Sam Harris & Ben Shapiro Debate: Trump, Election Interference, & Foreign Policy

[@MatthewMortensen1]

Ben Shapiro knows that if he goes against Trump, his fan base is gone.

[@alisoninchausti1080]

So, in essence, he’s being a yellow-livered hypocrite like all the other Trump sycophants.

[@ds2103-c4j]

Exactly. And that's why he and most other podcasters are frauds. Sam just says the truth.

[@David-f8p3z]

There it is.

[@johndavison2760]

Bingo

[@September2004]

Facts don’t care about his ratings.

[@SpaceBoomerBill]

What’s the point of talking with Shapiro if he is going to just pretend to play dumb the whole time? It’s a disingenuous conversation.

[@Eman-wj8gq]

He might be a conservative pawn.

[@DeShawnGreen2001]

@@Eman-wj8gq he's a jewish pawn first.

[@petewilson6575]

That's his whole MO

[@KatieHiggins-hc1ph]

That’s their gig …. and they have an audience so…

[@JOESPH_MOTHER]

It’s seriously just embarrassing

[@ZachGood]

04:25 is one of the most disingenuous arguments I’ve ever heard. Saying Trump left peacefully is like saying a squatter left peacefully after he trashed your house.

[@epzilon3836]

Really good analogy

[@Fnord1984]

The lineage of Presidents at least up until Obama was complicit in the murder of JFK and all Presidents since including Obama has full knowledge of the american coup d'etat and CIA assassination of JFK. The United States is not a democracy in any sense of the word.

[@miguelzavaleta1911]

Like a guy pulling a gun on a bank teller but never actually saying the words "this is a robbery." The cops get to him before he's able to walk out with any money. Now a third of the country goes on to claim he never actually tried to rob the bank, since he never got any money and never said the words. Insane.

[@andrewthomas695]

Trump is merely the manifestation of modern America. Ipso facto, you can't fix America by voting out Trump.

[@doc2590]

@@miguelzavaleta1911 agreed

[@MariusErasmus-o6c]

Its crazy how beautifully this aged for Sam. Kamala conceded immediately, and there was no uprising like Ben said.

[@patrickschissler5860]

Lol as if there aren't fucked up lefty plans being hatched right now...The left is obsessed with power. They will attempt to steal this election again before inauguration day. They don't understand the war that will be at their doorstep from the electorate. Bad times coming.

[@dockjm]

Aged beautifully?? Trump completely crushed. And wtf are you talking about with Clinton?? 8 yrs later.. she STILL claims Russian interference.

[@MMAoracle]

It's an idiotic argument, because nobody thinks the republicans cheat. So why would the Dems deny the result? The republicans are more likely to deny the election results because they believe there is fraud. Whether there is any election fraud is a separate argument.

[@MissyP702]

Because she got washed 😂

[@NuclearWinter99]

It was a land slide victory for Trump.

[@melange78]

Remember when Mitt Romney was the most controversial candidate?

[@mattclayer6541]

Don't tell me that anyone called that man a fascist😣

[@DanielDennett-l9n]

@@mattclayer6541 Right. They called him a vulture capitalist, but never fascist cos he wasn’t

[@acatwood11]

​@DanielDennett-l9n Joe Biden said Romney was going to "put yall back in chains" if he got elected Every feminist screamed that Romney was going to institute a "war on women," whatever the hell that means Obama called Romney a 'felon' for something that happened at Romney's business years after Romney left the business Harry Reid said that Romney hadn't paid his taxes for a number of years, when actually he had overpaid during those years SO The Democrats four years later didn't have the credibility to call Trump a racist, sexist, sleazy business owner, and tax dodger. Hence, Trump got elected.

[@michaelm4597]

Miss those days..lol

[@BUDDYCB4]

God, I miss those days! I would take Mitt Romney over Donald Trump any day the week! At least he wouldn’t stoke hatred between American citizens

[@ryanalexander8212]

Yet again, Sam is making sense.

[@CP-nl2zb]

Sam is a World Champion Pseudo intellectual. Sammy The Pseudo Harris.

[@Thisisahandle701]

@@CP-nl2zbYou're using "pseudo" wrong

[@Fenristripplex]

Lmao

[@hermitonthelake]

It helps that Ben is an insufferable cult manager.

[@brockobama4408]

Wtf? Sams a major Tard 😆

[@mattsardina3458]

Post election, this clip did not age well for Shapiro. He was proven wrong and Sam was right.

[@MegaCokamo]

Listen closer to the words they’re saying. The election was a wash for democrats. Saying Ben was wrong is an overstatement.

[@Sean-fx9yn]

you people are actually delusional imo in all due respect. its like we live in separate realities. trump and his policies and team were the best pick for the country. you are being so misled by the propaganda of the MSM and the "left". anyone i know with a brain is able to see through their bs. there is so much corruption in the government and finally when someone comes along trying to clean it up you are manipulated into voting for the very establishment that has gradually stripped away all of our rights and have decreased the standard of living for everyone. i could go on but its ridiculous how brainwashed you people are in your hatred for half the country because of what the media has told you to think.

[@Borntu]

And that matters because?

[@gejost]

He was sort of right A landslide victory occurred in swing states but I don't think Harris could have predicted the landslide loss of the popular vote

[@jason3898]

Can you show me just 1 piece of Shapiro content that aged well for him?

[@yungbobross6418]

Lmao well Ben was wrong, conceded instantly.

[@whiteninjaplus5]

Actually not instantly, it was clear who one on election night and she didn't even tell her supporters good night. She just bailed

[@boxofcans461]

​@@whiteninjaplus5irrelevant comment

[@twig8412]

​@boxofcans461 Not irrelevant at all. It is only irrelevant to you because it debunks your narrative.

[@coreyanders5527]

​@@whiteninjaplus5 😂🤣😂🤣😂. Oh man, that's for proving that showing us all how immature, insecure, petty, unsophisticated and anti-intellectual MAGAs are. Absolutely pathetic. Trump has yet to concede his loss and you are crying over Kamala waiting until the next day? 😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@Borntu]

Thank God he was wrong, now democrats can get over the loss 😂

[@thep751]

When you tried to rob a bank and it was not successful but you get caught, can you argue that nothing has happened? No money was lost and bank went back to operating the way it did before, so no harm done?

[@KarmaKahn]

Indeed, the amount of mental gymnastics that conservatives perform at the moment is astonishing.

[@Fnord1984]

The bank teller would disagree

[@tbirdboy]

​@@Fnord1984So would a Superior Court judge.

[@September2004]

You can if the bank robber is Trump and Ben Shapiro is your lawyer.

[@Think-dont-believe]

Rob a bank? They were protesting a decision . Zero comparable..

[@TheLongestTake]

Ben Shapiro 2024 : Trump left peacefully. Ben Shapiro 2021: one of the worst things since 9/11.

[@shock_n_Aweful]

this is the problem what is left of the Republicans, they have zero integrity

[@sandiegocity]

That is because no matter how much he hated Trump he did his work and investigated the truth. Some of you cant do that.

[@TheLongestTake]

@sandiegocity did you respond to the wrong comment? Wtf are you on about?

[@TerryM1984]

9/11: People falling off of the twin towers. Afghanistan pullout: People falling off of planes.

[@TheWhisperingPenis]

Yeah exactly. Even listening to Ben in 2023 he was against Trump. I listened to his Podcast only 4 times last year and everytime he was criticizing Trump. He just went 180 near the election. Its obvious shilling, and isn't how Ben actually feels, which is morally very disappointing.

[@RSP965]

Literally can't even listen to Ben Shapiro - he's totally full of shit. Lives on a different planet. Bad faith actor. Thank theUniverse for Sam to come in here and shut this fast talker down, like only Sam can.

[@stephenschaffenberger6765]

He doesn't ENTIRELY live on a different planet. At least he can admit that Trump lost the election. That's more than most right wing pundits. However, I agree that he's full of shit. He's openly admitted to grading Trump on a curve, which pretty much disqualifies him from being taken seriously as a political analyst.

[@kinetic-cybernetic]

Key word is "actor"

[@GARL0CK]

The worst part about Ben is that he KNOWS the truth. He's even said as much, but once it was shown that Trump had power after his defeat, he changed his tune to: "There was a peaceful transition of power... That violence part doesn't matter because it didn't happen on the actual inauguration day."

[@santacruzman]

@@kinetic-cybernetic Key word: "bad faith."

[@tobygarth1262]

Agreed - Ben Shapiro is gaslighting and trying to explain that Trump does not mean what he says. Total BS.

[@orchid1234]

It is sad that Ben Shapiro has degraded so much. I used to think that he is honest and intellectual. Sam Harris is amazing, as always!

[@jamadon2780]

Utterly amazing how calm Sam stays amidst the utter bullshit from Shapiro like that we actually did have a peaceful transfer of power.

[@miguelzavaleta1911]

I had to actually laugh at that. Especially at the semantic game he tried to play afterwards saying that the actual transfer happened later.

[@AltumNovo]

We did, Trump tried to exercise his legal rights, all elections should be questioned rigorously. Then his supporters rioted, which was much milder and less violent than countless others throughout his 4 years egged on by democrats

[@herpyderpy4291]

Sam should have jumped on that like a Sumo wrestler. It's so fucking dishonest that I can't see how anyone can hear it and not see Ben as having lost the debate right there. Honestly if I was Sam I'd just spend the rest of the debate making fun of Ben for saying something so ridiculous.

[@Woodsaras]

Oh? Whos the president for the last 4 years? Yall so fkng brain washed it's seriously ridiculous. Are you really that well off and rich that you really have to pretend that somehing of note is happening or happenee in your stpd country? What a bunch of cnn clowns you are.

[@ogmius2001]

That is Sam's superpower. he is always calm and rational

[@flyingartgirls1]

There was a successful transition of power. That is not the same thing as PEACEFUL transition of power.

[@johnnyripple8972]

Well, the Feds certainly tried to prevent it. To believe otherwise is total ignorance.

[@RealYRM]

My issue is the way this stuff is presented and covered. When leftists or Democrats protested in 2020, for months, they did $2,000,000,000 in damages, (more to be honest), there were thousands injured, dozens killed (many black, like the teens in CHAZ/CHOP or David Dorn or Secoria Turner, and nobody had parades for them). When my own child was at the hospital dying, left wing protesters were smashing a Ronald McDonald Charity House for dying kids in Chicago in August of 2020. This barely got media coverage because it doesn't help the Democrats. No life matters, unless a Democrat can shamelessly exploit the corpse. That's what I hate.

[@johnnyripple8972]

@ These leftists are useful idiots. These are vile people who want the Republic destroyed. I was a democrat. I will NEVER vote for a democrat again.

[@novacancy7253]

@@RealYRMoh but that’s doesn’t count because “Trump” bad.

[@eddybedder2865]

@@RealYRM Your wrong!

[@billybobthornton9668]

Go back and watch Ben's video immediately after J6 and then watch the mental gymnastics he does now. That's audience capture my friends, and it's a horrific destructive thing.

[@chrisburke4039]

It isn't audience capture, there is a linear relationship to Ben's positions and his bank balance. He's one of the least principled, hacky brainlets this side of Steven Crowder & Tim Poole.

[@daaaaaave]

If you’re fighting with cops and then give up after they call for backup, that doesn’t make it a peaceful arrest. I can’t believe they can take themselves seriously calling it a peaceful transfer of power.

[@billybobthornton9668]

@@chrisburke4039 That's what I mean mate, his audience would leave him if he'd maintained that position post J6, so he's had to tow the line to protect his business 🤷 Frustrating to see it happen in real-time!

[@SirVarnish]

Ben basically ignores anything out of trumps mouth and behavior and inserts his own imagined future of what trump 2.0 would be. When untethered from reality, all is fine - just like this ridiculous argument that such and such wouldn’t have happened if Trump were President the past 4yrs, it’s silly as we can all imagine any fake reality we want

[@chrisburke4039]

@billybobthornton9668 Yeah I agree. My point is he has no loyalty to his audience or any moral compass. He would drop his audience like a hot rock the second there was someone else offering him more money.

[@stewartmoore5158]

Sam was just exhausted with Ben Shapiro's utter nonsense. I feel that on a deep level.

[@leonasloan7618]

Ben's integrity is questionable. I no longer believe he is a moral or even thoughtful man.

[@Richard-sy1ej]

The idea that Ben ever had integrity is questionable.

[@ethanstump]

Someone can be intelligent without being thoughtful, and someone can be principled without being compassionate. I do believe he's an intelligent and principled man, but an unthoughtful and cruel one.

[@Richard-sy1ej]

@@ethanstump A principled man would not attempt to falsely claim that Trump allowed a peaceful transfer of power. An intelligent man would not spend most of his time debating college students under circumstances where he always knows the topic ahead of time and always grants himself the benefit of setting the bounds of the debate. Also, to remind people of one of the best encapsulations of Shapiro's supposed intelligence - an intelligent man would not say global warming isn't an issue for people who have beach-side property because "as if they wouldn't just sell those houses". Who are they going to sell their houses to, Ben? AQUAMAN? So no, Ben is not only unthoughtful and cruel, he's also dishonest, unprincipled and unintelligent. He's a devious grifter, just like the orange leader of the cult he's trying to financially benefit from.

[@komlat253]

Well yea , it depends where your intelligence lies. Intelligence assumes a certain level of comprehensive pattern of thinking in a certain area . You can be thoughtful in some areas and not in others. Ben does have a certain understanding and intelligence in the abstract. But interpersonally and introspectively he see dumb . Not shocking though, many guys tend to lack on that side of intelligence many traditionally high IQ people back before we added this to over all intelligence lacked in this as well .​@@ethanstump

[@davidbresett2098]

Credibility is the only thing certain commentators have, Shapiro is not credible.

[@ddgilad]

Trump may not be Hitler. But if there's one thing Hitler taught me is that when populist leaders with a personality cult are in business things might get really weird really fast.

[@DanielDennett-l9n]

So far more Mussolini than Hitler, but there’s still time. All three are fascist by any reasonable definition

[@andibpunkt-o8c]

Exactly. It is a cult. Trump once said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and people would still vote for him. I think that’s true. Calling it ‘weird’ is an understatement-it’s scary.

[@xxcrysad3000xx]

they already did in 2016. this is a rerun.

[@JH-ji6cj]

​@xxcrysad3000xx can yall sincerely not see yourselves equating your own litmus tests of what's considered 'weird' and THAT=Literal Hitler?

[@joecappello7742]

Yeah and if trump is doesn't have the ideology of a Hitler, he is surrounded with people that have an ideology.

[@goodmorningsteve]

Cant help but get the impression Ben is working backwards from his conclusions

[@CarlFredrik-uo1cu]

He absolutely does. He is "my feelings don't care about the facts!" most of the time

[@Not_Vladimir_Putin]

Shapiro will always come back to justifying anything Trump does because he knows his audience and knows it's required to sustain his living.

[@Anniducati]

I’ve come to recognize Shapiro (who I used to respect), is someone who has completely flipped-out on the woke phenomenon, and has never recovered. So trump really speaks for him.

[@SmilusMusic]

Yes he is. He has to defend the indefensible. Pitiful

[@deankruse2891]

Always. Regardless of what trump does, short of supporting Palestinian independence, Ben has to support him. Ben’s viewership numbers and business depend on him covering and supporting movements in specific ways.

[@WombatPants]

@5:43 this prediction proved to be wrong. Harris conceded within 24 hours and Biden invited Trump to the Whitehouse and pledged to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power.

[@ronalddepesa6221]

Ben should be called out for this. What a mamuke

[@tenjisaga]

Ben is not an idiot... And that's what makes him infinitely more disgraceful than the rest of his MAGA brethren.

[@gadiantonrobber5692]

They are all garbage too, huh?

[@nacarreira777]

Absolutely agree. He knows better.

[@elmoblatch9787]

That's what makes is so disappointing. Ben is a smart man who says Trump left peacefully. Shapiro says he does not like tariff policy, but supports Trump because...he does not believe what Trump is saying on tariffs.

[@jongrandboy4294]

Everyone thinks the other team is full of idiots. Lower your blinders, they are our brothers and sisters just with different outlooks. They are still people like you and me.

[@tenjisaga]

@jongrandboy4294 this isn't right vs left, it's truth vs lies.

[@ezOqekuRitusohI]

Ben just said we had a peaceful transfer of power? No, Ben. We had a transfer of power. It was not peaceful. Words matter.

[@pk21734]

Do you disagree though? There were things in that election that hadn't happened before so it was natural to cast the doubt, but Trump never blocked the power transfer

[@megahemphead]

@@pk21734 he tried to block it though? just because you failed to rob a bank, doesn't mean you are innocent

[@pk21734]

@megahemphead block isn't the right word, delay is the right word because he wanted to know wth happened regarding irregularities that took place. And yk given lack of evidence, even if I can give you that election doesn't seems to be rigged (though I still have some doubts), but at the very moment, some things were seriously off. So he just wanted to ensure everything was done properly and fairly, I don't think that's a bad idea.

[@Woodsaras]

How wasnt it peaceful? You dont really know what NOT peacuful is dummy

[@September2004]

@@pk21734He wanted to know what happened with respect to irregularities? And his version of doing this is to claim the election was rigged, spread conspiracy theories, not actually claim fraud when in the courtroom and then launched an insurrection. Do you think there could’ve been a better way to do this?

[@arnaldoleon1]

Every time Ben debates Sam you can clearly see the 40 point IQ gap in Sam’s favour. Ben is just flailing here

[@jpa_fasty3997]

They're very similar in IQ and Ben actually wins the debate on foreign policy. You can't argue with the facts. The world was far more stable with Trump in charge. You have Biden/Harris for 4 years and everything goes to total shit.... how anyone can have the gall to then sit there claiming Trump is an existential threat to foreign policy, and Kamala is the antidote....? Pure cognitive dissonance.

[@davisjones5489]

it's not an IQ gap, it's an honesty gap

[@atom-9th]

😂😉😂

[@shannonroberts5080]

​@@davisjones5489I think it's both.

[@alysiaduemler2221]

Ben is smart and that’s why Sam is friends with him, but he knows he will lose his base if he goes against Trump

[@Drelam]

Ben Shapiro knows that there is no excuse for following Trump, but literally his whole business and identity is wrapped up in pleasing Republicans.

[@whiteninjaplus5]

Or maybe they share opinions

[@jmonforton237]

The problem is, the Republican Party has been hijacked by all this trailer park trash who thinks Trump is a God. Now, Ben has to please red mad hatters.

[@mlo3784]

"A horrible day for the country. Violent rioting inside the Capitol must be met with the full brunt of the law." Ben Shapiro, 6. jan. 2021 "Jan 6th an Insurrection, and "the worst thing to happen in America since 9/11" Ben Shapiro, 7. jan. 2021 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2m9l6CvrdKaiqMsi=19uEtNhQqc6IY0I3 ...and still, he's voting for Trump and cary water for MAGA! Go' figure.

[@robertkennedy5374]

Now he understands that j6 was staged...it's just that simple

[@mlo3784]

@@robertkennedy5374 😂😂😂

[@mlo3784]

@@robertkennedy5374 MAGA = ALWAYS the victim....and send more money!

[@yveje9720]

He’s a Zionist Israel is more important to him than the US.

[@seantulley6473]

He voted for Trump, not the Buffalo Guy.

[@darkwoodmanor1873]

I love watching little Ben performing illogical gymnastics in his attempt to defend his support for Trump. Him saying that the democrats suggesting that there was foreign election interference in 2016 is equal to or greater than Trump actively trying to over turn a fair election in 2020 is ludicrous.

[@komlat253]

Yea like they are at all equal but nevertheless we literally do have the evidence of it and the government has already acknowledged Russian interference so whatever but yean not even the same level

[@corylohanlon]

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I'm not saying Sam should have said that, but it actually is the proper response to asserting we had a peaceful transfer of power in 2020.

[@Malt454]

And, had it been up to Trump, it would have been a significantly less peaceful transfer of power - if, indeed, power was transferred at all, if not for Pence.

[@Dementia.Pugilistica]

"WW2 was a peaceful event because Germany eventually conceded that they lost the war" It's literally as insane as saying this. Constantly we see those "both sides" rhetoric and it'll be people like Ben comparing elected officials at the highest form of office like Trump saying 'the election was stolen', compared to a 16 year old purple haired fox lesbian on Twitter saying mean things like 'Trump stole the first election' as if these two things are equivalent. How many election deniers in republican office? How many democrats? I don't care about the 18 year old college kids' stupid opinion - they are not in office!! I'm so fucking tired of trumpism

[@stephenschaffenberger6765]

@@Malt454 It just wouldn't have been a transfer.

[@chrisburke4039]

I honestly wish there was more of this in our discourse. The way people tip-toe around other content creators absolute BS is half of what's wrong with the world right now.

[@politicalchatter372]

there was a peaceful transfer. You people seriously live in a fantasy land. When Trump is back in office and Harris refuses to leave, what are you going to say?

[@ihorkarpiuk4102]

5:45 Ben: "I promise you, if Trump wins this election, you will see election denialism on the left" that's where you were wrong, Ben.

[@marcuslopez7302]

lol Philip defranco reported on the wide spread election denialism going on the left today. BlueAnon level shit.

[@gamemaker2084]

But we have. There's a conspiracy theory on the left that musk used start link satellites to hack vote counting machines to change results.

[@wiiztec]

I won't use the term "election denial" because it's orwellian nonsense but the left is absolute disputing the results of the election now, they're trying to say elon musk changed votes with starlink or something

[@jason3898]

To be fair, "on the left" did happen. Not the candidate so much, or any other sane democrat, but "on the left" did. Where Ben is wrong is in his unwillingness to agree to the difference in degrees of severity of denialism among the different parties, and the difference in severity of reaction to those feelings of denial from either side. His side requires no evidence, and will use violence with little hesitance. That's why he's scared to even acknowledge the difference.

[@wiiztec]

@@jason3898 lol the right will use violence with little hesitance? do you think antifa is right wing or something?

[@issa.israel]

Never seen Shapiro win a debate against someone over 22 years of age.

[@McMurchie]

Shapiro was totally owning Sam, Sam wouldn't let him get a word in and denied that election interference was a thing with Trump in 2016, dude you're in a bubble.

[@durielcaine7762]

I mean, unless Sam Harris is under 22 then he did in this video 😂

[@RosieRoserules]

He didn't

[@Kadenld]

Shapiro absolutely did not win this argument. Sam Harris made valid points across the board.

[@felipemedina1048]

You never going to see it. He is atotal moron.

[@gking407]

Make sure you listen closely to Ben’s deflections and false comparisons, this is how we sleepwalk into fascism.

[@DanielDennett-l9n]

“I have no idea who Putin wants to win the election”. Right, Ben. Riiiiiiggggght

[@RealYRM]

According to Al Jazeera, Sep 6, 2024 - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Moscow would back US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party's nominee. Take that for what it's worth. If you're the type of person who takes everything Trump says 100% literally, with no context, I think you should do the same for Putin. Don't use any discretion and take it 100% literally, just like you take everything audio clip from Trump on the media 100% literally. Even when they cut and paste audio together and claim Trump was talking about something else than he was actually discussing, you still take that 100% literally right?

[@mookiewilson4166]

Putin’s efforts have been to advance the Democrats

[@vijayakrishnan3131]

Ben is a fraud.

[@Oneness100]

Yeah, Trump has had at least 7 conversations with Putin after he left office and it's already a known fact that Trump wants to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, so he has to be nice to Putin. For all we know, it was most likely TRUMP that gave Putin the green light to go after Ukraine for several reasons. 1. so he could blame it on Biden. 2. He could take revenge on Zelinskyy for not complying with Quid Pro Quo. 3. So Putin owes him a favor to let him build a Trump Tower in Moscow.. Trump may need to flee the Country to another Country that doesn't have extradition, like RUSSIA.

[@jenniek8391]

Maybe someone can ask Ben this: "Which presidential candidate is more willing to hand over Ukraine's sovereignty to Putin: Harris or Trump?"

[@BrandonCruz-zl4hr]

Boy, was Ben Shapiro wrong, again!

[@ScienceBoy70]

Shapiro saying Trump left peacefully on Jan 20th, thus there was a peaceful transfer of power, is utter nonsense. The transfer of power in the US is a process, and the certification on Jan 6th was an important part of that process. If someone trying to rob a bank goes in, shoots some guards and bank tellers, then flees the bank without taking any money because he can't crack the safe, you don't say, "He left without taking any money, so he didn't rob the bank. No harm, no foul." The fact that he tried is the crime, not whether he succeeded or not. People died on Jan 6th because of Trump's actions. The fact that his plans didn't work and he left with his tail between his legs on Jan 20th doesn't absolve him. Shapiro is smart enough to know this, but has no problem doing his part to whitewash what happened.

[@MichaelDamianPHD]

Jan 6 was not an attempted coup or insurrection, so your take is just absurd.

[@jimquinn2431]

@@MichaelDamianPHD Those idiots were encouraged by Trump to take over the Capitol and prevent the transfer of power. If those people had their choice many Congresspeople would be dead. Fake electors were being sent... Just because morons conducted the coup and had no idea what they were doing doesn't mean it wasn't a coup. Trumps people were cheering it on from a hotel in DC FFS. Just stop..

[@tropinnka]

@@MichaelDamianPHDwhat was the right thing that Mike Pence was supposed to do? Why did Trump say that? Why are 7 groups of fake electors charged for forging elector slates? What are the Eastman Memos? Why did John Eastman talk right before Giuliani on January 6? What was the plan there? Please reply 🙏

[@paulelledge8977]

​@@MichaelDamianPHDof course it was. They tried to delay certification of the votes so they could put fake electors in their place. They used violence as a tactic to attempt to change governments. It's 100% a coup.

[@johnsinglet575]

It wasn’t a smooth or timely transfer of power, it was peaceful though. Jan 6th was not an insurrection other than the sensationalism of the media apparatus.

[@eja9539]

A lot of trump supports and Ben Shapiro acknowledged the following things about Trump: 1. They don’t think Trump is intelligent enough to understand complex situations 2. He doesn’t have the temperament to listen to people who are more intelligent than him 3. He values loyalty over logic 4. He has severe flaws in his character such as lying, cheating and hubris 5. He says “silly” and “nonsensical” things often as if words don’t matter. 6. He has several people who have worked closely with him including his VP, Chief of staff etc that have disparaged his leadership skills 7. He is unpredictable to the point that you cannot be sure what words, actions or policies he’ll actually push for in the end. And yet he is still the person they carry water for. Make it make sense.

[@mr.kynott3406]

That all just implies they think their only other option is worse than him. You can't rationally address any of these issues without realizing the other option also sucked, and in some ways, much worse. The American public agrees. It was a landslide.

[@UltimaPowers]

Trump supporters' feelings don't care about facts

[@vykintasmorkvenas6839]

Poor Americans. I can't imagine the feeling of living in a country the half of which is so desperate in their delusion to be ready to vote for someone as hopeless as Trump.

[@xczechr]

A third of the electorate, no more. Another third votes for not-Trump, and the final third doesn't vote.

[@damienolympia3702]

Half of them were ready to vote for an obviously demented man. Only when it became impossible to stop lying about it did they install Harris.

[@vykintasmorkvenas6839]

@xczechr still, it's one third too much 😁

[@damienolympia3702]

@@vykintasmorkvenas6839 Half were ready to vote for Biden until the lies about his health became too incredulous even for diehards.

[@vykintasmorkvenas6839]

@@damienolympia3702 so pity that in a country of 350 million people you had only two old farts for candidates into presidency. Now you also have a half-baked lady but it seems old farts are more in demand.

[@Musix4me-Clarinet]

*What I find so sad about this conversation and the following events,* is that despite how spot-on and accurate Sam is shown to be, the people taken in by the MAGA/Russian disinformation campaign -will not- cannot care. The truth does not matter to these people at this point.

[@JeoJetsonmusic]

There absolutely was Russian interference in the 2016 election. That’s not interesting or surprising that a country would try to impact the politics of another country towards their best interests. The question is how successful and impactful was their interference.

[@dinaf1409]

Every little drop matters.

[@MrWackozacko]

There is American election interference in the current election by google and cia/fbi/doj etc

[@pop-4567]

TDS combined with a devious conniving Mind will show symptoms such as Paranoia, Fantasising, Megalomania, Belligerents, Russia phobia and Chronic Bed Wetting. Flogging a dead horse year in year out. Seek Professional Help.

[@thisisobviouslynotmyrealname]

really? show me a specific incident that exemplifies that interference

[@MrWackozacko]

There is media interference in this years election, plain as day...

[@TheOicyu812]

Ben's only talent is talking at a playback speed of x2.

[@outofbounds643]

and making $30m+ a year

[@artk8445]

Yes, & all of it is shit!

[@jenniek8391]

@@outofbounds643 a lot of bad people make eye-watering sums of money. That's not a good metric to judge someone's character.

[@jeffkitterman7191]

You win the comment war

[@aoeu256]

@@outofbounds643 Imagine if our smart people spent more time & money giving money to people who build things or invent things

[@muskegobrown]

I try REALLY hard to like Ben. But then I watch him become completely disingenuous. Way too often. He's just too ideological to see facts when they're working against his ideologies.

[@philohlemutz6496]

He can’t afford to lose his fan base.. pathetic. Too far beyond to change course.

[@Hektop1]

@@philohlemutz6496yap, audience capture is very real

[@shannonroberts5080]

Ideological? He's just full of shit.

[@Sergio-yj6pc]

He dismantled Sam's fear mongering bullshit.

[@dreamstever]

@@Sergio-yj6pcdid he?

[@supporterofkira56]

Shapiro knows Sam is telling the truth. He needs to be honest with himself

[@diannasgardenmenagerie967]

The issue is Christian nationalism!! The issue is religion in government!!!

[@Tavat]

It’s crazy how right you are and how obvious it is to those of us who are paying attention. And yet the Trump Show is always front and center. Project 2025/Agenda47 is THE existential threat to our secular democracy here.

[@mattclayer6541]

Why not call it theocratic fascism?

[@DrBallSac]

Minority relgions in the overwhelming face of Muslims perhaps ? Ai is probaly next on the persecution hitlist 😂

[@Kolobochok95]

This.

[@charlesglegg7330]

The "issue" is adults talk to an imaginary friend, taking their moral marching orders from a book written when the wheel barrel was cutting edge technology!

[@enriquehernandez650]

Ben is not making sense. 😅

[@hotrodandrube9119]

I see what you did there!

[@chrism6315]

He never has

[@wasdwasdedsf]

so what do you call democrats who claims they will do the exact same thing IN ADVANCE of seeing any blatant frau?? time to arrest them, right? or what about podesta who wanted the D in 2020 to "under NO circumstances" concede after electio day? things are awfully conveniently ignored and forgotten about, time and time again, with you people...

[@fgm1696]

Sam makes tons of sense.

[@CP-nl2zb]

Sam is a World Champion Pseudo intellectual. Sammy The Pseudo Harris.

[@kcolg321]

@@CP-nl2zb Good one

[@atom-9th]

hes far beyond, ben's intellectual prowess

[@kbone8137]

@@CP-nl2zb Your repetition is telling, Ben.

[@durden91tyler]

@@CP-nl2zb keep exposing yourselves.

[@edgecrusherhalo]

Watching Shapiro fail going up against anyone that’s not a college freshman gotta be one of my favorite genres.

[@cherylhughes2988]

When it comes to critical thinking, Ben Shapiro is not even in the same galaxy as Sam Harris.

[@Borntu]

You know it's true because Sam continued to talk over Ben the entire "debate"

[@jaarneal]

I actually agree with Shapiro that Trump doesn't know his own policy with respect to Russia. But this supports the opposite end of the argument: This is *why* Putin likes the idea of a Trump presidency! Putin knows that Trump is a blank slate that is susceptible to whatever Putin wants to say about the conflict, because Trump admires him. This is in plain sight, now.

[@Dr_JSH]

Not being faithful to policy is also a trait of fascism.

[@chrisburke4039]

Trump doesn't admire Putin. He's afraid of him. There is a huge difference there. Remember Helsinki? Trump looked like a whipped dog sitting next to Putin.

[@dinaf1409]

Putin will eat Trumputin as a sandwitch.

[@HannahAdelstein-bf5tw]

Putin endorsed Biden and Harris. Look it up.

[@glenrotchin5523]

BS what aboutism from Shapiro.

[@jpa_fasty3997]

He's dead right though. You had every major institution in the country claiming that Russia colluded with Trump to win the election, and this wasn't a threat to democracy. But when Trump denies the election results, that is a threat to democracy. Sometimes whataboutism is valid. Here is one of those times.

[@o0usf0o]

Exactly

[@stewartbjorgan4840]

Ben has also said that the abolition of slavery was inspired by the holy book. The one that clearly states that "slaves should obey their masters." One of the clearest statements the book makes.

[@FullFathomV]

Scholars and historians, like Anne Applebaum, make a distinction between modern autocrats and early 20th century fascists, which Sam hasn't keyed into yet, apparently. Modern autocrats don't need to wield brute force power in the same way. Instead, they use traditional democratic levers to systematically erode those norms and consolidate power among a select oligarchy (Musk, Thiel, et al). In this way modern autocracy is a form of kleptocracy. In order to erode those norms, the autocrat first has to cleave off a loyal portion of the electorate to gain support. They do this by lying. And they get others to lie for them (Republican Party loyalists). That's what the 'Big Lie' (that the 2020 election was stolen) and all his other crazy lies are about. The primary goal isn't to get people to believe him. The primary goal is to identify who's with him and who's against him. If you believe the lie, you’re with me. If you don’t, you’re my enemy. That's what modern fascists do. They pit citizens against each other in order to seize control. Hence language like "the enemy within" and "vermin". They then purge key positions within the government (i.e., DOJ and DOD) and party apparatus and insert their loyalists, particularly family members (e.g., Lara Trump at the RNC). This isn't done in secret. It's all done out in the open. You just have to pay attention. The problem with being that bold is it makes it politically difficult for the opposition as well as gives it an air of legitimacy. But January 6th was not, nor will it ever be, legitimate. It was criminal. Always remember, Jack Smith has about 80 witnesses. Not one is a Democrat. Not one.

[@wasdwasdedsf]

uhm.... nobody takes her seriously...

[@amadarobinson9917]

@FullFathomV perfectly stated…so many in our country are completely ignorant to this, or willfully ignorant, in most cases.

[@billaydam9618]

Fullfathom well said. One minor disagreement: I think Sam does understand however here he is having to talk down at Shapiro’s 8th grade level.

[@user-sw8py5ep6g]

Thanks again my Mentor. We need more of Sam in the political space to dilute the toxic spread of Trumpism to replace the normal political discourse.

[@frankwebster9110]

Ben paints himself into a corner and tries to distract his way out of answering honestly

[@jgmorales21]

Trump just announced Pompeo will not join his administration. Proving that Shapiro was just talking rubbish about his internal knowledge of the campaign moves. So full of

[@mrblackbird1254]

Thanks for doing this conversation, Sam. I was undecided going into this week and was looking for a civil debate like this.

[@Pinkfongfan24]

@@mrblackbird1254 how are you undecided 🤷 orange turd vs KAMALA HARRIS… easy decision…

[@lakingpaul]

I'm glad to hear this was helpful for you, but it does feel a little wild that someone could be undecided when the options are so far apart from one another.

[@mrblackbird1254]

@@lakingpaul I’m not voting for either. I was either going to vote for Trump or not vote for president before watching this.

[@Pinkfongfan24]

@ I suppose that’s a ok way to go. I just think trump is so appalling that I’ll do whatever to stop him. He’s a threat to our way of living. Disgusting human being…

[@dinaf1409]

He really said nothing new for those who paid attention to the last 9 year madness. Good for you!

[@asandiegoguy]

So nice to see Sam so clear eyed speaking sense. I don’t know a lot about Ben Shapiro, but it’s clear from watching this that he has definitely drunk the Trump Kool-Aid at least half a glass of it. Fortunately, Sam has common sense and facts on his side

[@Tavat]

He knows Trump is terrible in every way. It’s just money and audience capture.

[@uhohDavinci]

Don't be mistaken. Ben Shaprio absolutely HATES Donald Trump.. His problem is his ideology trumps "Trump", the only thing he hates more than Donald Trump, is the idea of democrats in power. So he's willing to open the congnitive dissonance box(intentionally), and defend Trumps actions as if they were normal.

[@MrAjfish]

I think Shapiro is a perfect example of audience capture.

[@redefiningmyself8598]

Ben is a MAGA carpetbagger

[@NotBatman101]

I think it’s worse. I don’t think Ben Shapiro likes Trump, he just likes money. He will lie in order to further his far right agenda

[@noutarnoldi4540]

Sam is totally right in his analyses. Ben Shapiro is a hollow talking head.

[@EvantidePhotographyBellingham]

Ben was wrong. Kamala Harris just conceded right away, period. And Joe had Trump in. Showing an example of how it’s supposed to work. Except with Trump, who still denies 2020.

[@lighthouse-lady]

He makes a failed comparison of the 2016 Election Russian conspiracy with 2020 (mind you the insurrection took place merely two months following and now Trump wants to pardon select participants lol)--so he already had nothing to substantiate a possibility of Harris' base doing anything of the sort. Shapiro treads on thin ice with his following whenever this topic is mentioned and will only admit so much but remain complacent about everything else that would change his audience's opinion of him. But Trump actively tried to rig the outcome with the false slates of electors (surprised that wasn't mentioned here) and, with of course, the insurrection that he encouraged and took no action to deter it. Edit: I used the label conspiracy for the 2016 election since that's the common label but there's obviously merit with the DNC compromise and leaked info spread across the web by the Kremlin trolls.

[@dennishopper1410]

Ben is deeply, profoundly unimpressive. How he's established such a foothold in public discourse I will never know.

[@outofbounds643]

Because he breaks down a lot of the world’s events very nicely. You must just be judging him based on a small handful of his takes. He’s strives to be logical, but is wrong sometimes, as is Sam.

[@acraze2287]

because he sounds smart to not smart people

[@dinaf1409]

Ignorant love him. It's a cult.

[@ladistar]

@@acraze2287 Clown. Ben is probably the greatest conservative intellectual of the last 20 years.

[@stuff3219]

Whackjobs are easily impressed.

[@butregenyo_yavrusu]

Kinda painful to watch Shapiro slither and twist to defend Trump

[@playcloudpluspc]

The problem is the people around Trump do have a detailed plan and a coherent ideology even if Trump doesn't. Trump is easily manipulated.

[@mistercrispy]

BINGO He's a tool for the Theocrats & Heritage Foundation at tHis point. Vance will 25th amendment him asap and everytHing will get privatized. Schools will be fucked. People have no idea How fucked these people are. They'll tank the economy and tell us its fine wHile stealing our food and water.

[@Desi365]

Quite ironic to hear that after 4 years of Biden. Plus it's largely wrong.

[@josephclark5414]

Unlike Harris whose “values haven’t changed!”

[@rockrecordreport7136]

And now that their (P 2025) plans have been unveiled it's even more frightening. They found the perfect puppet with 33% sure fire R voters. And if they lose this election, they lose that 33%, the lose the old dying evangelicals, the MAGA cult followers as well. They might never get a chance to try this again in the US. The Supreme Court will get some additional liberals on board in the coming years. Time is running out for Theil, Heritage, Musk, Bannon especially, and many others. This is their race against time in a most desperate way. And they are going to lose today. Which means we all need to be careful and stay safe. and dodge violence in the coming days. Bannon btw has been rather restrained since being sprung from the clink. Stone has been laying low as well. Only Johnson has been sticking his neck out on the chopping block for DJT surprisingly. I think they know Trump's chances have been going south the last three weeks or more. The jog is up. Thank god we all know about it. "Can you believe they put this in writing" Harris said.

[@benzos5704]

Debate is a strong term. More like “Reasonable man talks to a beholden political microphone”

[@natbarmore]

15:26 that’s not how facts work, Ben. Russia first made inroads into Ukraine in 2014. The first shots fired-and they were by Russia-were in 2018. What happened in 2022 was an escalation of an existing conflict. So saying that Putin would never invade Ukraine while Trump is in office is a lie. Putin _did_ invade Ukraine while Trump was in office. Depending whether you require military violence for it to qualify, either the invasion started while Trump was POTUS and Trump did nothing, or it started before Trump was POTUS and was going on the entire time Trump was in office and he did nothing. I don’t know why you’re bothering to lie about this. Why not use a hypothetical that matches reality? You could say something like “if Trump had been still in office, Putin would’ve kept to a low-scale covert invasion, and we could’ve continued to ignore it.” Or “if Putin had escalated to an open invasion while Trump was in office, Trump wouldn’t have done anything to support Ukraine, and the war would’ve quickly ended with a Russian victory.”

[@danielpoirier6333]

I appreciate the fact that they let each other speak and unpack their ideas with minimal interruption. I wish more debates were this respectful.

[@leehamilton4459]

Seriously? Ben is like a hyper puppy, wriggling and panting, talking too fast. This was like watching a debate between a college professor and a kindergartner.

[@clarkpalace]

Beat it danielpoirier. Your post is a pathetic attempt to help ben off his knees. Your post is a distraction.

[@danielpoirier6333]

@ speaking of knees, are you on yours? Praying to the Great Malibu Meditator?

[@lauretteg7071]

Sam is so obviously right, it’s ridiculous that Ben defends trump

[@DavidNelsonNCC-1701TGWNMHGB]

WOW this aged so well for Sam Harris and sooooooo bad for Shapiro 😂😅

[@sandib7185]

Take a breath, and stop bloviating yourself Ben. Your constant crapping on, in a self righteous tone is exhausting. Take a note of Sam’s considered replies.

[@bsting601]

I cant believe people keep making excuses for Trump .

[@samuelstephens6904]

I can. It’s very easy once you take it for granted that Trump is the greatest person ever. His supporters have become so bought into his brand and his cult. I frequently see people wearing MAGA hats and other Trump paraphernalia. It shows that Trump is a part of their self-identity now. Any criticism of him is a criticism of them.

[@solivagant1170]

@@samuelstephens6904Social media echo chambers and algorithms are making it so much worse too. It’s how my mom got caught up in all types of crazy conspiracy theories…

[@TheOldHippiebilly]

You nailed it, Sam.

[@blackthought6133]

Shapiro is not a dumb man at all.in fact hes highly intelligent but to sit here and watch him speak knowing full well it will cost him money to talk against Trump is Absolutely laughable 😂

[@marynolle3993]

I’ve lost all respect for Ben Shapiro

[@J.R.Y.]

"Voting against him is the right remedy for that." YES!

[@hermitonthelake]

"Iran is helping Kamala Harris" is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[@BrowithStoryCool]

You can tell Ben is smart enough to know his own words are BS but he has too little integrity and he bought in too strongly to his libertarian world view long ago to change course at this point

[@stephenholmgren405]

The atheist is making sense again, what a surprise.

[@ProvocativePixels]

So he trusts the intelligence community about Kamala, but not about Trump...what an honest guy that Shapiro is...

[@jenniek8391]

he's a spineless grifter who spreads hateful rhetoric. There's nothing good about him.

[@diannasgardenmenagerie967]

Sam!!!!! Thank you!!!!

[@CP-nl2zb]

Sam is a World Champion Pseudo intellectual. Sammy The Pseudo Harris.

[@Normalhumman]

I mean Ben Shapiro speaks fast that’s his claim to fame. Not that he thinks fast 😂

[@Graymeechtrius]

I really don’t understand how anyone who consider themselves a conservative can support Donald Trump in good faith.

[@BiffTannenBTTF]

Sam is 10 billion times smarter than Shapiro on his best day.

[@kenspear4297]

Lmao

[@Jorge-rw6nz]

Someone give Ben Shapiro the most prestigious award in dodging and deflecting

[@davidmathies6650]

Well Ben, you predicted that the Dems would not concede if it was close. Well it was close, and Harris conceded quickly . I am waiting to hear that you were wrong

[@JamesSmith-sw3nk]

Trump isn't Hitler. Trump is much closer to Mussolini.

[@TheHighlanderprime]

Different caliber fascists. Trump shares both Hitler and Mussolini’s sociopathic personality disorders.

[@usr123yt]

What a nonsensical thing to say.

[@JamesSmith-sw3nk]

@@usr123yt Only if you have no idea about history.

[@usr123yt]

@@JamesSmith-sw3nk There's no case. Trump hasn't tried to act like a dictator. The Jan 6th was the peak of anything. Trying to uncover election flaws by suing in courts? Asking people to search for more uncounted votes? Telling a group of upset and ultimately violent citizens to protest peacefully? The first thing dictators do in power is trying to weaken and cheange laws to strengthen power. Trump hasn't even tried. The Democrats on the other hand...

[@dinaf1409]

EXACTLY!

[@mandraqe]

Speaking of deeply unserious people who portray themselves as serious when not word-salading: Ben Shapiro, everyone!!

[@dinaf1409]

Did you even wath the video or just a cult member?

[@mrtambourineman6107]

Ben is really reaching here. That is sooooooo telling of what is going on here.

[@abcdefzhij]

So what is going on? What's your conclusion?

[@mrtambourineman6107]

@abcdefzhij Ben knows he's wrong here, but is scared to lose his Trump audience. All the right-wing grifters do it, they are as bloody bad as the MSM they all (rightly so) criticise

[@Goodpath_Quicktravel]

Look how absolutely wrong Shapiro was!

[@zgjfinance2796]

How do people like Ben sleep at night..?

[@JJTMStudio]

Counting Dollahs n' Sheep

[@zgjfinance2796]

@ touché

[@carlosurrutia477]

Sam Harris (W) - Shapiro (L)

[@pinbraid]

When every comment mirrors yours and you lost the election. Get what I'm saying?

[@PaulFComedy]

"Voting against is the right remedy for that" That is a message for all Republicans who want their party back. You can publicly say you are voting for him and then vote Kamala to get rid of him/MAGA and get your party back

[@marcelocojr]

Can someone help me understand how anyone who thought what Trump instigated (and failed to take any action to help stop the violence taking place at the capital while his own vice president’s life was at risk) on Jan 6 was “despicable” and “unpatriotic” can justify supporting Trump for President again?

[@Nosferigatoni]

Most likely because they thought it was the end of Trump so they wanted to cut ties. But now that he wasn't held accountable and that he once again became the Republican nomination, all of them raced back to him.

[@Nosferigatoni]

Most likely because they thought it was the end of Trump so they wanted to cut ties. But now that he wasn't held accountable and that he once again became the Republican nomination, all of them raced back to him.

[@Tt-nt1iu]

I listened to all of this. It largely didn’t go well for Ben.

[@michaeljiggs2053]

Ben...it wasn't peaceful. What is wrong with you?

[@jamiejp4007]

Election denialism is not the same as questioning foreign interference Ben.

[@gaaligadu148]

Trump didn’t just deny the 2020 results. He actively tried to steal it. This has been well documented in the Jan6th investigation report by Mike Pence and his staff’s testimonials. Mike Pence talks about this even today in the public media. The evidence cannot be more clear that Trump tried to steal the election in 2020. Hillary never forced Obama and Joe Biden to overwrite 2016 election results. Nobody is worse than Trump!

[@turntablesrockmyworld9315]

As a Conservative i had to, for the first time in my life, vote in opposition. Trump is just an unhinged, wingnut, criminal and it is cringeworthy to hear Ben in this video. Ben is being dishonest and reactionary here which worries me.

[@YourDadVR]

He’s working for the Kremlin, he’s just another Putin puppet following orders.

[@olaf3140]

Good lord... The effort with which Ben tries to defend Trump makes me so uncomfortable. As someone said with regard to another video, he's twisting himself into a pretzel to justify his support for what he knows to be an absolute buffoon with zero moral integrity. I can't actually tell whether he believes in the shit he's saying or if he's just towing the party line, but I also don't know which is more unsettling. As someone who's allegedly about facts and logic and ostensibly has strong moral convictions... How the heck does he live with himself.

[@KenSung-bk8xc]

Shapiro is all about the Benjamins.

[@mkweae44]

Ben Shapiro, please be honest. Oh, you can't. You are incapable of telling the truth!

[@MissJen-78]

Mr. Hitchens, we’ve never needed you more than now. Sam thanks for being here for us.❤😢

[@MaxC244]

The "Not my President" movement stated when they called Trump an illegitimate President

[@kadourimdou43]

I love the utter inconsistency, mental gymnastics and double standards of Trump supporters. They accuse KH or JB of things, that Trump has done far worse, or something totally different but very seriously wrong. Then come up with a lame excuse or denial. Looking across the pond for a KH win.

[@kidcaprice6510]

Oho, hats off to Shapiro for debating Harris but he is a fish on the dry… facts are not on his side and unlike 90 % of his other debates he cannot simply corner his opponent with talking points and farfetched BS

[@Live0nnn]

Well Shapiros election denial claim from the left hasn't happened

[@TehNumberOneBigBoss]

Ben Shapiro protecting his status as a spineless human being and getting shown the ropes because of it.