Ep. 723 - Empire Of Lies

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Ben Shapiro’s commentary on Jussie Smollett’s alleged hate-crime hoax, claiming media and left-wing elites selectively outrage over crime and race. It also covers a Berkeley assault on a conservative activist, the Epstein non-prosecution deal, North Carolina ballot fraud, Democratic support for reparations, and Shapiro’s broader critique of identity politics, media bias, and government dysfunction.

Main Topics: Jussie Smollett case and media double standards (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues Smollett staged a hate crime, received unwarranted support from media and Fox, and exposed how institutions selectively treat crimes based on narrative fit. Selective outrage on race and crime narratives (Priority: 5/5): He compares reactions to Smollett with past controversies like Ferguson/Michael Brown, claiming the left embraces race hoaxes when they reinforce preferred anti-racist narratives. Berkeley assault on a conservative activist (Priority: 4/5): A filmed physical attack on a TPUSA/Conservative Leadership Institute representative is used to argue that genuinely violent political assaults receive less media attention than favored narratives. Epstein prosecution deal and elite corruption (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro highlights the judge’s ruling that prosecutors violated victims’ rights in the Epstein non-prosecution agreement, framing it as evidence that wealth and political connections distort justice. North Carolina 9th District voter fraud case (Priority: 4/5): He discusses the ordered redo of the election after absentee-ballot abuse, arguing that ballot harvesting is vulnerable to abuse and that concerns about voter fraud should be bipartisan. Democratic shift toward reparations and leftward policy (Priority: 3/5): Shapiro criticizes Democratic candidates, especially Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, for embracing slavery reparations and other race-based policies as primary-election pandering. Culture-war commentary and listener mailbag (Priority: 2/5): The episode ends with mailbag answers on UBI, immigration, automation, adoption, classical music, and Game of Thrones, reflecting Shapiro’s broader ideological and cultural commentary.

Key Arguments: Smollett’s case demonstrates that narrative bias determines who gets believed, with institutions eager to support racial grievance stories until the facts become impossible to ignore. Left-wing figures who condemned Smollett for harming real victims should be equally critical of prior racially charged misinformation campaigns when the media and Obama administration amplified them. Voter fraud is real and often tied to ballot harvesting, but partisan outrage is inconsistent if Democrats ignore abuses by their own operatives or supportive legal structures in blue states. The Epstein deal is presented as proof that criminal justice outcomes can be manipulated by wealth, power, and political influence more than by race alone. Democrats are moving left because they are pandering in primaries, not because reparations or broad identity-based policies are practical or coherent. Shapiro argues that genuine political violence, such as the Berkeley assault, would be treated far more seriously if the ideological roles were reversed. He contends that technology usually creates new jobs and industries rather than permanently eliminating work, making universal basic income an overreaction to automation fears.

Data Points: U.S. national debt (2008): $10 trillion - Used in ad read warning about inflation, instability, and retirement risk U.S. national debt (current at time of transcript): Nearly $22 trillion - Presented as evidence of financial instability Smollett bail amount: $100,000 bond - Chicago release after being charged with staging the hoax Empire filming remaining: About an episode and a half - Shapiro cites the remaining work before the character was written out FBI hate crime increase: 17% - Kamala Harris referenced this statistic while discussing hate crimes Berkeley assault footage: On tape / filmed by witnesses - Used to emphasize the reality of the political beating North Carolina 9th district lead: 905 votes - Mark Harris led Dan McCready before election was voided Absentee ballot share in Bladen County: Republicans accounted for 19% of ballots but Harris won 61% - Cited as a red flag in the North Carolina case Epstein abuse report scope: Approximately 80 women - Miami Herald investigation cited in the transcript Jeffrey Epstein case year span: 2001 to 2006 - Period during which the Herald identified abuse allegations Early U.S. debt comparison: 2008 vs. today nearly doubled - Used rhetorically to argue for hedging savings with gold Daily Wire subscriber promotion: Monday, February 25th - Backstage promotion date mentioned near the end

Pivotal Quotes: "You have put all those real stories at risk for your fake story." — Rahm Emanuel: CNN interview criticizing Jussie Smollett for harming real victims and Chicago’s reputation "There is too much demand for racism and not enough supply." — Ben Shapiro: Commentary claiming the left manufactures or exaggerates racism to sustain political narratives "If, in fact, it's a hoax, of course, I would be disappointed." — Maxine Waters: Waters’ hesitant response while discussing Smollett before the evidence was fully accepted

Implications: The episode argues that media, politics, and justice systems reward favored narratives over facts, encouraging selective outrage and partisan hypocrisy. Shapiro says listeners should be skeptical of identity-driven stories, election claims, and elite legal outcomes.