The Schiff Hits The Fan

This episode of The Ben Shapiro Show covers major political developments and ongoing news stories affecting American governance and society. The primary focus centers on Rep. Adam Schiff's formal censure by the House of Representatives following an investigation into his statements regarding Trump-Russia collusion. Shapiro discusses the significance of this action as a rebuke to Schiff's persistent claims that have been determined to lack substantiation. The episode highlights how this represents accountability within Congress for misleading public statements made during a highly polarizing political period. A substantial portion of the episode examines former Special Counsel John Durham's testimony before Congress regarding his findings about the origins of the Russia investigation. Durham's testimony allegedly reveals troubling coordination between federal law enforcement agencies, the Hillary Clinton campaign, and the White House. Shapiro analyzes the implications of these revelations for understanding how the investigation was initiated and conducted. The discussion includes responses from Democratic representatives like Cori Bush, who criticized the Durham testimony as an attempt to rehabilitate the Trump administration's credibility. The show shifts to cultural commentary when Shapiro covers Riley Gaines' interaction with an activist who claimed that biological sex differences would not prevent men from competing at the same level as top female athletes like Serena Williams. Gaines reportedly demolished these arguments with factual evidence about athletic performance disparities. The episode updates listeners on the OceanGate submersible tragedy, noting that media outlets including The New Republic focused on the CEO's political donations to the Republican party rather than the technical failures that led to the disaster. Shapiro critiques what he views as partisan selective reporting that prioritizes political narrative over journalistic objectivity. Another significant moment involves President Biden's unscripted comment calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a dictator during a fundraiser. The episode discusses the State Department's subsequent attempts to downplay and reframe Biden's remarks while maintaining diplomatic relations with China. Shapiro examines how such undiplomatic language affects international relations and why the administration felt compelled to clarify the president's comments. The episode concludes with discussion of precipitous drops in American standardized test scores, which Shapiro attributes to pandemic-related school closures and their lasting educational consequences. This trend raises broader questions about the trajectory of American education and student academic preparedness.