Ep. 1511 - A Left-Wing Assassin Tries To Murder Justice Kavanaugh

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on the arrest of a man who allegedly traveled to murder Justice Brett Kavanaugh, arguing the media and Democrats downplayed a politically motivated left-wing threat while amplifying right-wing violence. It also attacks Biden’s low approval, his Kimmel appearance, Democratic gun-control messaging, and broader failures on crime, inflation, education, and cultural issues.

Main Topics: Attempted murder of Justice Brett Kavanaugh (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro frames the arrest as an ideologically driven assassination attempt by a left-wing radical motivated by abortion and gun policy, and argues it was undercovered by major media outlets. Media double standards and selective outrage (Priority: 5/5): The transcript argues that legacy media aggressively nationalize violence when the suspect appears right-wing, but minimize or bury violence linked to left-wing rhetoric and activism. Democratic rhetoric on abortion, protests, and violence (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro links public comments from figures like Chuck Schumer, Jen Psaki, and others to a climate that he says normalized intimidation outside justices’ homes. Biden’s low approval and media-friendly appearances (Priority: 4/5): The episode highlights Biden’s historic approval lows and criticizes his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel as a sign of both media bias and presidential weakness. Gun control politics after mass shootings (Priority: 4/5): The show attacks Democratic gun-control proposals as emotionally manipulative, ineffective, and disconnected from practical solutions like security, hardening targets, and mental-health reform. Crime, prosecutors, and Democratic governance (Priority: 3/5): Shapiro argues Democrats are losing public trust on crime due to lenient prosecutors, anti-police rhetoric, and weak sentencing positions. Inflation, stagflation, and economic mismanagement (Priority: 3/5): The transcript closes by criticizing the Biden administration’s response to inflation, gas prices, tariffs, and broader economic problems as incompetent and ideological.

Key Arguments: The Kavanaugh arrest would have been major, sustained news if the suspect were right-wing, but because he appears left-wing it was minimized or buried. Comments encouraging or excusing protests at justices’ homes lowered the temperature around Supreme Court intimidation and should be treated as dangerous rhetoric. Democrats are inconsistent: they blame Trump and conservatives for incitement, but refuse to connect their own rhetoric to violence when a left-wing suspect acts on it. Biden’s media strategy avoids serious interviews because his public performances show cognitive weakness and weak message discipline. The administration and Democratic Party rely on symbolic gun-control gestures rather than actionable safety measures like armed security, school hardening, and involuntary commitment of violent people. Democrats are losing on crime because voters see lenient prosecutors, disorder in major cities, and anti-police policies as real-world failures. The economy is worsening toward stagflation, and the administration’s policies on energy, tariffs, and taxes are presented as inconsistent and ineffective.

Data Points: Biden approval rating: 39% approve, 58% disapprove - Morning Consult polling cited during the discussion of Biden’s political standing Biden weekly survey low: Lowest approval and highest disapproval in 62 weekly surveys - Same Morning Consult poll Trump comparison at same point: 45% approve, 52% disapprove - Used to argue Biden’s numbers are worse than Trump’s at a similar stage Stories above Kavanaugh arrest on NYT homepage: 38 - Shapiro counted homepage stories to argue the media buried the arrest Weapons found on suspect: Pistol, knife, tactical chest rig, two magazines and ammo, pepper spray, zip ties, hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crowbar, pistol light, duct tape - Federal affidavit summary of materials allegedly carried by the suspect House gun-control vote: Party-line passage, expected to fail in Senate - Described as symbolic legislation after mass shootings Gun sales in 2020: 22.8 million - AOC questioning cited to discuss gun-industry profits Increase in gun sales: 64% increase from 2019 - Used in the blood-money argument against gun manufacturers Gunfire deaths in 2020: More than 45,000 Americans - Cited during discussion of gun violence statistics Unanimous Senate security bill timing: Passed May 9 after introduction May 5 - Supreme Court Police Parity Act mentioned as stalled in the House Strategic Petroleum Reserve release: 1 million barrels a day - Yellen cited this as an administration step to reduce energy costs

Pivotal Quotes: "You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions." — Chuck Schumer: Quoted as an example of rhetoric Shapiro says helped normalize threats against Supreme Court justices "The justices have security. So far, all of the protests have seemed overwhelmingly nonviolent." — Laura Jarrett/CNN: Used to criticize media and pundit defenses of protests outside justices’ homes "Maybe this is a call to arms." — Lori Lightfoot: Referenced after the leaked draft opinion to argue that Democratic rhetoric escalated tensions

Implications: The episode argues that elite media and Democratic leaders selectively define violence, weakening trust and fueling polarization. It predicts more public backlash against Democrats on crime, guns, education, and inflation if they keep prioritizing rhetoric over results.