Ep. 392 - Trump Wins Big On The NFL

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Ben Shapiro argues President Trump is winning the NFL anthem battle by forcing opponents into a politically costly, image-driven protest, but says the victory is more about Trump than the right or national unity. He also critiques conservative infighting over Trump’s agenda, praises conservative judicial nominations, and answers mailbag questions on faith, politics, ethics, and personal life.

Main Topics: Trump vs. the NFL anthem protests (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro frames the anthem controversy as a culture-war fight Trump turned into a win by polarizing public opinion and forcing NFL players and teams to retreat from kneeling to standing and linking arms. Limits of Trump’s victory for conservatism (Priority: 5/5): He distinguishes between Trump’s personal political win and a broader win for the right, arguing that public support for the anthem may have weakened even as Trump looked strong. Republican governance and Trumpism (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro discusses the tension between Trump and congressional Republicans, arguing the party lacks a coherent unifying ideology beyond opposition to the left and that Trump’s agenda is not consistently conservative. Judicial nominations and policy wins (Priority: 4/5): He praises Trump’s nominations of conservative judges, treating judicial appointments as a major substantive success compared with the instability of other parts of the agenda. Media, sports, and culture as political battlegrounds (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro contrasts current athlete activism with earlier attempts at racial reconciliation in sports/media, arguing modern cultural signaling often promotes division rather than unity. Mailbag on faith, ethics, and personal decisions (Priority: 3/5): The latter portion answers listener questions on finding a career, religious doubt, children leaving religion, assisted suicide, marital prudence, and parenthood rights in family conflicts.

Key Arguments: Trump was right that kneeling for the national anthem is disrespectful, but wrong to escalate by urging firings and turning it into a government-vs-private-actors fight. The left’s reaction to Trump was politically stupid because it collapsed a nuanced debate into a binary pro- or anti-flag choice, helping Trump own the symbols of patriotism. Trump’s apparent victory over the NFL is a political win for Trump, but not necessarily a victory for conservative principles or national unity. The NFL and other leagues are image-driven businesses, so visible political activism risks alienating fans who pay players’ salaries. Republican lawmakers are not simply sabotaging Trump; many of Trump’s policy positions are themselves not conservative, so full alignment is unrealistic. Trump’s judicial nominees are a genuine policy success and show that his presidency can produce substantive conservative outcomes even if his broader ideology is inconsistent. Sports historically could unify Americans, and earlier portrayals of interracial friendship and reconciliation contrasted with today’s grievance-centered activism. Religious communities should expose children to outside ideas in order to inoculate them against them, rather than cloistering them and making secular culture seem mysterious and seductive. Physician-assisted suicide is morally and practically problematic because it puts doctors in the role of causing death rather than healing. Parental rights should govern what values children are exposed to in family situations, including disagreements about same-sex relationships and marriage.

Data Points: Americans opposing kneeling: about 85% - Shapiro says most Americans disliked Colin Kaepernick-style anthem kneeling before Trump’s intervention. Americans okay with not firing kneelers: a similar number - He says there was broad support for protest without workplace punishment. Post-intervention opposition to kneeling: about 60%-65% - He claims public opposition to kneeling dropped after the controversy intensified. U.S. Concealed Carry guide length: 164 pages - Ad read for the USCCA family-defense guide. Birch Gold info kit length: 16 pages - Sponsor pitch for precious metals IRA information. Mailbag subscription price: $9.99 a month - Cost for Daily Wire subscription to access live show and mailbag. Annual subscription price: $99 a year - Annual Daily Wire plan includes the tumbler. Meeting room pricing: starts at $10 an hour - DaVinci meeting room sponsor mention. First hour free: yes - DaVinci promotional offer. Historical NBA fine: about $32,000 - Mahmoud Abdul-Raouf was fined for refusing to stand for the anthem. Vacay duration: a week and a half - Shapiro says he will be away for a week and a half after next week’s shows.

Pivotal Quotes: "It is nasty to kneel for the national anthem in 2017." — Ben Shapiro: His core moral objection to anthem protests. "This is their sort of subtle way of backing down." — Ben Shapiro: On NFL teams standing and linking arms instead of kneeling. "Trump and tact parted ways long ago, if ever they have met." — Ben Shapiro: On Trump’s tendency to overstate and escalate rather than remain measured.

Implications: The episode suggests culture-war symbolism can outweigh policy debates in shaping politics, especially when media and institutions respond predictably. Trump may benefit electorally from controversy even when conservatives gain little substantively.