Ep. 1140 - The Election Confusion Continues

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on post-2020 election chaos: new vote-counting errors in Georgia, legal challenges in Nevada and Pennsylvania, and a tense Michigan certification fight, all framed by Shapiro as evidence that full audits and proof matter more than allegations. It also covers Trump firing DHS cyber chief Chris Krebs, congressional pressure on Facebook and Twitter, the vetting of Raphael Warnock, and encouraging COVID-19 vaccine/test developments alongside criticism of media and Democratic tactics.

Main Topics: Election irregularities and audits in Georgia (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro highlights newly uncovered missing votes in Georgia counties, arguing the discoveries justify public concern and deeper audits, while distinguishing between confirmed counting errors and unproven fraud claims. Trump legal challenges in Nevada and Pennsylvania (Priority: 5/5): The show reviews Trump campaign lawsuits seeking to contest or invalidate results, while Shapiro insists that any attempt to overturn state totals requires concrete evidence, not broad allegations. Michigan Wayne County certification dispute (Priority: 4/5): He discusses the brief deadlock by Wayne County canvassers, the subsequent certification, and the broader question of whether irregularities were large enough to affect Michigan's outcome. Firing of DHS cyber chief Christopher Krebs (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro covers Trump’s dismissal of Krebs after CISA called the election secure, using it to underscore the clash between Trump’s fraud claims and government election-security statements. Congressional pressure on Facebook and Twitter (Priority: 4/5): The episode argues Democrats want social media platforms to suppress conservative voices, with examples from hearings where senators pushed for more censorship and stricter moderation. Raphael Warnock’s Senate campaign vetting (Priority: 3/5): Shapiro critiques Warnock’s past statements on abortion, the military, Marxism, and Christianity, portraying him as ideologically extreme but still viable in a close Georgia runoff. COVID-19 vaccine, testing, and relief developments (Priority: 3/5): The show notes positive pandemic news—Pfizer’s vaccine efficacy, durable immunity research, and at-home testing authorization—while criticizing delayed COVID relief negotiations and media coverage.

Key Arguments: Election integrity issues should be investigated fully, but allegations alone are not enough to justify invalidating certified votes or state election results. Confirmed tabulation errors in Georgia demonstrate that human mistakes occurred, but the scale must be shown before concluding they changed the presidential outcome. Trump’s Nevada and Pennsylvania legal strategy is weak unless it can produce specific, admissible evidence of widespread fraud or illegal ballots. Wayne County’s temporary certification deadlock was less a rejection of the election than a push for an audit and additional scrutiny of absentee tallies. Congressional Democrats are portrayed as seeking to weaponize social media platforms against conservative speech under the banner of misinformation control. Facebook and Twitter are said to apply rules inconsistently, penalizing conservative claims while overlooking comparable falsehoods from the left. Raphael Warnock is framed as politically and theologically radical, with past remarks used to argue he is outside mainstream Christian and American political norms. Pfizer’s vaccine and the persistence of post-infection immunity suggest the pandemic response may improve materially in the near term. The media are criticized for partisan behavior both in election reporting and in delaying pressure on Democrats to finalize COVID relief before the election.

Data Points: Missing votes found in Fayette County, Georgia: 2,755 votes - During the hand recount, ballots were discovered that had not been included in the initial count. Votes missing in Floyd County, Georgia: 2,600 votes - Found during audit/recount review as another Georgia county error. Votes missing in another Georgia county: 2,700 votes - Reported during the transcript as a second county with thousands of missing votes. Georgia vote margin after new discoveries: About 12,929 votes - Biden’s lead over Trump in Georgia after adjustments. Margin change from Fayette County votes: About 500 votes - Based on how the newly added votes split between Trump, Biden, and others. Margin change from Floyd County votes: About 800 votes in favor of Trump - The newly found votes altered the county-level contribution to the statewide margin. Pennsylvania vote margin: About 70,000 votes - Biden’s lead in Pennsylvania cited as too large to be overturned by the procedural issues discussed. Michigan vote margin: About 150,000 votes - Used to argue Wayne County irregularities were unlikely to change the statewide result. Wayne County affidavits: 234 pages - Kayleigh McEnany referenced sworn affidavits alleging irregularities in Wayne County. Wayne County potential affected votes: Under 1,000 votes - A review cited in the transcript suggested the affidavits did not show enough votes to alter the outcome. Out-of-balance Detroit absentee boards: 70% - Reported in relation to absentee ballot poll books in Detroit/Wayne County. Georgia counties with no deviations: 57 counties - Counties completing recounts without differences from the original count. Georgia counties off by one vote: 21 counties - Counties with minimal deviations from the original ballot count. Georgia counties with single-digit deviations: 32 counties - Counties with small discrepancies under investigation. Pfizer vaccine efficacy: 95% - Final trial data cited for the COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna vaccine efficacy: 94.5% - Referenced as a comparably strong preliminary result. Pfizer final trial subjects: About 19,000 - The company had collected two months of safety data on this group. Pfizer production target by year-end: Up to 50 million doses - Planned supply volume if authorization is granted. U.S. allocation of Pfizer doses: About half - Roughly half of the initial production would go to the United States. Doses needed per person: 2 doses, 3 weeks apart - Explains why 50 million doses would inoculate about 12.5 million people. At-home COVID test result time: About 30 minutes - The newly authorized Lucira test can be completed at home with rapid results.

Pivotal Quotes: "You show me the evidence, I'm good." — Ben Shapiro: Repeated throughout the election-fraud discussion as his standard for evaluating claims. "There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised." — CISA statement (quoted by Shapiro): Used to explain why Christopher Krebs was fired after CISA declared the election secure. "The Democrats are all in favor of censorship." — Ben Shapiro: Part of his critique of congressional pressure on Facebook and Twitter to suppress conservative speech.

Implications: The episode argues that election legitimacy, platform moderation, and pandemic policy all hinge on evidence and transparency. It predicts more audits, legal battles, and speech-platform conflicts while noting encouraging COVID breakthroughs that could ease public pressure soon.