We'll talk a little bit more about Lewandowski in a moment. Has worked extensively with the firm. The company's CEO is married to Nome's chief spokesperson at DHS, Trisha McLaughlin. Well, that's awkward. Noem testified in front of the Senate that President Trump had cleared this use of taxpayer funds and Senator Kennedy of Louisiana was having none of it on Tuesday.

[Senator John Kennedy]

How do you square that concern for waste, which I share, with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently, Sir?

[Kristi Noem]

The President tasked me with getting the message out to the country and to other countries where we were seeing the invasion from. With. With putting commercials out that told them that if they were in this country illegally that they needed to leave or we would detain them and remove them and they not get the chance to come back to America the right way. That has been extremely effective.

[Senator John Kennedy]

Ask you to run these advertisements, is that right?

[Kristi Noem]

We had that conversation, yes. Before I was put in this position and sworn in and confirmed, and since then as well.

[Senator John Kennedy]

I mean, to me, it puts the President in a terribly awkward spot. And it. And I just. I'm not saying you're not telling the truth. It's just hard for me to believe, knowing the President as I do, that you said, Mr. President, here's some ads I've cut and I'm going to spend $220 million running them. That he would have agreed to that.

[Ben Shapiro]

Well, yeah, especially considering the first 15 to 20 seconds of that ad is Kristi noem riding a horse. I mean, like, yeah, I do not think that President Trump sat there and greenlit that commercial. I don't. Well, that was a dumb move by Kristi Noem. It's one thing to direct cash to your friends, to make commercials, to burnish your future presidential run. It's another thing to then turn around and blame President Trump for that outlay. And that wasn't Noem's only scandal, of course. Obviously, the most salacious scandal involving Noem was her relationship with Corey Lewandowski, which pretty much everybody in D.C. knows likely goes well beyond the platonic. It's been going on for years. As the Wall Street Journal reported on February 12, quote, within DHS, Noem and Lewandowski frequently berate senior level staff, give polygraph tests to employees they don't trust, and have fired employees. In one incident, Lewandowski fired a US Coast Guard pilot after Noem's blanket was left behind on a plane. According to people familiar with the incident, Noem and Lewandowski's close relationship had already made Trump and his top advisors uncomfortable. Lewandowski had initially wanted to formally serve as Noem's chief of staff, but Trump rejected the idea due to reports of a romantic relationship between the two, which he has continued to bring up, officials say. Again, all this according to the Wall Street Journal. Just a few weeks ago, after photos in the Daily Mail showed Lewandowski going back and forth between his apartment and gnomes across the street, last year, the secretary moved into a government owned waterfront house on a military base in Washington that is provided to the leader of the U.S. coast Guard. The Coast Guard falls under Nome's purview at DHS during peacetime. Lewandowski also spends time at the house. Lewandowski is married. So is Nome. They have publicly denied the reports of an affair, but pretty much everybody knows that that's a bunch of bunk. The pair have apparently been using a luxury 737 Max jet with a private cabin and back for their travel around the country. DHS is leasing that plane now. They're trying to acquire it for $70 million. So, yeah, not great. Well, actually, Kristi Noem was asked the other day about her relationship with Lewandowski. It was super awkward because her husband was sitting right behind her. You will notice in this testimony, she does not actually deny that she and Lewandowski are sleeping together, because if she had, it is quite possible she would have made herself eligible for a perjury charge. Here she was being questioned by a representative named Kamlager Dove.

[Kristi Noem]

So, Secretary Noem, at any time during your tenure as director of Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski? Mr. Chairman, I am shocked that we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today. Reclaiming my. Ma', am, one thing that I would tell you is that he is a special government employee who works for the White House. There are thousands of them in the federal government. So reclaiming my secretary as an advisor. It is okay for you to be. It is okay for you to question, but it is also a real question. So what I would say, and you should be able to answer, what we do at the Department of Homeland Security, every single and without any hesitation, every single day, is to protect this. If someone is asking you or any federal official is sleeping with their subordinate, that should be the easiest. You should be wanting to answer that question because it is not about your senses that you have brought. It is about your judgment. That kind of garbage about reclaiming my. So that I can hear my recognize.

[Ben Shapiro]

Now, the proper answer to that question would be no. Come on. Come on. If somebody asked me, are you sleeping with people who work for you? The answer is no. Then you get to, yeah, that question is garbage. And why are you. But the answer would be no. If you don't say no to that question and you just go right to that question is truly offensive to me. I think we can all spot that you didn't say no. I'm sorry. Them's the brakes. Bottom line is Kristi Noem was not doing a good job, and it was past time for her to go. So President Trump announced yesterday he would be replacing her with Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. He put out a statement on truth, quote, I am pleased to announce that the highly respected United States senator from the great state of Oklahoma, Mark Wayne Mullen, will become the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security effective March 31, 2026. The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, Wink, wink. Has had numerous and spectacular results, especially on the border, will be moving to be special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, our new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere. We are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Christy for her service at Homeland. Well, you know, the president has decided to upgrade his employees by getting rid of Kristi Noem. And you need to upgrade your employees as well. See, we here at the Daily Way, we're constantly using ZipRecruiter. Why? Because we are constantly hiring, constantly upgrading people in terms of skill sets, in terms of their Job qualifications, all the rest. This is what you are waking up to as a business owner. You need skills based hiring. Our sponsor, Zip Recruiter helps you do just that right now. You can try it for free and use it the way we [e-mail] Daily Wire. You want people who can perform, who can solve problems, who can create, who can build. That's the stuff that drives growth in a company like ours and also at your company too. ZipRecruiter sorts through the tidal wave of applicants and figures out who actually has the skills you need. If you're also an employer who's adopted skills based hiring, the best way to ensure your applicants have the right skills is using Zip Recruiter. ZipRecruiter recommends smart screening questions to help you hone in on that perfect match for your role so you're not wasting time on people who are totally wrong for the job. We have a bunch of active postings right now if you want to work with us. Actually go check it out. And you know all of our employees should be a little on edge because we have the power of Zip Recruiter at hand. Plus, ZipRecruiter's powerful matching technology finds qualified candidates fast. You can easily add those screening questions right to your job post so you get the highest quality applicants. And if you want to view candidates that have recently been active on the site rather than an old forgotten profile, ZipRecruiter's filters can help you with that too. Let ZipRecruiter help you find great candidates with the skills that you need. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter will get a quality candidate within the very first day. And now you can try it for [e-mail] DailyWire that's ZipRecruiter.com DailyWire Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

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[Ben Shapiro]

course are trying to claim victory. Gavin Newsom, fresh off of Whatever anti Israel podcast he can find who tried to regain those hard left voters is saying that Noem's firing represents a sort of retreat by the administration.

[Gavin Newsom]

Donald Trump is in retreat today is a perfect example of that with first firing of a high profile cabinet member. He's in retreat places like Minnesota because the steel spine of citizens that stood up, real patriots in this country, pushed back against all that, you know, and you're seeing it globally and it's again, you're exactly right. That's why Trump is acting out as he always does, weakness masquerading as strength.

[Ben Shapiro]

But this, of course is incredibly stupid. Trump is not retreating. He is making a smart adjustment. Kristi Noemi is doing a bad job and now he's going to put someone in like Mark Wayne. You think Mark Wayne Mullen is now going to be soft on the border? It's obviously the right move and it shows one big thing, addictions. The clicks and the giggles of the Internet rots your brain and leaves you on the wrong side of normal Americans up to and including President Trump. In one second, we'll get to people who have had their brains rotted, including Tucker Carlson. First, here is your reminder. Please go subscribe [e-mail] subscribe so we can bring you great information and news every single day. We have basically round the clock coverage now [e-mail] of what's going on in Iran. We have brand new shows appearing all the time. And tonight we have a special episode of Ben After Dark. So if you think the show's been a little spicy lately, wait until you see Ben After Dark. Special guest, Mayim Bialik, who you remember from Big Bang Theory. So go check that out. Become a subscriber right now. Okay, so back to the brain rotted. Okay, so yesterday, President Trump went directly after Tucker Carlson. He said, quote, tucker has lost his way. I knew that a long time ago. And he's not maga. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first. And Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that. All of which is obviously true, except that Tucker is smart. He knows exactly what he's doing. But like so many in the commentary business, the clicks and the giggles have contributed to a terminal case of brain rot. True, actual, undeniable brain rot. After Tucker said just a few days ago that Trump's action in Iran is, quote, absolutely disgusting and evil, Tucker has now declared that Chabad, a Chabad, that is the Jewish organization Most famous for their telethon and also their warm approach to Jewish outreach, Chabad was responsible for the war in Iran and was also seeking to destroy the Dome of the Rock in the Al Aqsa Mosque, which is, I'm sorry, totally insane. I mean, there are, there are no levels to describe how that is. That is so crazy. That is clinically insane. That's like, put that dude in a straightjacket. Nuts. Chabad basically exists so that Jews who are interested in Judaism have a place to go to Shoals, a synagogue. They're the people who stand around at public events. You'll sometimes see them with phylacteries asking Jews if they wrapped to fill in that day. They drive around with cars labeled Mitzvah tanks. Their actual philosophy, by the way, on the rebuilding of the Third Temple is that the Third Temple is rebuilt by acts of loving kindness. I'm not even kidding. That's what they say. And Tucker basically just slandered Chabad. Again, I'm in a state of shock. It is hard to shock me when it comes to the levels to which Tucker Carlson goes, because he has been an ever degrading show. But slandering Chabad as basically Hamas. Well, actually worse than Hamas, since Tucker actually thinks Hamas isn't really a terror group. This is legitimately psychotic stuff. I mean, psychotic break, insanity. Here was Tucker Carlson finding the real culprit for President Trump's decision. Again, he's such a coward because Trump's the one who made the call, right? Trump is the President of the United States. Tucker still won't say his name. In fact, when President Trump smacked Tucker yesterday, Tucker said, I still love him. I still love him so much. I mean, that's another piece of considering that back in 2020, he was talking about how eager he was for President Trump not to be president anymore in his text messages. But okay, so here was Tucker labeling Chabad. You know, the guys who dance funny and wear long black coats and are extremely friendly with like fold up card tables at public events. Those guys are the actual force behind the Iran war, says Tucker Carlson.

[Pete Hegseth]

And Chabad has been pushing in a pretty subtle way, unless you look carefully for the reconstruction of the Third Temple. And it seems like from the reading we did recently that those patches actually came from Chabad. In any case, Chabad is pushing for the building of the Third Temple. But it's not just Hasidic groups from Brooklyn and it's not just IDF soldiers. There are, amazingly, a lot of American evangelical leaders, Christian Zionists whose main point is rebuilding The Third Temple. Now, how could an American Christian, or any Christian, call for the building of a temple whose presence, whose inherent presence denies Christ?

[Ben Shapiro]

Well, that be cray, as the kids say. Well, naturally, Candace Owens jumped aboard this bandwagon of psychological breakdown too. She put out a statement, quote, remember, they are digging tunnels in New York and in cities all across America. It's so crazy. All I can do is laugh. I mean, truly crazy. The digging tunnel story is about an unlicensed attempt by some students to dig a certain area from one building to another building in New York that was shut down by the city of New York. The idea that Jews are rat like digging tunnels or all. In fact, the people who are digging tunnels are the people Candace likes. Namely members of Hamas, digging, you know, miles of tunnels. But they are digging tunnels in New York and in cities all across America. Really? Would you like to label those tunnels for me? The tunnels. The tunnel digging Jews. Yes, the Chabadniks with their. With their picks and their shovels going into the caves in the mines, man. Better get those people down to West Virginia and do some coal mining. What the hell? They are taking over entire towns in New Jersey. That, of course, is a reference to the fact that. That there are several heavily Jewish towns in New Jersey, like Lakewood. You should be absolutely aware of where the Chabad is nearest your home. These people are dangerous. Okay. This is where. My God. They are a radical sect of mystic occultists that follow the idea of a war messiah and they harm kids. If the work of Jeffrey Masson is to be believed. Who worked under Anna Freud as the assistant director of the Sigmund Freud archives. Again, 40 of them were on a group chat while Chaim Braverman tried to organize my murder for me. Merely discussing their viewpoints. It isn't your local mosque you need to fear. Yes, I'm okay. Quick, quick test of whether your brain works. If somebody went out into public and started trying to rap to fill in on Jews who acquiesce. Do you run away? If somebody goes out in public and shouts in a crowded space, Allahu Akbar. How do you react? That's because you're not unwell. But she then put out follow up tweets. A normal person's brain when confronted with something they disagree with. Hey, that's not true. I can counter that with facts. A Khazarian. Okay, this is her usual anti Semitic theory, which is that the completely debunked that the Jews are actually the offspring of a Turkic people called the Khazars. Like a Turkic Kingdom that for a brief period in time converted to Judaism in the early Middle Ages. How can I make money and gold from this statement? That is most likely. I mean, she's. I'm sorry. Utterly indistinguishable from the work of Joseph Goebbels at this point. Candace Owens. Well, here's the thing. It would be funny, and it is kind of funny because people being gray is a little funny, but it actually is a little dangerous. Chabads happen to be routinely targeted by both white supremacists and terrorists because they are so visible. The Chabad of Poway, which is near San Diego, was attacked in 2019 by a white supremacist, killing one, wounding. Three Chabad houses have been targeted in Massachusetts, in Florida, and of course, the Mumbai Chabad over in India was specifically targeted in 2008, killing a bunch of hostages. Now, as always, here's the caveat. That doesn't mean Tucker and Candace are responsible for crazy people who go and do violence. They're not overtly calling for violence, but they are morally culpable for the things that happen to a certain degree and to a high degree because they continue to raise the temperature rhetorically. And they are targeting a group of innocent people by calling them essentially terrorists and dangerous to the country. And they are providing intellectual fodder for the violent deranged to go and do their work. And of course, this latest bout of total insanity, I mean, true insanity, follows hard on Tucker's other insanity of late. From suggesting that Israel murdered jfk, to labeling, to labeling Christian Zionists the worst people on planet earth, to telling Ambassador Mike Huckabee that Jews should take a DNA test in order to claim historical heritage, to calling Secretary of War Pete Hegseth culty. This is what brain rot looks like, gang.

[Pete Hegseth]

Why would you redact references to Israel in the Kennedy files for six decades? Like, what is that?

[Ben Shapiro]

That's almost an admission.

[Pete Hegseth]

Tranches of documents that have been released in the last 12 months. We've seen again and again references to Israel, and there are a lot of references to Israel have all been redacted for 62 years, 63 years. I don't understand.

[Ben Shapiro]

Like, why.

[Pete Hegseth]

Why would that be?

[Ben Shapiro]

And then the.

[Pete Hegseth]

The Christian Zionists who are, well, Christian Zionists, like, what is that? And I can just say for myself, I dislike them more than anybody, you know, because. Like, what? Because it's Christian heresy and I'm offended by that as a Christian and because of science, we can now know who those people are. So why aren't we finding out.

[Senator John Kennedy]

I guess you could propose a DNA test for everybody who comes here, everybody who lives here.

[Pete Hegseth]

But the point I'm comfortable with secular nation states where none of this is done on the basis of blood. I'm uncomfortable with that. I'll just say that.

[Senator John Kennedy]

But there are people who may not have bloodlines but who have converted to Judaism. Are they going to be able to live here? Are you going to kick them out?

[Pete Hegseth]

This is considered so esoteric and weird and crypto historical and religious and kind of culty and what's chabad? And no one ever mentions it. But here's Pete Hegseth, football player from Princeton, going on about it in a way that suggests he's thought a lot about it.

[Ben Shapiro]

That, by the way, is the milder stuff from him. No wonder President Trump cut him loose. Well, the President is good at his job because he makes adjustments. Well, it's time for you to adjust. You've been told since you were a kid you need to eat your fruits and veggies. So I have a question. Are you doing it? Are you really? Because if you're not, you can adjust by using balance of Nature. You know, so called experts have turned Nutrition into a 400 page instruction manual with labels you might need a PhD to decode. Nature is not that complicated. Plants have their own nutrition phytonutrients, the natural compounds your body uses every single day to adjust, repair and respond to stress. That's where balance of nature comes in. They take that real produce, they run it through a tailored vacuum cold process that stabilizes phytonutrition instead of destroying it. Their whole health system bundle the fruits and veggies and the fiber and spice. They give you 47 ingredients of actual whole food and the phytonutrients in one simple routine. When I'm traveling, Balance of nature is great because listen, I'm not running over to the grocery store to pick up like a big bag of fruit and veggies. They even added brand new freeze dried snacks that go through a similar process. So you're still getting that phytonutrient rich goodness without all the junk. Instead of over complicating your health with the latest fad, how about you fight the good fight? Get it with whole food phytonutrition plus balance of nature. Head on over to balanceofnature.com subscribe save today. Join hundreds of thousands of people who've decided to simplify their routine and actually do something good for their bodies. Again, that's balanceofnature.com to subscribe. See, here's the thing. President Trump is good at his job because he is not too online. We've talked routinely on the show about the gap between the online world and the real world is why I tell people to go out and touch grass and talk to actual humans. However, that gap is growing wider every day. So while Tucker and Candace and others in the Brainrot horseshoe, right, keep claiming that Trump is losing his base, that isn't true. Right? These are the people who are claiming that the Iran war is going to break Trump's base. Here's CNN's Harry Ensign with the actual data. Republicans love Donald Trump more than any president's own party supporters loved him at this particular point. Just take a look here. Okay? On own Party supporters, 21st century President's Own party approval about at this point in the second term, Bush was at 77%. Obama was at 77%. Look at this. 86% of Republicans approve of the job that Donald Trump is doing at this point. In fact, President Trump's approval is up across every single issue except for ice. Thanks to the diligent work of Kristi Noem, Trump's favorability with Republicans remains well above 80% in every single poll. 90% in the Fox News poll. Now, there are true believers who simply oppose the president Nazi stand and closeted homosexual Nick Fuentes being an excellent example. This has to be the breaking point. This is the breaking point for the GOP coalition. You buried the Epstein files. There is no border wall. You didn't deliver on mass deportations. You cut corporate tax rates for the rich by cutting Medicaid again, no infrastructure bill, no middle class tax cuts. You gotta refund the tariffs. And now we're in a regime change war with Iran. That's the breaking point. I'm out. I'm done. I am off the Trump train. I am not voting in 26. If Rubio or Vance are on the ticket in any form in 28, I'm voting for a Democrat. I mean, he's gonna vote for Democrat anyway. I mean, because again, he is the true believer in his own bizarre view of the world. But if you listen to the online chatter, if you spend a lot of time on X, which is a mental ward, the entire right is against Trump, supposedly. Why? Because this is the place for the two online. A lot of figures are looking at their click count, which is being jogged algorithmically, and they assume that their views are actually popular with the bulk of the American people. And that's why some engagement farmers, you know, People who spend all day abandoning principles but bragging about their view count are. Are claiming political victory even while President Trump ignores literally everything they're saying. Which is why, for example, sadly, Megyn Kelly continues to pretend she's the vanguard of the conservative movement, citing, you wait for it, her YouTube numbers yesterday, because she's upset at me. She put out a statement saying that she wanted to thank her audience because they had 138 million views on YouTube in February alone. Twice every show on CBS News combined. And then she talks about my YouTube traffic and says that her YouTube traffic is significantly higher than my YouTube traffic. Again, I'm not going to get into a. A contest of comparing statistics on episode downloads or YouTube downloads for specific episodes of Megyn Kelly, because that's not how I measure morality. But that is clearly how Megan measures morality. Now, some might point out that Megan's supposed bravery because Megan tends to put herself out there as a brave figure standing up to the predations of the censors. Some might point out that Megan's bravery stops precisely where the cliques end. That she was pro trans until the cliques turned against it, at which point she suddenly became the most militant cursing opponent of the transit movement. That she was pro Israel until the cliques turned against it, at which point she started hinting of dark, sinister conspiracies to silence her. That she was pro Erica Kirk until the cliques turned against it, at which point she went totally silent on Candace Owens slandering the widow of her supposed friend. There is not and has not been a political parade that begins without Megyn Kelly at the front, that ends without Meghan at the front waving of a don. And as for her purported bravery against censorship, let's be clear. According to Megan herself, she's thriving. She's got great traffic. No one's censoring her, and she's talking about every topic under the sun, particularly things like Israel. Well, I shouldn't say every topic. Almost every topic. It turns out there is one topic she won't talk about. That, of course, would be her continued complete moral betrayal of Erica Kirk to kiss Candace Owens ass, even as she cosplays as the brave woman standing up against censors who don't exist. She says she'll die before she bends the knee to those who criticize Candace Owens. That's a. That's a bold stand, Cotton. Well, now, the brain rot is not relegated solely to the political right, of course. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, invited me on his show in January, where He told me explicitly that he is pro Israel by his lights. But of course Gavin Newsom has become the Cosmopolitan magazine of politics, offering a brand new position that will blow your mind every few days or so. Because Democratic primary voters now suffer from a severe case of brain rot, Newsom is steering directly into it. Well the other day with the Pod Save America bros. Those are the former Obama staffers who believe that their time with America's most craven politician on the Middle east makes them experts on the region. Newsom was with them and he said that Israel was an apartheid state. Gotta cater to the brainrot left.

[Gavin Newsom]

He's got his own domestic issues. He's trying to stay out of jail. He's got an election coming up. He's potentially on the ropes. He's got folks the hard line that want to annex the West West Bank. I mean Freeman and others are talking about it appropriately. Sort of an apartheid state. They couldn't even. I mean we're talking about regime change. For two years they haven't even been able to solve the Hamas question.

[Ben Shapiro]

Rethinking our military support for Israel.

[Gavin Newsom]

It breaks my heart because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path where I don't think you have a choice but that consideration. I mean to say this is in America's interest at a time when affordability is at crisis levels where you had an administration who literally got elected saying this is exactly the opposite of what they would ever consider doing.

[Ben Shapiro]

Well now Nome is so afraid of the brain rot left wing base he's decided to sit down with Hassan Piker. That is the dude who finds himself profiled as the new face of the rising left by every major legacy media publication all while hating the country with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. He is also a multi millionaire who believes he is a socialist and all the rest. Here are just a few of this dog zapper's greatest hits.

[Senator John Kennedy]

Any kind of Zionist tendency should be treated in the same way as, as being a rabid neo Nazi.

[Ben Shapiro]

Hezbollah is a, is a paramilitary organization that is also a part of the Lebanese parliament. Do we like them or no?

[Senator John Kennedy]

I think as a resistance group they're

[Ben Shapiro]

pretty successful against Israel.

[Senator John Kennedy]

I don't have any sort of patriotism in my heart for any. Yeah for America. But just in general liberals you need to be showing your opponents guts on there, ok?

[Ben Shapiro]

You need to be gutting them. You need to be shanking these and

[Senator John Kennedy]

letting their, letting their intestines just ride on stage. You have 1950s Soviet era building blocks

[Ben Shapiro]

next to The Gucci store, if there

[Senator John Kennedy]

was more, if there was ever a

[Ben Shapiro]

country that represented the synthesis, the things that I enjoy so much personally. Ok, so that's the person that Newsom is going to sit down with. Because after all, better to cater to the brain rot than to demonstrate any real level of leadership. This is the dude who wants to play Captain Normal in 2028 for the Democrats. See, here's the thing about brain rot politics. It's addictive. It's basically the elp of politics. It's the kind of stuff that's made in a foreign country like India. It turns your mind to mush. Take Piers Morgan, who doesn't seem to have any thoroughgoing politics. Piers is and always was a click machine. He's driven by fame and by clicks. That's his prerogative. But actually, over the past couple days, he seems really offended, like he won't stop tweeting about the fact that I called his show the Jerry Springer of political tv. On the show a little bit earlier this week, which it clearly is, he then bragged about, taking that as a compliment, which is why it's weird that he spent all of yesterday crashing out about that obvious observation. And by the way, he was very upset about it. So upset about it that he decided to counter the accusation that his show has become a clown card filled with brain rot by bragging about his ratings, of course. And of course suggesting the only reason that I was not appearing on his show anymore was his criticism of Israel. Which is weird because I appeared on his show for literally months after October 7, even though he was already critical of. Of Israel. And I really haven't said anything on peers or about peers or to peers for probably a year. I just stopped appearing on his show. Why? Well, honestly, he kept bringing on actual Nazis and the Nazi adjacent and then treated them all too often as voices worthy of a large audience, like, for example, these people. I believe that Jewish supremacy is the

[Senator John Kennedy]

greatest threat to America and I think

[Ben Shapiro]

it's the greatest threat to the world today.

[Senator John Kennedy]

I truly believe that. That you think Hitler was very cool.

[Ben Shapiro]

Yes, I do. One of the. And I'm tired of pretending he's not. It's going to be the headlines tomorrow. Piers Morgan, Israel is isis.

[Senator John Kennedy]

Only amongst people who weren't listening.

[Ben Shapiro]

That's how I feel about those young men in Gaza.

[Senator John Kennedy]

You ask me why I won't condemn them because those young men were born

[Ben Shapiro]

into a concentration camp, has been a terrorist state.

[Kristi Noem]

Okay? Israel right now is imparting a genocide

[Ben Shapiro]

and a holocaust on the Gazan people, listen. It's Piers's choice who he decides to have on his show and how he decides to conduct the kind of clown car battle royale that he does on a show every night. And it's my choice not to join that circus. We all make our choices and we all live with them. But some of us make our choices based on, you know, actual principles and not the clicks. Here's the reality. The circus atmosphere of the online world is actually driving real people truly crazy. What starts as an online disease doesn't actually stay that way. We're seeing that people who spend too much time online do get brain rot. And that brain rot is going to harm the Republican party and the right if they continue to follow it. So you may remember this chart. It was designed by Colin, right? It's become kind of a meme online, pretty famous chart. So it shows three years, 2008, 2012, 2021. And for each year, it shows a spectrum of political views. Kind of a line, left to right, and then a mark in the center. The point of the chart is that as the left move further to the left, the center also moved further to the left. And if you stayed in the same place, you ended up on the right. That's basically the meme right. That as the left sprinted out further and further to the left, the center, because the line lengthens, moves further to the left, and the person who used to be center left is now center right. You could run that play in reverse. What if the brain rot right, starts to sprint directly to the further, further, further right or horseshoe around all the way to the left, scrambling the spectrum? Well, the normie American is going to be left without a place to go. And that is a problem. That, of course, is a problem. Well, this is what seems to be happening to young Americans who spend way too much time online. Brain rot is, in fact, an infectious disease. Young Americans who think differently than their elders aren't suddenly becoming wiser than their elders. I know it has become a truism that young people are rarely wiser than their elders. It's a truism because it usually is true. But young Americans are spending a lot of time with the brain rot machine. Their politics are moving to match. Which is presumably why, According to a February 2026 survey, 45% of Republicans under the age of 44, for example, say that Jews are a threat to the American way of life. If you're wondering about how tucker or candidates get away with spewing total bullshit about chabad subsidizing Sponsoring being the creators of the Iran war. That would be the reason why. And again, just to point out how crazy that is, that is basically saying that Mormon missionaries are responsible for the Iran attack. It's the equivalent. It's also this brain rot. Why? 22% of young liberals, according to YouGov, say it's fine to be happy about the death of a public figure they oppose, and another 22% say they're not sure. Well, you know, maybe one day those people will grow up, become the demographic majority, and the country will be ruled by total brain rot. It could happen, but it's not happening yet. And it doesn't need to happen, because right now the political incentives and reality are aligned. If leaders would only see it. Most Americans, liberal and conservative, are not totally dedicated or taken in by or influenced by or infected with brain rot. Most Americans want normalcy and decency. And whichever party discovers that first is gonna win. That's why Trump won in 2024. Because while President Trump truths in bizarre ways and uses a cadence that many people find unpresidential, his policies are not connected to the online brain rot. And thank God for that. Well, people afflicted by online brain rot keep saying that America is somehow losing in Iran, which is hilarious. Just on the face of it, America's action in Iran continues to devastate the Iranian government. There are reports already emerging from Iran that top IRGC members are moving around the country dressed as women in order to avoid targeting from the air. The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, he says that there are cracks in the actual structure of the irgc. At this point, we are hearing reports that some members of the IRGC have basically disappeared. Not been killed like just disappeared, aren't showing up for work. Meanwhile, Iran's air force is basically Wright brothers biplanes with some pop guns on them. According to the Wall Street Journal, quote, iran is sending its creaking air force into the fight. Many of the planes are museum pieces, kept flying with scrounged parts and pluck and stand little chance against modern airplanes. The age and weakness of Iran's warplanes, many purchased before the shah was deposed by the revolution that established the Islamic Republic in 1979, caused Iran's planes to routinely crash during training exercises well before they could get into a fight. Others were picked off on the Runway. On Sunday, Israel destroyed a u. S made F4 Phantom 2 fighter bomber and an F5 light fighter as they prepared for takeoff at Tabriz airport in northwestern Iran. The F4 entered service in the early 60s. It has not been in production for nearly half a century. The F5 is of similar vintage. None of Iran's air fleet has stealth capabilities. Israel had an F35. It shot down what was called a Yak 130, which is an acquisition from 2023. Usually it's used for light combat, but it's a training aircraft. It's capable of half the speed of the F35. So I mean, credit to the Israeli pilot, but again, that was a piece of superior weaponry shooting down a vastly inferior piece of machinery. I mean, I'm sorry, but the world's best pilots armed with the world's best weaponry are not going to lose to the planes that were flying when John McCain went down in Vietnam. Not only that, the Iranians still have not named a supreme leader because they think the Israelis will kill him if they do. Spoiler alert. They are likely correct. The US Is also escalating its bombing in Iran. So is Israel. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper explained the current state of play yesterday. In just the last 72 hours, America's bomber force has struck nearly 200 targets deep inside of Iran, including around Tehran. And in just the last hour, US B2 bombers dropped dozens of 2,000 pound penetrator bombs, targeting deeply buried ballistic missile launchers. Notably, we have also struck Iran's equivalent of Space Command, which degrades their ability to threaten Americans. Here was Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warning that more is to come. The unleashing of Chang is going to happen.

[Senator John Kennedy]

When we say more to come. It's more fighter squadrons, it's more capabilities, it's more defensive capabilities, and it's more bomber pulses more frequently. The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically. And part of it is that we're gonna have even more basing. And it's not just the uk We've had other friends step up and we're grateful for that.

[Ben Shapiro]

And by the way, one of the things that is worth noting here is the number of ballistic missile launches by Iran has dropped from the hundreds on the first day of the war down to almost zero. Why? Well, because the United States Air Force and the Israeli Air Force are blowing up all the missile launchers on the ground. So what comes next? Well, Pete Hegseth said there will be a time when the Iranian people will go out into the streets and take on the regime. But he says, wait a second, that time isn't yet. There are still bombs dropping.

[Senator John Kennedy]

It's common sense. As he said up front, don't go out and protest while bombs are dropping inside Tehran and elsewhere. So there will. There will come a moment where he determines or they determine that it's the time to seize that advantage. But there's a lot of things we're doing and the Israeli military is doing, targeting those individuals who are targeting those who protest. The more you do that and you erode their will and you erode their capabilities, the more you create an opportunity for people to boldly stand up.

[Ben Shapiro]

Joining me on the line to discuss what's been going on in the White House and over at the Pentagon is Mary Margaret Olahan. She, of course, is our Daily Wire White House correspondent. Mary Margaret, thanks so much for the time, as always.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Thanks, Ben. It's great to be here.

[Ben Shapiro]

So you've been spending a lot of time with the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. He's been doing a lot of pressers recently, announcing the results of the campaign against the Iranian regime. How has that been going? What is the mood in the Pentagon right now, and what is Secretary Hegseth saying?

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Well, Ben, first of all, it's just really cool to be wandering around the Pentagon, traveling with the Secretary of War during a war. It's not something I ever thought I'd be doing, but here we are. I got to go to a press conference at the Pentagon early on Wednesday morning. And then yesterday, Thursday, I got to travel with the Secretary of War to Florida, where we went to the Americas Cartel conference. And then we went to Tampa to centcom, where he met with Admiral Cooper. They discussed war plans and a skiff for several hours while we all waited. And then we got to go to a press conference with both Hegseth and Cooper and ask them about what's going on. So I asked Hegseth about these reports that an American pilot had been shot down. He said that this is false, that this didn't happen. I think he. He exactly said to me that those reports of an F15 being shot down are false. As you can imagine, Iran is doing everything to peddle in lies, deception, and inflation of numbers and reality. So there were a bunch of questions along the same lines, logistical questions about what's going on with the war in Iran. I think it's really interesting, Ben, how these questions in general, especially down in Florida, are pretty serious, you know, honest questions about what's going on in this war, which is pretty different than what I'm used to in the White House. And again, I should say at this presser yesterday, this was reporters from, you know, local Reporters in Florida, but then also reporters from all over the country who are really interested in knowing what's going on, which I found really refreshing. Obviously, at the Pentagon, you have different reporters. You have some of the reporters who are complying with the Pentagon's rules. So you have a bunch of these more conservative outlets in the room, which a lot of these more liberal leaning outlets do not like. They really didn't like that the Daily Wire was in there. But I'm really enjoying this. I'm enjoying this coverage and it's an honor to be up close to this historic events happening this week.

[Ben Shapiro]

So Secretary Hegseth seems to be pretty confident of where the United States stands in the war right now. You've been spending a lot of time with him. What would you say is sort of the mood around the Pentagon given the current situation?

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Yeah, I mean, look, they're going to be confident with me, they're going to be confident with the reporters. But in general, what we're hearing is that they're feeling really good. Yesterday during the presser, Pete Hagseth said that we have no shortage of munitions. He was very confident that we're in a good place, that Iran cannot hold out for too long, that they're going to run out of the supplies that they need. He was very confident. He was posturing very confidently. He had spent, like I said, several hours in that skiff with Admiral Cooper reviewing what they had done, but reviewing also what they planned to do in the future. Admiral Cooper, he's a really interesting guy. He was up there explaining the status of the war, careful not to reveal things that he wasn't supposed to reveal, but also talking about the damage that we in Israel have already done to Iran and, you know, hinting that there's a lot more to come. Of course reporters want to know more specific questions. We would always love to know more information. For instance, Ben, I think it's really interesting. There's a lot of reports out there that Isfahan, one of the nuclear facilities that we targeted during Operation Midnight Hammer, I'm seeing reports that it wasn't heavily bombed and that there's speculation that this is where some of the enriched uranium is. I asked about that at the presser yesterday. I didn't get any answers on that. Hagseth kind of nicely said we wouldn't tell you that anyways, which kind of knew that was the answer that was coming and a little bit embarrassing to ask something that you might not get an answer to. But I guess that's just the name of the game. And obviously all of us have more questions heading into the coming weeks and months. We even heard a report that this war might go until September. We don't know. Obviously, we hope that it wouldn't go that long, but I'll hopefully be able to ask the Secretary of War about that. And in the meantime, really grateful that he's taking these questions to Admiral Cooper. Is taking these questions. And Admiral Cooper, by the way, very, very nice man. I was getting aboard the military plane when we were leaving yesterday and he said, hey, I think I recognize you from somewhere and shook my hand and asked my name. So you never know. He might be a fan of the Daily Wire as well.

[Ben Shapiro]

That's Mary Margaret Olihan, our White House reporter. Thanks so much for the coverage and the time.

[Mary Margaret Olahan]

Thank you, Ben.

[Ben Shapiro]

Well, President Trump is not going to set up a red line in Iran that he's not going to enforce, which means he's not leaving the worst of the worst in control. So yesterday he talked to Time magazine. He said, quote, I've killed all their leaders. Fact check. Drew, one of the things I'm going to be asking for is the ability to work with them on choosing a new leader. I'm not going to go through this, stand up with another Khomeini. I want to be involved in the selection. They can select, but we have to make sure it's somebody that's reasonable to the United States. We have to be able to deal with sane and rational people. So assuming that there isn't a full scale coup and the government doesn't completely topple, even then the pressure will stay on until we have basically a Venezuela situation. That seems to be the president's off ramp. So what does all of this mean for 2026? The answer is, believe it or not, probably not much. If we win in Iran, there will be a boost for the administration. How big? Well, I mean, some boost, probably. Most Americans don't see foreign policy as their top concern. According to the latest Harvard Harris poll, dropped just before the Iran action. Americans are split roughly 50, 50 on Congress. Foreign policy remains their literal last priority. Last like 1% as a priority. 2% for the GOP, 2% for independents, 1% for Democrats. If Republicans lose, it won't be because of foreign policy. It will because of two factors. The natural cadence of midterm elections, the off year elections usually go to the party out of power, and the economy. There is a third wild card, scandal. Congressional scandals can bleed over and turn what is sort of a slow bleed into A GUSHER In 2006, Republican Representative Mark Foley, he was messing around with the congressional interns and it helped Nancy Pelosi take the House in a wipeout. And that's why it is a good piece of news this morning. Representative Tony Gonzalez dropped his reelection bid. His district is hotly contested, but it turns out the Democrats not being able to nationalize, a congressman cheating on his wife with a staffer who then set herself on fire, well, that at least will prevent a gigantic gusher for Republicans on that particular issue. Meanwhile, President Trump has announced that he will make an endorsement in the Texas Senate primary soon. To avoid a bloody primary conflict, he put out a truth social in which he said that the Primary race for U.S. senate in Texas cannot for the good of the party in our country be allowed to go on any longer. It must stop. Now we have an easy to beat radical left opposition. We have to totally focus on putting him away quickly and decisively. Both John, that'd be John Cornyn and Ken Paxton ran great races, but not good enough. Now this one must be perfect. My endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable. It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I endorse wins and wins by a lot, especially in Texas. So unclear exactly who he's going to endorse, but he is obviously threatening to endorse. Now, it may not matter. I know the Democrats are trotting out James Talarico. He's the Howdy Doody looking, Pete Buttigieg knockoff. He's straight, who is running in Texas on the, on the Senate side for the Democrats. And they are pretending that he is some sort of open, honest, moderate, know, clean cut, all the rest of it. Well, the problem is that tape exists. So it turns out he is in open borders, pro transing the kids, far left liberal. He is one of these far too online brain rot politicians. Here is tape that has emerged of Talarico talking about Jesus and his own whiteness.

[Senator John Kennedy]

For me, prophetic voices like Jesus have helped me reckon with my own whiteness, my own masculinity, my own certainty, my own ego. It's a never ending process and it's a painful process.

[Ben Shapiro]

And here he was back in his state legislature days explaining that there are not two, but six genders.

[Senator John Kennedy]

I want us all to be aware of is that, that modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes. In fact there are six, which honestly, Representative Hefner surprised me. Surprised me too because I, I, you know, am not well versed in this, this issue area, I'm not a scientist. I'm a politician a lot worse than a scientist.

[Ben Shapiro]

Well, we'll see how that works out in Texas. Bottom line to pretty much all of this. There is the real world and then there is the brain rot that you see online. Do not be taken in by the brain rot. You see, I know it's a tough exercise because again, the human brain takes in information. It processes the information that it has, and it turns it into conclusions. That's what we do when all that information is coming from X or when it's coming from Instagram or TikTok. What that tends to do is convince you of things that aren't true in the real world. And that does have an outsized impact. Thank God the President of the United States is not dictated to by those same algorithms. He is not controlled by anyone, least of all the algorithm, which is wonderful for the United States. Now, I'd recommend that Americans follow the President's lead. Alrighty, folks. Coming up, there's a whole other show that you miss. If you're not a subscriber. This is why you should subscribe. I'm going to answer your questions, including one from somebody who's asking, how do I tell my liberal friends why we're fighting in Iran? I'll sum it up for you in like 60 seconds so that you can use that at the water cooler with all of your lib friends. Plus we'll get to questions about the CIA and Richard Nixon and book recommendations for stay at home moms. So it's, it's a, a vast cornucopia of wisdom and knowledge behind that paywall. But you have to go over to DailyWire.com subscribe in order to become a member. Use code SHAPIRO and get two months free on all annual plans. Legal sent this list of everything we're not allowed to do in season two. We're gonna do all of it.

[Kristi Noem]

We've got games, more celebrity guests, and yes, the mailbag is somehow worse.

[Ben Shapiro]

If you thought season one was extra, season two, we're doubling down.

[Kristi Noem]

We're not supposed to be doing this.

[Ben Shapiro]

Exactly. Ben After Dark Season 2 to streaming on Daily Wire. Plus.

[Senator John Kennedy]

New Year, New Me.

[Ben Shapiro]

Cute, but how about New Year, New money? With Experian, you can actually take control of your finances. Check your FICO score, find ways to save and get matched with credit card offers, giving you time to power through those New Year's goals. You know you're gonna crush. Start the year off right. Download the Experian app Based on FICO Score 8 model offers an approval not guaranteed. Eligibility requirements and terms apply subject to credit check, which may impact your credit scores. Offers not available in all states. See experian.com for details.

[Kristi Noem]

Experian.