Ep. 433 - No Moral High Ground, Just Political High Ground

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Roy Moore allegation credibility problems, Al Franken’s resignation amid #MeToo fallout, and Ben Shapiro’s critique of media bias after CNN’s flawed Russia reporting. It also covers Trump’s Jerusalem decision, Republican/Democratic hypocrisy around moralizing, a campus event cancellation, free-speech/cancel culture concerns, and a mailbag on politics, religion, IVF, and government policy.

Main Topics: Roy Moore allegation credibility crisis (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro says Beverly Young Nelson’s admission that she wrote notes beneath the alleged yearbook inscription weakens her credibility, though it does not by itself erase all allegations against Moore. Al Franken resignation and Democratic moral posturing (Priority: 5/5): He argues Democrats are cynically using Franken’s resignation to claim moral superiority and pressure Republicans, while ignoring their own past tolerance for misconduct. CNN Russia reporting and media distrust (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro frames CNN’s decryption-key story as a major journalistic failure that reinforces conservative distrust of mainstream media on Trump/Russia coverage. Trump’s Jerusalem recognition (Priority: 4/5): He strongly supports Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, calling it morally courageous and dismissing global protests as predictable anti-Israel outrage. Free speech and campus cancellation (Priority: 4/5): He discusses Concordia College rescinding funding for his appearance, presenting it as an example of universities prioritizing ideological conformity over diversity claims. Cancel culture and August Ames (Priority: 4/5): He criticizes online harassment and social-media mob behavior in the case of adult performer August Ames, linking it to real-world harm and suicide risk. Mailbag: law, religion, family, policy (Priority: 3/5): A long Q&A covers welfare drug testing, voting for Trump, Israel history, spiritual searching, marriage, adoption, abortion/IVF ethics, military spending, monopolies, and NASA funding.

Key Arguments: Beverly Young Nelson’s testimony becomes less credible because she admitted writing part of the inscription under Roy Moore’s alleged yearbook note. That admission does not automatically prove the entire allegation false, nor does it erase other accusations against Moore. Gloria Allred and ABC News failed to handle the evidence with enough rigor, especially by not pursuing independent handwriting verification and follow-up questions. Democrats’ embrace of Franken’s resignation is portrayed as strategic and hypocritical rather than purely principled. Mainstream media credibility suffers when outlets like CNN publish dramatic Russia-related claims that collapse under scrutiny. Conservative distrust of media is reinforced when initial reporting is inaccurate and aligned with a broader anti-Trump narrative. Trump’s Jerusalem move is defended as a fulfillment of a campaign promise and an act of moral courage. Campus and social-media institutions often claim to support diversity and inclusion while suppressing dissenting conservative voices. Online shaming can escalate into serious harm, and the August Ames case is used as an example of the destructive power of digital mobs. Mailbag responses emphasize conservative positions on welfare accountability, pro-life ethics, two-parent families, and private over public solutions where possible.

Data Points: Roy Moore accusers: 2 chief accusers - Lee Korfman and Beverly Young Nelson are described as the main accusers. Nelson age at alleged incident: 16 years old - Shapiro describes Nelson’s allegation as occurring when she was 16. Korfman age at alleged incident: 14 years old - He says Lee Korfman alleged Moore attempted to molest her at 14. Concordia vote: 13 to 10 - Initial student government vote to fund Shapiro’s appearance. Concordia rescission funding: $20,000 - Student leaders later voted to withdraw funding for the event. Original event funding: about $7,000 - Funding had originally been allocated to Young Americans for Freedom for the appearance. Al Franken resignation timeline: coming weeks - Franken said he would resign in the coming weeks. Trump embassy move year: 2017 - Discussion of Trump’s Jerusalem recognition and embassy relocation promise. NSFW/STI risk note: 17 times more likely - CDC statistic quoted regarding gay and bisexual men being more likely to get anal cancer. Daily Wire subscription: $9.99/month - Promoted as the price for the full show and subscriber features. Annual subscription: $99/year - Promoted as the cheaper annual option. Protests mentioned: Multiple countries - He cites protests in Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran, Syria, and the U.S. over Jerusalem. Palestinians wounded: 16 - He notes reports of 16 Palestinians wounded in clashes.

Pivotal Quotes: "She admitted to writing the little inscription under the note." — Ben Shapiro: His explanation of Beverly Young Nelson’s ABC News admission regarding the Roy Moore yearbook evidence. "The worst you can say about Democrats is they're too pure." — Chris Matthews: Quoted by Shapiro to illustrate what he sees as Democratic self-righteousness on sexual harassment. "I fulfilled my campaign promise. Others didn't." — Donald Trump: Referenced by Shapiro while praising Trump’s Jerusalem recognition and embassy promise.

Implications: Listeners are left with a strong warning about media overreach, partisan hypocrisy, and the fragility of public credibility. The episode suggests that scandal politics, campus censorship, and online pile-ons will keep intensifying unless institutions regain trust through rigor and restraint.