Ep. 745 - Donald Trump’s Dreams Come True

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Ben Shapiro’s celebration of the Mueller/Barr report fallout, arguing that media and intelligence leaders overhyped Russia-collusion claims and refused to apologize when the evidence fell short. He then highlights Michael Avenatti’s arrest, Jussie Smollett’s charges being dropped, VP Mike Pence’s AIPAC speech and the Democratic Party’s split over Ilhan Omar, before shifting to cultural/political commentary on climate science, religion, and recent entertainment recommendations.

Main Topics: Mueller report backlash and media self-defense (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues that liberal media built Trump-Russia expectations on confirmation bias, repeatedly reported false bombshells, and then refused to admit error after Barr’s summary undercut the collusion narrative. Intelligence-community politicization (Priority: 5/5): He criticizes former CIA and DNI leaders John Brennan and James Clapper for publicly implying Trump treason without sufficient evidence, framing it as a dangerous abuse of institutional credibility. Michael Avenatti’s arrest and public humiliation (Priority: 4/5): Avenatti’s arrest on extortion allegations is presented as a symbolic collapse of a media-favored anti-Trump figure, with added emphasis on the irony of his prior TV appearances and sexual bravado. Jussie Smollett case reversal (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro condemns the dropping of charges against Smollett as a miscarriage of justice and evidence of celebrity privilege, arguing the hoax wasted police resources and should have been pursued further. APAC, Ilhan Omar, and Democratic divisions on Israel (Priority: 4/5): The episode contrasts Pence and Netanyahu’s direct criticism of Ilhan Omar with Democratic leaders’ reluctance to confront her anti-Semitic remarks, highlighting fractures inside the party. Climate science and Greenland glacier reversal (Priority: 2/5): Shapiro uses a Greenland glacier regrowth story to argue that climate models are often less certain than portrayed, while stopping short of denying climate change outright. Religion, philosophy, and cultural criticism (Priority: 2/5): He ridicules a New York Times essay attacking the coherence of God, arguing it recycles simplistic objections that ignore centuries of Jewish and Christian philosophy.

Key Arguments: The Mueller investigation was over-sold by the press, which repeatedly treated speculation as near-certainty and then refused accountability when the Barr summary found no collusion. Legacy media outlets and network news devoted enormous time and attention to Russia coverage, but their errors overwhelmingly pointed in one direction: against Trump. Former intelligence officials used their institutional authority to publicly suggest treason and criminal conspiracy, then minimized or denied responsibility when that failed to materialize. Avenatti’s arrest reinforces Shapiro’s view that media celebrities built up as anti-Trump heroes often turn out to be frauds or opportunists. Dropping the Smollett charges shows a broken justice system that bends for celebrities and undermines public trust. Democrats’ handling of Ilhan Omar reveals discomfort with confronting anti-Semitism inside their own coalition, despite public claims to oppose hate. Climate and science coverage should be treated cautiously because predictive models can miss major developments, as in the Greenland glacier example. New York Times-style atheist philosophy is portrayed as shallow because it ignores long-established arguments about God, evil, and free will.

Data Points: Web articles on Trump/Russia since May 2017: 533,000 - Axios figure cited to show the scale of media coverage. Interactions generated by Trump/Russia coverage: 245 million - Axios/NewsWhip data referenced as evidence of enormous attention. Network minutes devoted to the Russia probe: 2,284 minutes - Newsbusters figure cited for broadcast network coverage. Daily Wire story output: 50 to 70 stories per day - Used to contrast occasional conservative errors with mainstream media narrative bias. Avenatti bond: $300,000 - Federal magistrate ordered his release on bond in the extortion/embezzlement case. Avenatti demand: $1.5 million - Initial money requested from Nike on behalf of his client. Avenatti additional demand: $10 million - He allegedly said he wanted at least $10 million and threatened reputational damage. Smollett felony counts: 16 - Original grand jury indictment for falsely reporting a hate crime. Glacier retreat rate: 1.8 miles annually - Jakobshavn glacier was retreating at this pace around 2012. Glacier thinning rate: 130 feet annually - Same glacier’s earlier annual thinning rate mentioned in the NBC/NASA report. Daily Wire subscription price: $99 a year - Promotional offer tied to membership benefits.

Pivotal Quotes: "Disappointed fans of Mueller rethink the pedestal they built for him." — New York Times headline quoted by Ben Shapiro: Used to mock liberal reaction to the Mueller/Barr summary. "We are not investigators, we are journalists, and our role is to report the facts as we know them. Which is exactly what we did." — Jeff Zucker: Cited as CNN’s defense of its Russia coverage. "Anti-Semitism has no place in the Congress of the United States of America." — Mike Pence: From Pence’s AIPAC speech criticizing Ilhan Omar and anti-Semitism.

Implications: Shapiro argues the week exposed media and elite institutional overreach: Russia coverage collapsed, trust in journalism and intelligence took a hit, and celebrity/legal/political hypocrisy was laid bare. He frames the fallout as a warning about narrative-driven politics and the cost of public institutions losing credibility.