The Ben Shapiro Show, Ep. 2414

Date: April 27, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro
Main Theme:
"INSANE: ANOTHER Trump Assassination Attempt!"
Ben Shapiro delivers an analysis of the attempted third assassination on President Trump, focusing on the security failures, the perpetrator’s motives and background, the increasing normalization of political violence (especially from the left), and the troubling role of conspiratorial rhetoric in American political discourse.

1. Overview

Ben Shapiro dissects the latest assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents Association dinner, emphasizing the event’s timeline, the shooter’s background, and most importantly, connects the attack to broader left-wing permission structures for political violence. He critiques leftist rhetoric, explores the shooter’s manifesto, and calls out prominent mainstream acceptance of violent language and conspiracy theories, arguing these cultural forces increasingly normalize real-world violence against political targets.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Timeline of the Attack

• Event Summary (02:29):

  • Around 8:30 PM, as dinner guests began their meal, a man (Cole Allen) breached a Secret Service checkpoint, sprinted across the lobby, and opened fire towards the ballroom as Secret Service responded.
  • President Trump, Melania, VP Vance, and others were swiftly evacuated.
  • The shooter was quickly subdued—no injuries or deaths.
  • Trump and event organizers tried to resume the event, but it was cancelled for security reasons.
  • Trump gave a press conference later that night calling for peaceful resolution of political differences.

  “On Saturday night, somebody tried to murder Donald Trump again for the third time in two years.” – Ben Shapiro [01:28]

  “I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts and resolving our difference peacefully.” – Donald Trump [09:36]

Security Failures & Shooter's Background

• Security Lapses:

  • Shooter, staying at the hotel, assembled a long weapon in an inadequately monitored area near the terrace entrance.
  • He exploited gaps where security was weaker for hotel guests vs. event attendees.
  • Carried a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives.

  “He was in the room. He grabbed it out of a bag or something. Turns out the attacker was staying at the hotel...” – Ben Shapiro [10:34]

• Shooter Identity:

  • Cole Allen, Caltech graduate, indie game developer, Left-wing activist with records of donating to liberal causes.
  • Previously “Teacher of the Month” in California.

The Shooter's Motivation & Manifesto

• Political Views and Social Media Rhetoric:

  • Pronounced left-wing, active on BlueSky.
  • Repeatedly posted conspiracy theories, referring to Trump as "the Antichrist", "pedophile", "mob boss", "traitor".
  • Echoes of common online leftist rhetoric and fringe conspiracy beliefs, especially involving Jeffrey Epstein.

  “Pedophile, rapist, and traitor. There is no evidence that the President is a pedophile or a rapist or a traitor…” – Ben Shapiro [17:23]

• Manifesto (16:32):

  • Apologizes to friends/family, claims he's no longer willing to allow a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor” as President.
  • Rules of engagement: planned to target admin officials, but not Cash Patel (believed Patel is an Epstein whistleblower).
  • Laments “incompetence” of security and American leadership.
  • Emphasizes conspiratorial, grievance-based moral justification for violence.

The “Permission Structure” for Political Violence

• Core Argument:

  • Shapiro contends that violence against Trump (and others on the right) increasingly stems from a mainstreamed culture of demonization from the left, where conspiratorial accusations (pedophilia, fascism, Nazi comparisons) are commonplace.
  • Asserts not all ideologies create equal risk for violence; conspiracy-mongering and dehumanizing language are particularly toxic.

  “Permission structures for violence have been set up and bolstered and put into place for years now.” – Ben Shapiro [19:11]

The Role of Online Rhetoric & Influencers

• Hasan Piker & the Mainstreaming of Violent Rhetoric (31:29):

  • Hasan Piker (leftist influencer) repeatedly uses violent/metaphorical language about political opponents, allegedly lauded by mainstream media and Democratic figures.
  • Ben holds up explicit Piker quotes to illustrate increasing tolerance for activist violence.

  “Someone has to do it. When I say that, everyone knows exactly what I mean... untapped revolutionary potential.” – Hasan Piker [31:29]
  “You need to be shanking these motherf*kers and letting their… intestines just ride on stage.” – Hasan Piker [33:04]

• Media/Democrat Ties:

  • Critiques prominent journalists and politicians (Ezra Klein, Jon Favreau) for platforming Piker and similar voices while claiming to oppose political violence.
  • Left’s refrain that “Republican policies do violence to the American people” fosters a moral permission for real violence.

Statistical Evidence & Political Violence Trends

• Who Justifies Violence?

  • Cites research showing higher proportions of left/liberal identifiers believe political violence is sometimes justified (compared to conservatives).
  • Critiques studies that claim right-wing violence predominates, arguing they rely on misleading definitions.

  “If you believe that violence is justified in political life, you are significantly more likely to be a Democrat than a Republican.” – Ben Shapiro [39:43]

The Dehumanizing Power of Conspiracy and Demonization

• The Danger of “Narrative over Facts”:

  • Widespread conspiratorial claims (e.g., Trump is a pedophile, serial rapist, Nazi) are spread by celebrities (Rosie O’Donnell), media figures, and even Democratic officials.

  • These narratives build a moral frame that violence is defensive or necessary.

    “Saying the President is a pedophile and a rapist and a traitor who should be destroyed because he's blowing up little girls... that's being humored by the Democratic Party these days.” – Ben Shapiro [40:58]

• Explosion of Conspiracism:

  • Shapiro rebukes both “right” and “left”-wing conspiracy theories, but states the left’s conspiracism is currently more mainstreamed.
  • Dismisses “the event was staged” rumors as harmful and widespread.

  “We have moved beyond the realm of facts into the realm of narrative.” – Ben Shapiro [53:08]
  “Once you move from facts to narrative, it is very easy to move from narrative to conspiracism.” – Ben Shapiro [53:27]

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can’t hug Luigi Mangione and pretend you hate political violence. You cannot celebrate and hug Hasan Piker and claim to oppose political violence.” – Ben Shapiro [01:49]
• “These are not the same sorts of things.” – Ben Shapiro, on rhetorical disagreement vs. demonizing rhetoric [36:49]
• “America deserved 9/11. Dude, I’m saying it.” – Hasan Piker [32:41], cited by Shapiro as an example of extreme rhetoric
• “There's a soul sickness in the country, but that soul sickness does not start with President Trump.” – Ben Shapiro [54:08]

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:27 – Advertising & setup
• 01:27–03:00 – Recap of the White House Correspondents Dinner assassination attempt
• 03:00–09:35 – Event timeline, security failures, immediate reactions
• 09:36–10:03 – Trump’s call for peaceful resolution
• 10:03–12:22 – Security analysis, how shooter obtained weapons, law enforcement response
• 12:22–15:55 – Background and profile of shooter Cole Allen
• 15:55–17:23 – Shooter’s manifesto and conspiratorial worldview
• 17:24–19:11 – Manifesto excerpts, hostile online rhetoric
• 19:11–31:28 – Ideologies, permission structures, and history of political violence
• 31:29–34:11 – Hasan Piker’s rhetoric, left’s embrace of radical language
• 34:12–39:43 – Left-wing vs. right-wing violence statistics, media narrative
• 39:44–42:41 – Polls: justification of political violence by ideology and age
• 42:41–47:12 – Mainstreaming conspiratorial accusations about Trump
• 47:13–49:47 – Democrats' and media reactions, rhetoric repercussions
• 49:48–52:00 – Trump interview: rejecting personal demonization, conspiracism
• 52:01–54:24 – Media obsession with “staged” rumors and social media toxicity
• 54:25–End – Final reflections on conspiracism, concluding themes

5. Direct Quotes with Speaker Attribution

• Ben Shapiro:

  “The permission structures for violence have been set up and bolstered and put into place for years now.” [19:11]
  “What politics is about in the United States is ironing out our differences, not always agreeing, but understanding that the person on the other side of the aisle doesn't want you or people like you to die.”

• Donald Trump:

  “I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts and resolving our difference peacefully. We have to resolve our differences.” [09:36]
  “Excuse me, I'm not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated.” [50:00]

• Hasan Piker (via Shapiro's clips):

  “Someone has to do it. When I say that, everyone knows exactly what I mean…untapped revolutionary potential.” [31:29]
  “America deserved 9/11. Dude, I’m saying it.” [32:41]
  “You need to be shanking these motherf*ers and letting their…intestines just ride on stage.” [33:04]

6. Conclusion/Takeaways

• Ben’s core thesis: The increasing frequency of political violence in America is not random, but the result of toxic, conspiratorial narratives—especially from the left—being tolerated and mainstreamed.
• Calls for both sides to reject dehumanizing narratives, conspiracism, and rhetorical exaggeration as these ideas, unchecked, create permission structures for violence.
• Warns that unless the culture of demonization and narrative-over-fact is reversed, more political violence is inevitable: “We are playing with fire here as a society.”

For listeners:
This episode is an extended, urgent warning from Ben Shapiro about how unchecked radical rhetoric and conspiracy are fueling a real-world escalation in political violence, using the Trump assassination attempt as a case study. He focuses particular ire on left-wing influencers and institutions for mainstreaming these behaviors, but also denounces right-wing conspiracism and calls for renewed commitment to fact-based, civil disagreement.

Note:
All advertising, sponsor, and non-content sections have been omitted from this summary as per instructions. For further detail, refer to the provided timestamps or consult the full transcript.