The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode 2347 – "Democrats: ICE Is Just Like The Ayatollahs"
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro, The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro delivers a rapid-fire breakdown of recent violent events in Minneapolis following an ICE-involved shooting. He criticizes Democratic leaders and media figures for drawing comparisons between U.S. immigration enforcement and authoritarian crackdowns in Iran, arguing that such analogies are absurd and harmful. The episode also explores ongoing unrest in Iran, U.S. actions in Venezuela, and updated U.S. immigration policies, all framed by Shapiro's characteristic conservative analysis and biting critique of the left.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Minneapolis ICE Shooting and Riots

• Incident Recap:
  • An ICE agent shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who assaulted him during an attempted arrest.
  • The situation escalated when bystanders attacked the agent with a snow shovel and broom handle, prompting the agent to shoot in self-defense.
  • This incident triggered violent protests and riots in Minneapolis, reminiscent of unrest from previous years.
• Official Responses:
  • Governor Tim Walz made statements that Ben interprets as both condemning and tacitly encouraging unrest.
    • [06:25] “He’s saying don’t get violent, but he’s kind of winking and nodding at the violence.”
    • Walz calls the ICE operations a “campaign of organized brutality” and urges the community to document ICE actions ([07:40]).
  • Minneapolis officials demand ICE leave the city, a request Ben calls legally meaningless.
• Shapiro’s Analysis:
  • Argues physical attacks on law enforcement justifiably provoke armed response.
  • Criticizes city and state leaders for inflaming tensions rather than promoting cooperation.
    • [16:42] “The agitators protesters turned into rioters last night.”

2. ICE and Federal Law Enforcement Under Fire

• Democratic Party Rhetoric:
  • Chair of the DNC compares ICE to Iranian authorities, suggesting moral equivalency between Trump-era immigration enforcement and ayatollah crackdown on dissent.
  • Quote by DNC Chair:
    • [19:53] “From Tehran to my birthplace in Minneapolis, people are rising up against systems that wield violence without accountability... Solidarity across borders means opposing authoritarian power everywhere and defending the right to live free from fear and state violence.”
  • Shapiro ridicules these comparisons as “nuts” ([21:14]), pointing out the vast differences between authoritarian violence and American law enforcement practices.
  • Democratic figures like Rep. Eugenia Vindman and Ilhan Omar echo the equivalency, which Ben calls 'psychotic,' 'disconnected from reality,' and 'absolutely insane.'
    • [24:01] “Ken Martin is out of his mind. He’s just out of his mind.”
• ICE Enforcement Realities:
  • Cites ICE director Todd Lyons, who argues ICE is being unfairly targeted despite merely continuing law enforcement operations similar to those under the Obama administration ([30:15]).
  • Notes most ICE removals target “criminal illegal immigrants.”

3. Broader Democratic Immigration Agenda

• Shapiro discusses ideological motivations in progressive rhetoric:
  • Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal’s claims about immigrants building America receive withering scrutiny.
    • [28:40] “This sort of language is so obfuscatory and dumb, truly dumb.”
  • Criticizes calls to defund or abolish ICE, aligning this with a trend to downplay law enforcement and "refuse to cooperate with legal duties."
• J.D. Vance Commentary:
  • Emphasizes that ICE enforcement is necessary and that chaos in 'sanctuary cities' is a result of local refusal to cooperate.
    • [33:15] “They are hoping a little chaos will convince us to give up on immigration enforcement. They are wrong.”

4. Insurrection Act and Federal Response

• President Trump: Threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota officials don't restore order and protect federal officers ([36:55]).
  • [37:17] “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop professional agitators... I will institute the Insurrection Act...”
• Ben supports this, arguing that federal intervention is justified if local authorities both fail to calm unrest and appear to inflame it.

5. Immigration and Visa Policy Updates

• Reports net migration may be negative for the first time (Brookings Institute), attributing this partly to Trump administration removals and visa suspensions ([39:10]).
• U.S. freezes visa processing for 75 countries pending reassessment ([40:05]).

6. Iran: Protests, Crackdown, and U.S. Policy

• Inside Iran:
  • Internet and telecommunications blackouts; government violently suppressing protests.
  • U.S. government and media receive conflicting reports on the number of deaths and status of executions.
  • Iranian government spouts conspiracy theories blaming Israelis for “increasing death toll” to provoke U.S. intervention ([48:10]).
• Trump Administration Response:
  • President Trump suggests U.S. may act if mass killings continue, but nature of any response (military/cyber/etc.) remains uncertain.
  • Dismisses U.N. action as ineffective.
  • G7 threatens more sanctions; Iran claims the U.S. is to blame for stalling diplomacy.

7. Venezuela and Geopolitics

• U.S. Approach:
  • Trump administration focuses on stabilizing Venezuela via private military contractors, not direct troop deployments ([57:25]).
  • U.S. actions seen as an attempt to squeeze China out of Venezuela's oil.
• Global Spheres of Influence:
  • China adjusting its Latin America strategy, possibly ceding Venezuela but hoping for a U.S. retreat in the Taiwan Strait.
  • Shapiro questions whether U.S. “America First” policy signals retreat from broader international engagement.
    • [1:01:08] “Are we about to carve up the globe into kind of Old Style 1840s geopolitics Spheres of influence?”

8. Culture, Media, and Identity Politics

• Democrats and "Defining Woman":
  • Highlights inability of left-wing witnesses to give a definition of “woman” in Senate hearings, lampooning leftist gender ideology ([1:13:12]).
  • [1:13:50] “Let’s not make a mockery of this proceeding.”
• Economic Policy:
  • Critiques Trump's recent affordability proposals as “politically popular but economically illiterate.”
  • Notes bipartisan prevalence of credit card debt; criticizes populist but potentially harmful solutions ([1:17:10]).
• China vs. U.S., AI Race:
  • Points out America’s focus on AI software (chatbots, etc.) while China targets AI-backed hardware in manufacturing.
    • [1:21:48] “China already deploys more industrial robots than the rest of the world combined...”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben Shapiro on Democrat-Iran Comparison:

  • [21:14] “That is nuts. That is nuts.”
  • [24:01] “Ken Martin is out of his mind. He’s just out of his mind.”
  • [25:27] “That is insane, absolutely insane.”

• On Cooperative Law Enforcement:

  • [32:09] “You want to cool the temperature, you want to make sure that the law actually gets enforced... Cooperation with law enforcement in the pursuit of legal duties.”

• On Progressive Immigration Rhetoric:

  • [28:40] “This sort of language is so obfuscatory and dumb, truly dumb. It does not enlighten, it confuses.”

• On China-Venezuela Geopolitics:

  • [1:01:08] “Are we about to carve up the globe into kind of Old Style 1840s geopolitics Spheres of influence?... That is the big question at the moment.”

• On Gender Debates in Congress:

  • [1:13:12] "Can men get pregnant? ...Let's not make a mockery of this proceeding."

Important Segment Timestamps

• ICE Minneapolis Shooting & Riots: 00:00–16:45
• Governor Walz & Democratic Response: 06:25–13:15
• DNC Chair, Iran Comparison: 19:53–24:30
• Ilhan Omar & Renee Goode: 27:25–32:09
• Insurrection Act/Trump Response: 36:55–38:20
• Net Migration/U.S. Visa Freeze: 39:10–41:06
• Iranian Crackdown & U.S. Policy: 41:06–57:25
• Venezuela & Global Politics: 57:25–1:07:15
• Gender Debate in Senate: 1:13:12–1:15:00
• Economy, Credit Card Policy: 1:17:10–1:19:45
• China vs. U.S. AI Strategy: 1:21:48–end

Episode Tone & Style

Ben Shapiro maintains his trademark fast-paced, analytical, and combative style—sharp, critical, skeptical, and unapologetically partisan. He blends factual recaps, pointed sarcasm, and clear conservative assertions throughout.

This summary covers the essential issues, arguments, and moments, giving listeners a comprehensive overview of the episode's content and Shapiro's viewpoints.