Ep. 1103 - The Plot To Destroy America

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on two major themes: alleged FBI misconduct in the Trump/Russiagate investigation and escalating unrest tied to the Breonna Taylor decision. Shapiro argues newly surfaced Durham-related records and FBI texts show the Steele dossier relied on a suspected Russian spy and was used anyway to justify surveillance, while media and Democrats fuel racial unrest and election panic. He also briefly covers COVID trends, election fraud concerns, and the looming Supreme Court nomination.

Main Topics: FBI/Russiagate misconduct and the Steele dossier (Priority: 5/5): The show argues newly reported Durham-related material shows FBI officials knew the Steele dossier’s main source was suspect, possibly a Russian agent, yet used the dossier to justify FISA surveillance and investigation of Trump associates, especially Carter Page and Michael Flynn. FBI internal alarm over Crossfire Hurricane and Michael Flynn (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro highlights leaked FBI texts suggesting agents feared legal exposure, bought liability insurance, and believed leadership was driven by conspiracy theories rather than evidence in the Flynn case. Breonna Taylor ruling and unrest in Louisville/other cities (Priority: 5/5): The episode contends the media ignored key facts of the Breonna Taylor case and that protests in Louisville and Los Angeles devolved into looting, assaults, and intimidation, which Shapiro says is fueled by false narratives about systemic racism. Election legitimacy, mail-in ballots, and Trump’s concession rhetoric (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro frames Trump’s refusal to pre-commit to conceding as politically unwise but argues Democrats and media also undermine election trust by encouraging distrust, highlighting concerns about discarded military ballots in Pennsylvania. Supreme Court nomination and religious test claims (Priority: 4/5): The show previews Trump’s upcoming Court nominee, discusses Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa, and criticizes Democrats for implying a devout Catholic could face an improper religious test. COVID-19 trends, immunity, and reopening (Priority: 3/5): The episode reviews rising case counts in Europe and some U.S. states, debates Dr. Fauci vs. Dr. Scott Atlas on immunity, and argues societies must learn to live with the virus while protecting the elderly and vulnerable.

Key Arguments: The FBI and intelligence community allegedly used the Steele dossier despite knowing its primary source had been investigated as a possible national security threat and possible Russian spy. Crossfire Hurricane and the Flynn investigation are presented as evidence that FBI leadership and agents were deeply concerned about their own conduct and potential legal liability. Shapiro argues the media’s framing of Breonna Taylor as a racial injustice case ignores the underlying facts and contributes to violence and social breakdown. He claims systemic-racism rhetoric is structurally tied to calls to defund or tear down police institutions, not merely reform them. Trump’s rhetoric on not conceding is portrayed as irresponsible, but Shapiro says Democrats and media are also war-gaming election chaos and refusing to accept the possibility of a normal orderly transition. The episode asserts that voter fraud is possible in mail voting, but there is no evidence of massive coordinated fraud so far. Shapiro argues devout Catholic nominees should not face a religious test and Democrats are being inconsistent on Article VI. On COVID, he sides with the view that many people have some preexisting T-cell or cross-immunity, meaning widespread vulnerability is lower than Fauci suggests, and policy should focus on protecting high-risk groups rather than broad shutdowns.

Data Points: Primary subsource investigation period: May 2009 to March 2011 - FBI counterintelligence probe into Christopher Steele’s primary subsource Crossfire Hurricane knowledge date: December 2016 - FBI reportedly knew the primary subsource was suspect by this point Professional liability insurance purchase: Less than 2 weeks before Trump’s inauguration - FBI agents texted that they had bought liability insurance Text message date: January 10, 2017 - Agent texted about liability insurance the same day CNN leaked details of Trump’s briefing Potentially discarded military ballots: 9 ballots - FBI investigation in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County Trump margin in Pennsylvania 2016: 44,000 votes - Context for why small ballot irregularities matter Trump margin in Luzerne County 2016: 26,237 votes - County-level margin cited in ballot discussion RBG memorial protest crowd: About 350 people - Hollywood protest over Breonna Taylor and related unrest Black Americans shot unarmed by police in 2019: 15 - Used to argue against claims that black lives do not matter in America U.S. black population: 42 million - Used to contextualize Bakari Sellers’ claim Houston variant prevalence: 99.9% - A strain identified in Houston reportedly accounted for nearly all cases in a second wave COVID vaccine completion timeline: April, May, June, maybe July - CDC director estimated full vaccination of the public could take until mid-2021 France daily positives: 16,096 - Public Health France record in the prior 24 hours Israel daily cases: Nearly 7,000 - Referenced as part of European/Israeli surge discussion

Pivotal Quotes: "the primary subsource was deemed a possible national security threat and the subject of a 2009 FBI counterintelligence probe" — Ben Shapiro: Summarizing the Durham-related reporting on the Steele dossier source "We all went and purchased professional liability insurance." — FBI agent (text message quoted in reporting): Text exchange expressing fear of legal exposure over Crossfire Hurricane "Violence is not the answer. We must find a way to express our grief, anger and demands in ways that reflect the world we wish to see." — Kamala Harris: Tweet after the Louisville unrest and Breonna Taylor protests

Implications: The episode argues trust in institutions, elections, policing, and the FBI is weakening. It predicts more polarization, continued unrest, and heightened scrutiny of Trump-era investigations, election administration, and Supreme Court battles.