Ep. 935 - The Impeachment Trial Of The New Century

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on the Senate impeachment trial, arguing Democrats lack a solid case and are now seeking more evidence and witnesses because their original impeachment theory overreached. It then pivots to the 2020 Democratic primary, mocking the New York Times’ dual endorsement of Warren and Klobuchar, before contrasting media treatment of the Virginia gun-rights rally with the shrinking Women’s March and ending with a long critique of California’s homelessness crisis and Democratic governance.

Main Topics: Impeachment trial and evidentiary weakness (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro argues Democrats rushed impeachment without a complete factual record, then shifted their theory from quid pro quo bribery to a broader, vaguer abuse-of-power claim when the evidence did not support the original allegation. Trump’s legal defense and constitutional arguments (Priority: 5/5): The segment discusses Trump’s seven-page response and the addition of Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr, emphasizing the claim that the articles of impeachment fail to allege a crime and that executive-branch confidentiality is not obstruction. Media bias and witness politics in impeachment (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro criticizes media framing, Adam Schiff’s demands for more evidence, and Democratic inconsistency over witnesses such as Lev Parnas versus Hunter Biden, arguing the process is driven by partisan optics rather than principle. Democratic primary chaos and New York Times endorsement (Priority: 4/5): The New York Times is ridiculed for endorsing both Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, which Shapiro portrays as an attempt to hedge between a moderate lane and a progressive lane while avoiding a clean choice. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and intra-party ideology (Priority: 4/5): The transcript portrays Sanders as too radical and Warren as a polished but deceptive progressive, arguing the party is split between electability concerns and revolutionary policy preferences. Virginia gun-rights rally vs. Women’s March coverage (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro says media falsely smeared a large, peaceful gun-rights rally as extremist while sympathetically covering a much smaller Women’s March, illustrating selective and ideological reporting. California homelessness and state governance (Priority: 5/5): The final segment argues California’s homelessness crisis is the result of decades of Democratic rule, failed housing policy, lenient public-order enforcement, and misplaced priorities, especially in Los Angeles.

Key Arguments: Democrats originally framed impeachment as a clear bribery/quid-pro-quo case, but when that proof did not materialize they broadened the accusation to a vague abuse-of-power standard. The House rushed impeachment without waiting for all relevant testimony, so it is now leaning on the Senate to conduct the evidentiary work it should have done earlier. Trump’s lawyers argue the articles are constitutionally defective because they allege no crime or legal violation and treat ordinary executive confidentiality as obstruction. Calling witnesses is not the issue; the issue is witness selection. Democrats want Lev Parnas, whose credibility is compromised, but resist Hunter Biden, whose testimony could complicate their narrative. The New York Times’ endorsement of both Warren and Klobuchar reflects indecision and ideological hedging, not a principled assessment of the race. The media consistently exaggerate or distort right-leaning events like the Virginia gun rally while softening coverage of left-leaning events like the Women’s March. California’s homelessness crisis is presented as a policy failure caused by bad governance, weak enforcement, and overreliance on bureaucracy and unions rather than a lack of resources. Elizabeth Warren is criticized as a gifted speaker with a record of dubious or false personal narratives, while Bernie Sanders is framed as an open radical whose ideology is too extreme for the general electorate.

Data Points: Length of Trump legal response: 7 pages - Trump’s attorneys filed only a short rebuttal to the House impeachment articles. Articles of impeachment length: about 100 pages - Shapiro contrasts the size of the House’s filing with Trump’s brief response. Potential witness time frame for trial: 6 to 8 weeks - Ted Cruz is cited as estimating the Senate trial could last this long, though Shapiro thinks it will be shorter. Supported APR for Lightstream consolidation loan: as low as 5.95% APR - Ad copy describing credit card consolidation for listeners with good credit. Average credit card interest rate: over 20% APR+ - Used to motivate debt consolidation via Lightstream. Honey members' savings: over $2 billion - Ad copy claims Honey users have saved this amount. Honey membership size: over 18 million members - Ad copy statistic for the coupon service. Stores supported by Honey: over 30,000 stores - Ad copy lists supported retailers. Estimated children lost to abortion since Roe v. Wade: over 60 million - Used in the pro-life sponsorship segment. Iowa polling trend for Bernie Sanders: behind Joe Biden in the last two polls - Shapiro says multiple Iowa polls show Sanders dropping behind Biden. New York Times endorsement count: 2 candidates - The Times endorses both Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren. Virginia rally turnout: thousands, tens of thousands - Shapiro describes the gun-rights rally as large and peaceful. Women's March permit cap: up to about 10,000 people - Used to contrast the smaller turnout in Washington, D.C. California top income tax rate: 13.3% - Cited while criticizing California’s fiscal management and business climate. Los Angeles County homeless count: 65,000 - Shapiro cites this figure while discussing the homelessness crisis. Global GDP growth since 1800: 15,700% - Used in the Ray Bradbury / capitalism discussion to illustrate long-run economic growth. Preceding millennia global GDP growth: about 100% - Contrasted with the post-Enlightenment rise in prosperity.

Pivotal Quotes: "The articles of impeachment are constitutionally invalid on their face. They fail to allege any crime or violation of law whatsoever, let alone high crimes and misdemeanors as required by the Constitution." — Trump legal team (quoted by Shapiro): Trump’s written response to the House impeachment articles. "Senator Warren is a gifted storyteller." — New York Times editorial board (quoted by Shapiro): Shapiro uses the phrase sarcastically while criticizing Warren’s credibility. "The state of California has been nowhere to be found on the damn issue of homelessness." — Gavin Newsom: Newsom’s admission is used in the closing critique of California governance.

Implications: The episode argues that impeachment and 2020 politics are being shaped more by partisan narratives than by evidence, while media framing remains highly selective. It suggests growing public cynicism toward elite institutions, especially on impeachment, elections, gun rights, and state governance.