Major Controversies Surrounding Ben Shapiro: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Ben Shapiro.

Ben Shapiro is a prominent American conservative political commentator, media host, and attorney. He is known for his conservative viewpoints, rapid debating style, and prolific output as a writer and commentator. He co-founded The Daily Wire in 2015 and hosts "The Ben Shapiro Show," a popular podcast and radio show. Previously, he held editorial positions at Breitbart News. He is also the author of numerous books, furthering his influence in conservative circles.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2002: Controversial Statements on Civilian Casualties

In 2002, Ben Shapiro wrote an article expressing indifference to civilian casualties in Afghanistan and the West Bank, stating that one American soldier is worth far more than an Afghan civilian. He later apologized for these comments, acknowledging the article was poorly written and morally flawed.

2003: Advocating for transfer of Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs

In 2003, Shapiro published a column on Townhall advocating for Israel to "transfer Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs from Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Israel proper", citing the expulsion of Germans after World War II as a precedent.

2006: Call for Reinstatement of Sedition Laws

In 2006, Ben Shapiro called for sedition laws to be reinstated, citing speeches critical of the George W. Bush administration. He later retracted these views in 2018.

2008: Support for Israel's settlement building

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

2010: Description of Obama's State of the Union Address

In 2010, Ben Shapiro described President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address as "philosophically fascist."

2010: Views on homosexuality and mental illness

In 2010, Shapiro argued that homosexuality should not have been removed as a mental illness from the DSM because homosexuals have higher rates of depression than heterosexuals and do not reproduce.

2010: Controversial statement about Israelis and Arabs

In 2010, Shapiro stated "Israelis like to build. Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage", later clarifying that he was referring to the leadership and terrorist groups.

2011: Remarks on "Bad Jews" and Political Affiliation

In 2011, Ben Shapiro tweeted that Judaism is plagued by "Bad Jews" who "largely vote Democrat." He also wrote an article titled "Jews in Name Only" criticizing Jews who vote for Obama.

January 10, 2013: Appearance on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight

On January 10, 2013, Shapiro appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight and called Piers Morgan a "bully" for "standing on the graves of the children of Sandy Hook" regarding gun control.

February 7, 2013: Published controversial article about "Friends of Hamas"

On February 7, 2013, Ben Shapiro published an article claiming a group called "Friends of Hamas" was a foreign contributor to Chuck Hagel's Senate confirmation campaign. He later expressed regret after the story was discredited.

2014: Statements on Radical Muslims

In 2014, Ben Shapiro released a YouTube video entitled "The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority," claiming that over half the Muslims on Earth are radicalized. His methodology was later criticized.

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."

July 2015: Confrontation with Zoey Tur on Dr. Drew On Call

In July 2015, Shapiro and transgender rights activist Zoey Tur were on Dr. Drew On Call to discuss Caitlyn Jenner's Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Shapiro referred to Tur as "sir" and questioned her genetics, leading to a physical altercation and police report.

2015: Opposition to Obergefell v. Hodges

In 2015, Shapiro opposed the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling that deemed bans of same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

February 25, 2016: Controversy at California State University, Los Angeles speech

On February 25, 2016, Ben Shapiro's speech at California State University, Los Angeles, titled "When Diversity Becomes a Problem," faced protests and attempted cancellation, leading to a lawsuit.

March 2016: Resigned from Breitbart News

In March 2016, Ben Shapiro resigned from his position as editor-at-large of Breitbart News, citing the website's lack of support for reporter Michelle Fields and criticizing Steve Bannon.

August 2016: DePaul University revoked invitation

In August 2016, DePaul University revoked an invitation for Ben Shapiro to address students and barred him from entering the campus due to "security concerns".

August 2016: Opposition to Donald Trump's candidacy

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

2016: Comments on Bernie Sanders' Jewish Identity

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

2016: Views on the political left and American culture

In 2016, Shapiro expressed his views on the political left, accusing them of believing in a "hierarchy of victimhood" and dominating American culture through entertainment, media, and academia, leading to the disenfranchisement of conservatives and the election of Donald Trump.

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: Response to 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 laws wouldn't have prevented the shooting.

2017: Statements on Systemic Injustice and Slavery

In 2017, Ben Shapiro stated that the disproportionate poverty among black people in the United States is not due to racism and dismissed the idea that the United States was founded on slavery, arguing it was founded in spite of slavery.

2017: Criticism of the alt-right movement

In 2017, Shapiro criticized the alt-right movement, calling it a "garbage movement composed of garbage ideas" that had nothing to do with constitutional conservatism.

2017: Response to Quebec City Mosque Shooting

In 2017, after the Quebec City mosque shooting where the shooter checked Shapiro's Twitter feed, Ben Shapiro condemned the attack and denied inciting it.

2018: Accusations against Facebook

In 2018, Shapiro argued that Facebook was targeting conservative sites after the platform implemented an algorithm change, limiting their traffic, and that they are not transparent enough.

2019: Dispute with The Economist over "alt-right" label

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., and described abortion as 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 hold "a lot of the same opinions about Jews."

2019: Comments on Roe v. Wade and abortion

In 2019, Shapiro stated that the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was "not going to happen", expressing doubts about the court's willingness to do so at the time.

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

In 2019, in response to Beto O'Rourke's call for the removal of the tax-exempt status of religious institutions opposed to same-sex marriage, Shapiro stated that he would either "leave the country" or "pick up a gun" if O'Rourke tried to "indoctrinate" his children in religious schools.

October 19, 2020: Announcement of support for Donald Trump

On October 19, 2020, Shapiro announced that he would be voting for Trump in the 2020 presidential election, citing being wrong about Trump on policy, damage already being done, and the Democratic Party having lost their minds as his reasons.

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

On November 3, 2020, Shapiro rebuked Trump on election night when Trump prematurely claimed himself the winner, stating that it was deeply irresponsible.

2020: Featured in study about right-wing podcast framing

In 2020, a study examined issue framing by right-wing podcasts using The Ben Shapiro Show as an example of a mainstream conservative perspective.

2020: Views on California wildfires

In 2020, in an opinion piece on the California wildfires, Shapiro argued that state policies contributed more to the severity of the fires than climate change. Scientific American accused Shapiro of promoting climate change denial.

2020: Response to Beto O'Rourke's proposal on religious institutions

In 2020, in response to Beto O'Rourke's call for the removal of the tax-exempt status of religious institutions opposed to same-sex marriage, Shapiro stated that he would either "leave the country" or "pick up a gun" if O'Rourke tried to "indoctrinate" his children in religious schools.

January 14, 2021: Guest writer for Politico's Playbook newsletter

On January 14, 2021, Ben Shapiro was featured as a guest writer for Politico's Playbook newsletter, defending House Republicans who opposed the second impeachment of Donald Trump, which drew backlash from Politico staffers.

2021: Published op-ed during Israel-Palestine crisis

During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Shapiro published an op-ed stating the conflict's root cause was Israel's existence and Hamas's desire for its non-existence, accusing Hamas of using foreign aid for terror tunnels and rockets, and positioning rockets in civilian areas. He criticized media coverage and The New York Times for its opinion article.

2021: Views on global temperature increase

In 2021, Shapiro stated that a global temperature increase of 4 °C (7.2 °F) did not amount to an emergency and that describing it as such was a "purely political designation".

2021: Views on COVID-19 vaccine

In 2021, Shapiro stated that he was in favor of the COVID-19 vaccine and that he was vaccinated, but is against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

August 2022: Argument against Marxism in America

In August 2022, Shapiro argued that "Marxism can't work in America", citing "high levels of societal income mobility" as the reason.

October 2022: Condemnation of Kanye West's Antisemitic Comments

In October 2022, Ben Shapiro condemned Kanye West's antisemitic comments, comparing them to propaganda in Nazi Germany and calling West "unstable".

2022: Roe v. Wade Overturned

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

March 2024: Comments on retirement age

In March 2024, Shapiro attracted criticism for stating on his show that "No one in the United States should be retiring at 65 years old. Frankly, I think retirement itself is a stupid idea unless you have some sort of health problem."

October 2024: Support for Donald Trump After DeSantis Drops Out

In October 2024, after initially favoring Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican primaries, Shapiro supported Donald Trump after DeSantis dropped out. Shapiro later helped host a fundraiser for Trump and interviewed him on his show.

October 2024: Defense of Israeli Actions Amidst Gaza War

In October 2024, during an appearance at UCLA, Ben Shapiro stated he doesn't just condone the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces and Netanyahu-led Israeli government amidst the deaths of over 40,000 people during the ongoing Gaza war but celebrates and lauds them, claiming they have the best civilian-to-terrorist kill ratio in the history of urban warfare and blaming Palestinian casualties on Hamas.

March 4, 2025: Launch of Website Urging Pardon for Derek Chauvin

On March 4, 2025, Ben Shapiro launched a website urging President Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of George Floyd's murder, though this pardon would not cover Chauvin's state conviction.