Ep. 821 - The Bad Faith Olympics

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Trump’s “send her back” rally chant, his subsequent disavowal, and Shapiro’s broader argument that media outrage is selective and hypocritical—especially compared with past treatment of John McCain and current coverage of the Squad. The show also previews the 2020 Democratic debate split, critiques Biden/Harris/Sanders, and includes listener mailbag and sponsor segments.

Main Topics: Trump disavows the “send her back” chant (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro says Trump handled the rally chant poorly at first but credits him for later publicly disavowing it in the Oval Office, arguing that backing away from morally indefensible rhetoric is good for politics. Media hypocrisy and the John McCain comparison (Priority: 5/5): The episode argues that journalists who now praise civility and McCain previously accused McCain and Republicans of racism and hate speech, undermining their credibility when condemning Trump. The Squad, radicalism, and selective outrage (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro contrasts media condemnation of Trump with what he describes as minimal scrutiny of Ilhan Omar, AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley on anti-Semitism, immigration, and inflammatory rhetoric. AOC vs. Border Patrol/ICE backlash (Priority: 4/5): AOC’s criticism of ICE/CBP and her reaction to Border Patrol Facebook posts are framed as overbroad smears against the whole agency, with Shapiro arguing she applies a double standard on incitement and violence. 2020 Democratic primary and debate dynamics (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro previews the two upcoming Democratic debates, predicting clashes among Sanders, Warren, Biden, Harris, Booker, and others, while dismissing several candidates as weak or gimmicky. Biden, Sanders, and Harris vulnerabilities (Priority: 4/5): Biden is criticized for lumping Trump voters into racism; Sanders is criticized for not paying campaign staff his own proposed $15 wage; Harris is criticized over prosecutorial record and a Filner plea deal. Mailbag and listener advice (Priority: 2/5): The episode closes with advice on unexpected fatherhood, moral thoughts vs actions, explaining God to children, internship strategy, and whether law school is worth it if practice is uncertain.

Key Arguments: Trump’s original “go back” rhetoric was bad, but his later explicit disavowal of the chant was the correct thing to do. The media are not acting as neutral journalists because they criticize Trump while ignoring or minimizing far more radical or inflammatory statements from Democratic lawmakers. Journalists who now romanticize John McCain previously treated him as a racist or enabler of hate, so their present moral outrage lacks credibility. The Squad’s rhetoric on Israel, ICE, and America is extreme enough that it should receive the same scrutiny Trump gets, if not more. AOC’s broad condemnation of Border Patrol based on a few racist social media posts is unfairly collective and inconsistent with her demand that others not be judged by extremists. The Democratic field appears fractured, with Biden benefiting only from being the ‘moderate’ option while Harris and Warren gain from debate-stage confrontation. Sanders is vulnerable because his campaign’s labor practices contradict his $15 minimum wage messaging. Harris is vulnerable because her self-presentation as a tough prosecutor leaves out controversial lenient handling of Bob Filner’s case. Trump’s critique that the media have become aligned with Democrats is presented as partly justified because coverage ignores violence and extremism from the left. Republicans’ distrust of media criticism is explained as a reaction to years of being labeled racist regardless of whether they actually crossed moral lines.

Data Points: Trump rally chant: “send her back” - Chanted by crowd at North Carolina rally after Trump attacked Ilhan Omar Trump disavowal timing: 24 hours later - Trump publicly backed away from the chant in the Oval Office Squad members: 4 - AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley Ilhan Omar’s stance on ISIS sentencing: more lenient sentences - Shapiro says she wrote a letter recommending leniency for people attempting to join ISIS Border Patrol rescue figure: 4,000 people a year - McAleenan said CBP rescues about 4,000 people annually Border Patrol Facebook group size: roughly 9,500 members - ProPublica report on a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents Biden RealClearPolitics average: 26% to 28% - Shapiro says Biden’s support rose as Democrats became less visible in the news Pete Buttigieg RCP average: 4.8% - Polling average cited in the debate preview Beto O’Rourke RCP average: 2.8% - Polling average cited in the debate preview Hill poll for Buttigieg: 1% - Cited as evidence his boomlet is failing Sanders minimum wage proposal: $15/hour - Used as a benchmark for criticism of his campaign pay practices CBO job-loss estimate: 1.3 million jobs lost - Referenced in discussion of a federally mandated $15 minimum wage Filner plea deal sentence: 3 months house arrest and 3 years probation - Kamala Harris’s office is criticized for allowing a lenient plea Household/media attention gap: 50-60% - Shapiro says only about 50–60% of Americans know the Squad members beyond AOC Harvey Haddix’s perfect game: 12 innings - Mentioned in a book recommendation about the greatest game ever pitched

Pivotal Quotes: "I disagree with it, by the way. But it was quite a chant." — Donald Trump: Oval Office press exchange about the ‘send her back’ chant "This is how you got Trump." — Ben Shapiro: Argument that media double standards helped create Trump’s political rise "The president put millions of Americans in danger last night." — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: AOC commenting on Trump’s rhetoric and alleged incitement

Implications: Listeners are encouraged to see media outrage, Trump-era rhetoric, and progressive extremism as part of one polarized feedback loop. The episode predicts continued Democratic infighting and warns that selective moral standards will further erode trust in mainstream political coverage.