Ep. 1097 - The Lies Of The Fact-Checkers

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode argues that the Constitution’s enumerated powers, checks and balances, and federalism remain essential protections against modern authoritarian impulses. It then criticizes Facebook and YouTube for outsourcing moderation to biased fact-checkers, especially PolitiFact, and pivots to COVID-19 politics: school closures, alleged data suppression in Nashville, Biden’s vaccine skepticism, and the broader claim that “science” has become partisan rather than objective.

Main Topics: Constitution Day and the Founding Framework (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro marks the Constitution’s anniversary by defending its design: limited enumerated powers, separation of powers, and federalism as safeguards for rights and against tyranny. Bias and Censorship in Social Media Fact-Checking (Priority: 5/5): He argues Facebook and YouTube are suppressing accurate political and scientific speech by relying on PolitiFact and similar outlets that he describes as ideologically skewed rather than neutral. Facebook Removal of Conservative Ads (Priority: 5/5): Two ads—one about Biden tax increases and one about transgender athletes in girls’ sports—are presented as truthful examples of Facebook allegedly censoring conservative messages through dubious fact-checks. COVID-19 Policy, Lockdowns, and School Reopenings (Priority: 4/5): The show criticizes continued school closures and lockdowns, arguing they are politically driven, often inconsistent with the evidence, and harmful to parents and children. Data Suppression and Local COVID Management (Priority: 4/5): A Nashville example is used to claim public officials hid low bar-and-restaurant transmission numbers to justify restrictions, reinforcing the theme of politicized public health messaging. Biden, Trump, Vaccines, and Mask Politics (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro argues Biden’s rhetoric undermines vaccine confidence if a vaccine is associated with Trump, while mask policy is described as mixed-science but politically weaponized. Broader Critique of the “Party of Science” (Priority: 4/5): The episode concludes that Democrats selectively invoke science—on COVID, climate, gender, and education—while ignoring or suppressing inconvenient evidence.

Key Arguments: The Constitution remains vital because human nature has not changed; its checks and balances still prevent concentration of power. PolitiFact is described as a political actor, not an objective fact-checker, and Facebook’s reliance on it produces censorship of truthful conservative ads. The Biden tax ad was allegedly removed despite being substantively accurate because fact-checkers objected to context and interpretation rather than falsehood. The ad about girls’ sports is presented as factually correct, and PolitiFact reportedly admitted it could not fact-check the prediction, yet Facebook still removed it. School closures and prolonged lockdowns are argued to be damaging, unnecessary in many places, and often disconnected from actual transmission patterns. Nashville officials are alleged to have concealed low bar-and-restaurant case counts to support restrictions, which the host frames as deliberate misinformation. Biden’s public skepticism toward a Trump-era vaccine is said to be politically irresponsible and likely to reduce vaccine uptake among Democrats. The COVID response is portrayed as increasingly partisan, with “science” used as a slogan rather than a consistent standard. Mask use is supported in crowded/high-risk settings, but the show insists the evidence is mixed and masks are being oversold politically. The episode rejects the idea that federal power should override constitutional limits in the name of crisis management.

Data Points: Constitution age: 233 years - Marked as the Constitution’s anniversary, referring to its signing in 1787. Facebook ad removal cases: 2 - Two conservative ads were removed after PolitiFact ratings. Biden tax-increase clip: "Your taxes are going to be raised, not cut" - Used in the America First PAC ad removed by Facebook. Manhattan positive COVID tests in one day: 63 - Cited as a recent daily count for Manhattan County. Manhattan new deaths in one day: 0 - Cited alongside the daily case count to argue low current risk. Nashville bar/restaurant cases: 22 - A June 30 contact-tracing figure reportedly kept from public release. Nashville restaurant/bar cases later referenced: over 80 - Officials allegedly discussed how to respond to press questions about the total. Early May willingness to vaccinate: 55% - Share of Americans who said they would get vaccinated for COVID-19 if available. Four months later willingness to vaccinate: 32% - Share of Americans saying they planned to get vaccinated. Decline in willingness to vaccinate: 23 points - The drop from 55% to 32% over about four months. Republican willingness to vaccinate decline: 47% to 33% - Described as a 14-point decline from May to later polling. Democratic willingness to vaccinate decline: 70% to 42% - Described as a much larger decline over the same period.

Pivotal Quotes: "The philosophy of the United States rests on three basic principles." — Ben Shapiro: Introductory explanation of the Constitution’s purpose and American political philosophy. "I trust vaccines. I trust scientists, but I don't trust Donald Trump." — Joe Biden: Biden’s remarks are criticized as injecting partisan distrust into vaccine acceptance. "We have certainly refused to give counts per bar because those numbers are low per site." — Nashville health department email: Cited to argue officials concealed low transmission data to support restrictions.

Implications: The episode warns that constitutional limits, truthful speech, and public trust are being eroded by partisan institutions, especially in tech and public health. It suggests future policy battles will increasingly hinge on who controls information, not just law or science.