Ep. 189 - Yes, Comey's FBI Was Rigged For Hillary

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Ben Shapiro’s critique of Hillary Clinton’s anti-sexism campaign, arguing it is hypocritical given Democratic history and current leadership, then shifts to a wide-ranging interview with Andrew Klavan about his conversion from secular Judaism to Christianity. Shapiro also attacks Obama’s handling of Islamic terrorism and the FBI’s Clinton email investigation, while mixing in commentary on Trump’s campaign messaging, media bias, and listener mailbag topics.

Main Topics: Hillary Clinton, sexism, and Democratic hypocrisy (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues that Democrats’ attacks on Trump for sexism are undermined by past and present examples of sexist behavior among prominent Democrats, including JFK, LBJ, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Obama-era officials. Andrew Klavan interview: secular Judaism and Christian faith (Priority: 5/5): A long-form conversation explores Klavan’s upbringing in a nonbelieving Jewish home, his move away from atheism, and why he came to see Christianity as the fulfillment of a moral and literary worldview. Obama, Islamic terrorism, and political correctness (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro criticizes Obama for avoiding the term 'Islamic terrorism,' arguing that the refusal to name the ideology correctly leads to policy failures and public confusion about threats. FBI and Hillary Clinton email investigation (Priority: 5/5): The show claims James Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation was biased and too lenient, focusing on immunity deals, deleted records, and failures in procedure. Trump campaign strategy and 'bad Trump' versus 'good Trump' (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro distinguishes between Trump’s effective attacks on Hillary’s record and his politically damaging fixation on personal insults and the Alicia Machado controversy. Media, identity politics, and cultural absurdities (Priority: 3/5): The episode criticizes media narratives on body image, animal-rights activism, and the broader tendency to blur moral distinctions in service of ideology. Mailbag: religion, breastfeeding, Snowden, nationalism, and federalism (Priority: 3/5): The final segment answers listener questions on public education and religion, breastfeeding in public, Edward Snowden, nationalism vs. patriotism, and the tension between federal and anti-federal power.

Key Arguments: Shapiro argues that Clinton’s anti-sexism messaging is inconsistent because major Democratic figures have long histories of misogyny or sexist conduct. He contends that Trump is genuinely sexist, but that Democrats lose moral credibility when they ignore their own party’s history. Klavan says his conversion began with a rejection of relativism and a realization that morality requires a moral arbiter, which he identifies as God. Klavan says the Bible became meaningful to him first as literature and then as spiritual truth, not through a forced rejection of Judaism. Shapiro argues that Obama’s refusal to name Islamic terrorism accurately prevents effective policy and obscures real ideological threats. Shapiro maintains that the FBI treated Hillary Clinton differently from ordinary suspects through immunity deals, weak questioning, and procedural deference. Shapiro says Trump is politically strongest when attacking Clinton on corruption and donations, but weakest when he continues to repeat petty insults about women. He argues that the media and activist culture often replace moral reasoning with identity-based slogans and performative outrage. In the mailbag, he argues that schools should not teach ideology as fact, that breastfeeding is acceptable but public nudity norms still matter, and that Snowden should not be pardoned despite revealing useful information.

Data Points: Democratic presidential history window: Last 50 years outside Jimmy Carter - Shapiro says Hillary’s anti-sexism standard would disqualify nearly every Democratic president in that span. JFK age of accuser: 19 years old - Shapiro cites Mimi Alford’s account of JFK’s sexual misconduct. Obama White House workplace complaint: Felt like a piece of meat - Shapiro quotes Christina Romer describing her experience in the Obama White House. Obama White House harassment claim: Classical legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women - Shapiro quotes Anita Dunn on the Obama White House. U.S. GDP growth report: Less than 2% - Mentioned in an ad read for Birch Gold as evidence of weak economic growth. Clinton money from Wall Street and hedge funds: $100 million - Trump’s attack on Hillary’s fundraising and donor network. Hillary speaking fees from financial firms: $4.1 million - Trump’s critique of her financial relationships with Wall Street. Alicia Machado weight gain: 60 pounds - Used in the discussion of Trump’s comments about the former Miss Universe. Chris Matthews geography error: Canada, Mexico, Europe described as continents - Displayed during the Gary Johnson interview as an example of confusion and awkwardness. Listener family count: Two children - Shapiro mentions his family: a 2.5-year-old and a 4-month-old child.

Pivotal Quotes: "a man who bullies and shames a woman for her weight should never become president" — Hillary Clinton: Quoted in Shapiro’s opening critique of Clinton’s anti-Trump sexism message. "If a candidate regularly and flippantly makes cruel and insulting comments about women, that's who that candidate really is" — Michelle Obama: Used to frame the Democratic argument that Trump’s comments reveal his character. "You cannot have a moral universe without a moral arbiter" — Andrew Klavan: Klavan explains the philosophical basis for his move away from atheism toward belief in God.

Implications: The episode frames 2016 as a clash between moral rhetoric and hypocrisy, while arguing that naming ideology matters in policy and security. It also suggests that cultural and religious identity remain central battlegrounds in politics and public life.