Ep. 1185 - CNN Wants Fox News Destroyed

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Ben Shapiro argues the left is using crisis and culture-war language to justify deplatforming conservatives, narrowing speech, and redefining justice around race-based equity. He contrasts this with what he calls the right’s comparatively stronger norm of condemning extremists, while warning the Biden administration’s rhetoric and policies are becoming more radical, divisive, and institutionally enforced.

Main Topics: Media deplatforming and “freedom of reach” (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro criticizes CNN and other outlets for framing conservative speech as misinformation and urging platforms to reduce or eliminate its reach, arguing this is censorship by private institutions rather than the government. Semantic shift from disinformation to misinformation (Priority: 5/5): He claims the media has broadened 'disinformation' into 'misinformation' so that any opposing or inconvenient viewpoint can be labeled false and suppressed. Double standards in media accountability (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro argues CNN, MSNBC, the Washington Post, and Media Matters excuse left-wing errors while magnifying conservative missteps, citing examples like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Josh Hawley versus Democratic figures. Biden administration and the politics of equity (Priority: 5/5): He says Biden officials are replacing equality with equity, which he defines as race-based treatment and outcome engineering, especially in vaccine, housing, climate, and social policy. Anti-racism as ideological enforcement (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro criticizes Ibram X. Kendi’s anti-racist framework as oppressive and argues it is being adopted by institutions, including schools and parts of the Biden agenda, to police speech and behavior. Culture-war consequences for ordinary Americans (Priority: 5/5): He warns that speech policing is not limited to media elites; it will affect workers, students, and ordinary people who fear social or professional retaliation for mainstream conservative views. Republican extremism and internal party contrasts (Priority: 3/5): He acknowledges figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene are harmful and should be condemned, but argues the media wrongly treats fringe Republicans as representative while ignoring extremist Democrats.

Key Arguments: CNN and similar outlets are not merely fact-checking; they are advocating the reduction or elimination of conservative 'reach,' which functions like censorship in a town-square platform environment. The media’s use of 'misinformation' now means 'information I don’t like,' allowing opposition viewpoints to be suppressed under the guise of truth enforcement. Private institutions, not just government, can undermine free speech norms by denying distribution, access, or professional legitimacy to political opponents. The left applies a selective accountability standard: conservative errors are used to indict entire movements, while left-wing falsehoods and extremist allies are minimized or ignored. The Biden administration’s 'equity' agenda is framed as inclusive but actually means race-conscious distribution and outcome manipulation, which Shapiro sees as divisive and unjust. Anti-racist ideology is described as a new institutional orthodoxy that redefines racism in a way that labels dissenters as racist and pressures schools and workplaces to conform. The real risk is downstream: ordinary people may self-censor at work, online, and socially due to fear of professional or social punishment for conservative views.

Data Points: Harper’s open letter signatories: about 150 academics - Referenced as evidence that even some liberals oppose cancel culture. Time gap in cited tweet: 11 years - Margaret Sullivan cited a 2010 tweet as a reason Shapiro should be excluded from Politico. Lincoln Project co-founder age: 61 - John Weaver’s age in the story about sexual misconduct allegations. Number of men interviewed by NYT: 21 - The New York Times report on John Weaver’s alleged misconduct was based on interviews with 21 men. Republican voting target in example: Susan Collins in Maine - Used as an example of Lincoln Project targeting Republicans. Pew poll finding: a plurality of every group politically outside woke progressives - Shapiro says most groups believe they must self-censor at work. Policy Genius review count: over 1,600 reviews - Mentioned in sponsor copy, not central to the argument but present in the transcript. RHF discount: 25% off - Daily Wire promo code for the film Run Hide Fight. ExpressVPN bonus: three extra months free - Sponsor offer for a one-year package.

Pivotal Quotes: "Freedom of speech is different than freedom of reach." — Brian Stelter: Quoted by Shapiro as emblematic of the argument that platforms should reduce conservative distribution. "It is about ousting people you disagree with, even if you disagree with them kind of mildly on policy." — Ben Shapiro: Shapiro summarizes his view of the left’s broader suppression strategy. "Equality means every person is treated the same... Equity is an attempt to account for differences in need among people from disadvantaged backgrounds." — Politico playbook paraphrase cited by Shapiro: Used to frame the Biden administration’s shift toward equity language.

Implications: Shapiro warns that speech restrictions and equity politics will normalize ideological gatekeeping across media, workplaces, and schools, pushing more conservatives toward self-censorship and alternative institutions while intensifying partisan polarization.