History of Ben Shapiro in Timeline

Ben Shapiro is a prominent American conservative commentator, media host, and author. He co-founded The Daily Wire and hosts "The Ben Shapiro Show," a popular podcast and radio program. Known for his conservative viewpoints and rapid-fire debating style, Shapiro frequently discusses political and cultural issues. He previously worked at Breitbart News and has written numerous books, solidifying his presence as a leading figure in conservative media.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2002: Controversial Article on Civilian Casualties

In 2002, Shapiro wrote an article expressing indifference to civilian casualties in Afghanistan and the West Bank, stating, "One American soldier is worth far more than an Afghan civilian." He accused Afghan civilians of supporting terrorists. He later apologized for these comments, calling the 2002 article a "bad piece" and expressing regret for writing it.

2003: Support for Transfer of Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs

In 2003, Shapiro published a column advocating for the 'transfer' of Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs from certain territories, citing historical precedent. He later reversed this view, deeming it 'both inhumane and impractical'.

2003: Support for the Invasion of Iraq

In 2003, Shapiro supported the invasion of Iraq, arguing that the U.S. should focus on regimes that endanger American security.

July 8, 2008: Marriage to Mor Toledano

On July 8, 2008, Shapiro married Mor Toledano, an Israeli medical doctor, in a traditional Jewish ceremony in Acre, Israel.

2008: Support for Israeli settlement building

In 2008, Shapiro expressed support for Israel's settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

2010: Homosexuality and mental illness

In 2010, Shapiro argued that homosexuality should not have been removed as a mental illness from the DSM.

2010: Controversial statement about Israelis and Arabs

In 2010, Shapiro made a controversial statement that 'Israelis like to build. Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage,' later claiming he was referring to leadership and terrorist groups.

2011: Tweets and Article on "Bad Jews" and "Jews In Name Only"

In 2011, Shapiro tweeted that Judaism is plagued by "Bad Jews" who "largely vote Democrat". The same year, he wrote an article titled "Jews in Name Only" claiming that Jews who vote for Obama "do not care about Israel".

December 2012: Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting

In December 2012, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred. This event provides context for Shapiro's later appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight in January 2013.

January 10, 2013: Appearance on Piers Morgan Tonight

On January 10, 2013, Shapiro appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight following the Sandy Hook shooting, criticizing Morgan's approach to gun control as 'demonizing people who differ from you politically'.

2014: Views on discrimination against homosexuals

In 2014, Shapiro argued that the United States 'is not a country that discriminates against homosexuals' and that 'there is a vastly minute amount of discrimination against gays in this country'.

2014: Remarks on Radical Muslim Minority

In a 2014 YouTube video, Shapiro claimed that over 800 million Muslims are radicalized, which is more than half of the Muslims on earth. PolitiFact and Channel 4 News rejected his methodology.

2015: MSNBC retraction of map

In 2015, MSNBC had to retract an image of a map of Israel, admitting it was factually incorrect. Shapiro referenced this incident in 2021 when criticizing The New York Times' coverage of the Israel-Palestine crisis.

2015: Opposition to Obergefell v. Hodges ruling

In 2015, Shapiro opposed the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, while expressing concern about government overreach and potential infringement on religious institutions.

August 2016: Opposition to Donald Trump's candidacy

In August 2016, Shapiro wrote an article for the Daily Wire arguing that Donald Trump, if elected, would not appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court. He also described Steve Bannon as a 'bully'.

2016: Article on Bernie Sanders as a "Jew In Name Only"

During the 2016 presidential election, Shapiro wrote an article titled "No, It Doesn't Matter That Bernie Sanders Is Ethnically Jewish. He's a Jew In Name Only."

2016: Comments on the political left and Donald Trump's election

In 2016, Shapiro described the political left as believing in a 'hierarchy of victimhood' and argued that their dominance in American culture contributed to the election of Donald Trump. He also stated that 'political correctness breeds insanity' and criticized safe spaces on college campuses.

2016: Target of antisemitic tweets

In 2016, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League, Shapiro was the most frequent target of antisemitic tweets against journalists.

October 2017: Arguments against gun control after Las Vegas shooting

In October 2017, following the Las Vegas shooting, Shapiro argued that 'banning all guns would be unwise as well as immoral' and that gun control measures would not have prevented the shooting, also claiming no correlation exists between gun ownership rates and gun homicide rates.

2017: Criticism of the alt-right movement

In 2017, Shapiro criticized the alt-right movement, calling it a 'garbage movement composed of garbage ideas' and stating it has nothing to do with constitutional conservatism.

2017: Statements on Systemic Injustice

In 2017, Shapiro stated that the disproportionate poverty of Black people in the United States is not due to racism. He dismissed the idea that the United States was founded on slavery, arguing that America was founded in spite of slavery.

2017: Quebec City Mosque Shooting

In 2017, after the Quebec City mosque shooting where six Muslims were killed, police presented evidence that the shooter, Alexandre Bissonnette, checked Shapiro's Twitter feed 93 times in the month leading up to the shooting. Shapiro condemned the attack and denied inciting it.

2018: Claims of Facebook targeting conservative sites

In 2018, Shapiro argued that Facebook was targeting conservative sites after an algorithm change limited traffic, citing a lack of transparency.

January 2019: Condemnation of Steve King's Comments

In January 2019, Shapiro condemned Representative Steve King's defense of "white supremacy" and "white nationalism", calling for King to be censured.

2019: Criticism of The Economist's description

In 2019, Shapiro criticized The Economist for describing him as 'alt-right' in an interview. The Economist later apologized and changed the description to 'radical conservative'.

2019: Speech at March for Life

In 2019, Shapiro spoke at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., where he stated that abortion is a 'violent act'.

2019: Comparison of Ilhan Omar and San Diego shooter

In 2019, Shapiro stated that Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar and the white supremacist San Diego shooter held 'a lot of the same opinions about Jews', drawing criticism.

2019: Statements on Roe v. Wade

In 2019, Shapiro stated that he believed the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was 'not going to happen' and expressed 'serious doubts' about the court's willingness to do so.

2019: Response to Beto O'Rourke's stance on religious institutions

In 2019, in response to Beto O'Rourke's call to remove tax-exempt status from religious institutions opposing same-sex marriage, Shapiro threatened to 'leave the country' or 'pick up a gun' if O'Rourke tried to 'indoctrinate' his children in religious schools.

September 2020: Relocation from California

In September 2020, Shapiro announced that he and his family were leaving California, relocating The Daily Wire headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee, while he and his family resettled in South Florida.

October 19, 2020: Announcement of support for Donald Trump in 2020 election

On October 19, 2020, Shapiro announced that he would vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, citing his previous policy misjudgment, limited further character damage, and the Democratic Party's radical shift.

November 3, 2020: Rebuke of Trump's premature victory claim

On November 3, 2020, Shapiro rebuked Trump's premature claim of victory in the 2020 election before the required electoral votes were reached.

2020: Comments on Climate Change and California Wildfires

In 2020, Shapiro addressed concerns over climate change, including increased flooding of coastal property. He suggested people could simply sell their homes and move. Regarding the 2020 California wildfires, Shapiro argued that state policies contributed more to the severity than climate change, leading Scientific American to accuse him of climate change denial.

2020: Support for Randy Feenstra

In 2020, Shapiro supported Randy Feenstra, the primary challenger to Steve King.

2020: Context regarding Beto O'Rourke's stance

In 2020, there was an ongoing discussion regarding Beto O'Rourke's stance on religious institutions and same-sex marriage, relevant to Shapiro's earlier comments.

2021: Comments on the Israel-Palestine crisis

During the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, Shapiro argued that the conflict's root cause was Israel's existence and Hamas' desire for its destruction. He accused Hamas of using foreign aid to build terror tunnels and rockets, positioning them in civilian areas, and seeking to propagandize Israeli human rights atrocities. He also criticized media coverage, particularly The New York Times.

2021: Support for COVID-19 vaccine, opposition to mandates

In 2021, Shapiro stated he supported the COVID-19 vaccine, having been vaccinated himself, but opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

2021: Statement on global temperature increase

In 2021, Shapiro stated that a 4 °C (7.2 °F) global temperature increase over the next century did not amount to an emergency. His comment was mocked on social media, and organizations like the UN and NASA disputed his assessment.

2021: Daily Wire's Dominance on Facebook

In 2021, an NPR article revealed that the Daily Wire, under Shapiro's leadership, dominated Facebook news feeds, receiving more engagement than any other news outlet.

August 2022: Argument against Marxism in America

In August 2022, Shapiro argued that 'Marxism can't work in America' due to 'high levels of societal income mobility'.

October 2022: Condemnation of Kanye West's Antisemitic Comments

In October 2022, Shapiro condemned Kanye West's antisemitic comments, comparing them to propaganda in Nazi Germany. He also called West "unstable".

2022: Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This is contextual information related to Shapiro's previous statements on the matter.

March 2024: Comments on Retirement Age

In March 2024, Shapiro stated that 'No one in the United States should be retiring at 65 years old' and called retirement a 'stupid idea' unless due to health problems, attracting criticism.

October 2024: Support and Fundraiser for Trump

In October 2024, after initially supporting Ron DeSantis, Shapiro supported Donald Trump in the Republican primaries, hosted a fundraiser for him, and interviewed him on his show.

October 2024: Remarks on Israeli Defense Forces and Gaza War

In October 2024, during an appearance at the University of California, Los Angeles, Ben Shapiro stated he "celebrate[d] and laud[ed]" the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces amidst the Gaza war. He falsely claimed the Israeli government made extraordinary efforts to avoid civilian casualties and blamed Palestinian casualties on Hamas. He was speaking at an event co-sponsored by The Daily Wire and the Young American's Foundation.