A popular conservative political pundit with staunch right-wing views, Ben Shapiro is no stranger to controversy. Shapiro is routinely trending on Twitter, where he has 3.3 million followers, and is either getting praised by his supporters or mocked and criticized by his detractors.
In 2018, for instance, actor and film producer Mark Duplass encouraged liberals to follow Shapiro on Twitter to get a sense of conservative values and viewpoints. In part because of some of the controversial statements tweeted in the past by Shapiro, Duplass’ tweet was met with backlash. He eventually apologized for endorsing Shapiro.
Although Shapiro can be polarizing, he has an impressive resume and is among the most respected conservative voices in the media. Here’s what you need to know about him:
He’s a Conservative Christian
Shapiro’s views can best be described as classically religious-conservative. He is opposed to same-sex couples raising children and believes the erosion of Judeo-Christian values have brought about an individualism that is a driving force in the political and social anguish in the West. He outlined his argument for this notion in his book, The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great.
“What is eroding is the fundamental principles upon which the civilisation is based,” Shapiro said during an interview with The Economist in 2019. “The idea that each of us are individuals made in the image of God; that we each have individual value; that we can use reason to have discussions with one another, which is the fundamental underlying assumption for free speech and for democracy; the idea that as individuals we have rights that are independent of the government providing those rights. All of those values are being eroded because, first of all, we got rid of some of the assumptions, or at least we’ve fought some of the religious underpinnings of the West.”
He Was the Youngest Nationally Syndicated Columnist in the US
Despite his accolades and prominence as a conservative voice, Shapiro is still only 36 years old. However, he has had a platform for his thoughts and viewpoints for nearly 20 years. Shapiro enrolled at UCLA when he was just 16 years old and graduated four years later with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was only 17 years old when he was hired by Creators Syndicate, making him the United States’ youngest-ever nationally syndicated columnist.
Shapiro’s columns have since been published by a diverse range of newspapers and websites including Christian Science Monitor, Orlando Sentinel, Arizona Republic, The New York Times, and ABCNews.com. More recently, he was a guest author for Politico’s “Playbook” newsletter, a decision that drew backlash from liberal media and forced one of the publication’s top editors to defend the choice. Shapiro has also been featured on a number of TV and radio programs including Fox News Live (Fox News Channel), Scarborough Country (MSNBC), and In the Money (CNN Financial).
He Is a Former Breitbart Editor
While some attribute Shapiro as a supporter of Donald Trump, the pundit is on record as saying he is “sometimes Trump.” Moreover, he has been the subject of online attacks by self-proclaimed Trump supporters and members of the alt-right movement.
These attacks began in March 2016 after he resigned as editor-at-large of Breitbart News. He had previously voiced concerns about the alt-right, Trump, and anti-Semitism and, upon his resignation, received a plethora of denigrating insults from Trump supporters. Breitbart even published a video of alt-right Twitter user “Pizza Party Ben” mocking Shapiro.
He Is a Popular Podcast Host
After leaving Breitbart, Shapiro launched The Daily Wire and now serves as editor-in-chief of the online publication. He also hosts a daily podcast, The Ben Shapiro Show, on the network. Promising “the hard-hitting truth in comprehensive, conservative, principled fashion,” Shapiro delivers opinionated commentary on American politics and news.
Podcast episode titles in the immediate aftermath of President Joe Biden’s election, for instance, include “Biden Wants Unity. . .Or Obedience,” and “Joe Biden Isn’t Healing Anything.” Other recent episode titles include “The Crusade Against Freedom of Thought” and “They’re Coming For You,” and “You’ll Miss The Cops When They’re Gone.” He has hosted more than 1,000 episodes of the podcast.
He Is an Author
In addition to his podcast and Twitter account, Shapiro makes his views clear in his books. He was just 20 years old when he wrote his first book, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth, and has since written more than a dozen other books.
His published books include The People Vs. Barack Obama: The Criminal Case Against the Obama Administration, How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps, and A Moral Universe Torn Apart. He also has several books in development and scheduled for release in 2021 including Solve Your Own Damn Problems: 9 Timeless Principles for Succeeding in Life and America 2030: What the End of the Free World Looks Like and How to Stop It.
