Ep. 861 - Kavanaugh II: The Revenge

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Ben Shapiro’s criticism of renewed, uncorroborated allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and the media’s handling of them, followed by political fallout as Democrats call for impeachment. It also covers attacks on Joe Biden from the left over race and age, Iran’s strike on Saudi oil facilities and its geopolitical implications, Israeli election politics, and cultural battles over race, socialism, and media bias.

Main Topics: Renewed Kavanaugh Allegations and Media Credibility (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues the New York Times’ new Kavanaugh story repackages vague, unverified accusations and omits crucial exculpatory details, calling it journalistic malpractice and evidence of anti-Kavanaugh media bias. Democratic Calls to Impeach Kavanaugh (Priority: 5/5): He discusses how 2020 Democratic candidates immediately seized on the story to call for Kavanaugh’s impeachment, framing it as cynical base-pandering rather than evidence-based accountability. Joe Biden, Race, and Intra-Party Attacks (Priority: 4/5): The transcript covers criticism of Biden’s comments on race, education, and family structure, as well as left-wing efforts to paint him as racially retrograde and too old for the nomination. Iran’s Attack on Saudi Oil Infrastructure (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro treats the Saudi oil facility strikes as a major Iranian escalation designed to intimidate the U.S. and Europe, influence oil markets, and gain leverage in diplomacy. Israeli Election and Anti-Netanyahu Media Narratives (Priority: 3/5): He argues that foreign and domestic media unfairly target Netanyahu while ignoring that Israeli security policy is largely driven by regional realities and terrorist threats. Cultural Politics: Socialism, Race, and Media Double Standards (Priority: 3/5): The episode also discusses Andrew Yang’s call for forgiveness over a comedian’s offensive jokes, and criticizes CNN/Chris Cuomo for minimizing socialism’s historical record and shifting blame to Trump.

Key Arguments: The New York Times story on Kavanaugh is presented as news, but it relies on vague claims, anonymous sourcing, and a correction that materially weakens the allegation. The omission of the alleged victim’s lack of memory in the Times’ first version is portrayed as a serious editorial failure and evidence of one-sided reporting. Democratic impeachment calls are framed as political theater designed to energize primary voters and falsely signal action rather than rest on evidence. Biden’s critics on the left are using race and age to undercut him, but Shapiro argues these attacks are strategically weak because Biden still has strong general-election appeal. The Saudi oil attacks are interpreted as an Iranian pressure tactic aimed at markets, Europe, and the U.S., not an isolated Houthi action. Shapiro argues that Israeli politics and security policy are shaped by hostile regional actors, making media attacks on Netanyahu simplistic and misleading. Andrew Yang is praised for suggesting that society should be less punitive and more forgiving toward offensive remarks from public figures, especially comedians. Chris Cuomo is criticized for claiming Pol Pot was not really socialist and for turning an anti-socialist ad into an anti-Trump message.

Data Points: Saudi crude production interrupted: 5.7 million barrels/day - Reported lost production after the oil facility strikes Share of global crude production affected: roughly 5% - Estimated global impact of the Saudi production shutdown Evidence window in Kavanaugh allegation: 6 days - Ramirez reportedly took six days to assess memories and consult counsel before stating confidence Corroboration attempts: several dozen people - Times/New Yorker efforts to find witnesses or support for Ramirez’s allegation At Yale, Ramirez social comparison: many affluent classmates - Used to frame the class-background narrative around Ramirez Black out-of-wedlock birth rate: about 70% - Shapiro cites this as evidence against attributing single motherhood solely to slavery-era racism Black out-of-wedlock birth rate in the 1950s: about 20% - Used to show the rise happened long after slavery Saudi oil production restoration target: 9.8 million barrels/day by Monday - Saudi officials’ hoped-for recovery timeline eToro trading volume: over $1 trillion per year - Ad read promoting the crypto platform eToro user base: over 11 million traders - Ad read promoting the crypto platform

Pivotal Quotes: "This is the face of socialism and ignorance." — Elizabeth Heng (quoted in ad): Used in the segment criticizing socialism and the media backlash over an anti-socialist ad "He must be impeached." — Kamala Harris: Her response to the renewed Kavanaugh allegation and broader Democratic impeachment rhetoric "Confirmation is not exoneration." — Elizabeth Warren: Her argument that Kavanaugh’s confirmation should not shield him from further scrutiny

Implications: The episode frames media amplification of weak allegations as corrosive to due process and trust, while warning that partisan incentives are driving both Democratic impeachment demands and broader culture-war narratives. It also suggests rising geopolitical risk from Iran and continued instability in U.S. political discourse.