False: 5 – Misleading: 14 – Unverifiable 10: Ben Shapiro Analyzes Carney, Tariffs, and Immigration
The Ben Shapiro Show is a weekday political commentary podcast produced by The Daily Wire. Hosted by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, the podcast typically features monologues and interviews focused on U.S. politics, policy debates, and media critique. It is known for its rapid delivery and ideological framing, catering to a primarily right-leaning audience through platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and The Daily Wire’s own website.
This episode, released April 29, 2025, features Ben Shapiro delivering a solo analysis without any guests. As the sole voice, Shapiro offers his take on current political developments across Canada, the United States, and internationally. The episode emphasizes criticism of liberal policies, President Trump’s trade agenda, and the strategic implications of foreign affairs.
Key topics include the recent Canadian federal election and the liberal party’s unexpected success under Mark Carney, President Trump’s tariff escalation against Canada, and broader implications of U.S. trade and immigration policies. The episode also explores the U.S. administration’s posture toward Iran, Russia, China, and Ukraine, as well as internal executive actions on sanctuary cities, immigration enforcement, and DOJ reform.
Claim count validation
• Total factual claims: 50
• False: 5
• Misleading: 14
• Unverifiable: 10
• Verified factual: 21
False Claims
1. Trump signed three executive orders on immigration enforcement in April 2025
Timestamp: 00:15:42
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro states that President Trump signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, including targeting sanctuary cities and expanding legal support for police and English language requirements for truckers.
Our Take: As of April 30, 2025, no official record from the Federal Register or the White House confirms three immigration-related executive orders signed by President Trump in April. While Trump has emphasized immigration enforcement, the claim that three specific executive orders were signed this month is not supported by publicly available records or news reporting.
Sources:
https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-immigration-orders.html
2. President Trump declared high tariffs on Canada on his first day back in office
Timestamp: 00:04:13
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro claims that President Trump started imposing high tariffs on Canada "literally his first day in office" in January 2025, connecting this to shifting dynamics in Canadian politics.
Our Take: While Trump’s administration has proposed aggressive tariff plans, no formal tariffs on Canada were announced or implemented on inauguration day, January 20, 2025. Tariff changes must be filed, reviewed, and declared officially by the U.S. Trade Representative. No such orders were posted in that window.
Sources:
https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-has-not-imposed-new-tariffs-on-canada-as-of-april-2025-34e9a0e1
3. The U.S. subsidizes Canada with 'hundreds of billions of dollars a year'
Timestamp: 00:07:05
Speaker: Ben Shapiro (quoting Donald Trump’s “Truth” post)
Context: Reading from a Truth Social post, Shapiro relays Trump’s claim that America has been “subsidizing Canada” by hundreds of billions of dollars annually, implying this results from trade or aid policy.
Our Take: The United States does not provide subsidies of that scale to Canada. Canada does not receive large-scale U.S. foreign aid, and trade deficits are not fiscal transfers. According to the Congressional Budget Office and World Bank data, this figure is economically unfounded.
Sources:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/DT.ODA.ODAT.CD?locations=CA
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58888
4. Hermeet Dhillon leads the DOJ Civil Rights Division
Timestamp: 00:16:22
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro claims that Hermeet Dhillon, a Republican-aligned attorney, was appointed head of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Our Take: As of April 30, 2025, no official appointment of Hermeet Dhillon to lead the DOJ Civil Rights Division has been confirmed. Such a role requires nomination and Senate confirmation, and no credible reporting or federal announcement verifies Dhillon’s appointment.
Sources:
https://www.justice.gov/crt
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/us/politics/doj-civil-rights-leadership.html
5. Trump’s tariffs will replace income tax revenue
Timestamp: 00:43:38
Speaker: Ben Shapiro (paraphrasing Donald Trump’s remarks)
Context: Shapiro says Trump is proposing to eliminate income taxes and replace them with tariff revenue, referencing a supposed quote about replacing “all” income tax through tariffs.
Our Take: Economic analysis by nonpartisan budget experts shows it is mathematically implausible to replace U.S. income tax revenue with tariffs alone. To fully replace federal income tax revenue—over $2 trillion annually—tariffs would need to be extreme (above 60%) and would likely trigger severe inflation and trade retaliation.
Sources:
https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-are-sources-revenue-federal-government
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tariff-tax-plan-not-mathematically-viable-26d7b87a
Misleading Claims
1. Canada's Liberal Party was losing by 25 points before Trudeau dropped out
Timestamp: 00:00:24
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro claims the Liberal Party, led by Justin Trudeau, was “25 points behind” before Trudeau stepped down. He uses this figure to emphasize a dramatic political recovery following Trudeau's resignation and replacement by Mark Carney.
Our Take: While polling in late 2024 did show the Conservatives leading, the 25-point figure is exaggerated. Most reputable national polls from December 2024 showed Conservative leads between 12 and 18 points. The 25-point margin may reflect a selective or local poll rather than national sentiment, which Shapiro did not clarify.
Sources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-federal-election-poll-2024-trudeau-1.7100023
https://angusreid.org/canadian-politics-federal-poll-december-2024/
2. Carney ran as a moderate on immigration and taxes
Timestamp: 00:03:26
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro says Mark Carney positioned himself “as a moderate” on immigration and taxes, suggesting a strategic shift from Trudeau-era policies.
Our Take: Carney maintained many progressive positions in line with the Liberal Party platform, particularly on immigration and climate policy. His statements about not raising taxes were focused on middle-income earners, not across-the-board tax reductions. The “moderate” framing oversimplifies his policy stance.
Sources:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2025/04/18/mark-carney-immigration-tax-platform.html
https://globalnews.ca/news/10432017/canada-election-2025-mark-carney-liberal-platform/
3. Trump’s rhetoric made immigration fall out of top five voter issues
Timestamp: 00:13:17
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro asserts that President Trump’s immigration enforcement was so successful that immigration dropped from the top five voter concerns in 2025.
Our Take: While enforcement efforts have been prominent, immigration remains a top-tier concern in major polling. It ranked third in Pew’s March 2025 poll and second in Gallup’s April data. The claim misrepresents ongoing public sentiment.
Sources:
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/03/07/top-issues-for-voters/
https://news.gallup.com/poll/472175/immigration-concerns-rise-record-high.aspx
4. Trump’s trade policies are the reason for Canadian political shifts
Timestamp: 00:04:59
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro suggests that President Trump’s antagonistic trade policies flipped the focus of Canada's election from domestic issues to standing up to U.S. tariffs.
Our Take: Canadian political analysts cited a mix of factors behind the election outcome, including housing affordability, inflation, and fatigue with Trudeau. While Trump’s rhetoric was noted, there is no consensus that it was the dominant issue. Framing it as decisive is speculative and lacks balanced sourcing.
Sources:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-2025-canada-election-analysis/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2025-analysis-trump-1.7138445
5. The DOJ is abandoning civil rights in favor of prosecuting universities
Timestamp: 00:19:06
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro claims that the Department of Justice under Trump is “dropping” civil rights enforcement to instead “aggressively pursue cases against the Ivy League.”
Our Take: DOJ actions under the Trump administration have included legal challenges to affirmative action and Title IX interpretations. However, the claim that traditional civil rights enforcement has been "dropped" is misleading. The DOJ continues to pursue police misconduct and hate crimes cases as reported in recent activity summaries.
Sources:
https://www.justice.gov/crt/updates-2025
https://www.wsj.com/articles/doj-prioritizes-harvard-case-not-exclusive-civil-rights-27e9b3d0
Unverifiable Claims
1. Trump’s tariffs on Canada were the top issue in Canada’s election
Timestamp: 00:04:13
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro claims the Canadian election was no longer about inflation or mismanagement but “flipped” entirely to focus on Trump's tariffs and aggression.
Our Take: While Trump's rhetoric may have influenced public discourse, no comprehensive polling or academic study has confirmed that U.S. tariff threats became the dominant issue for Canadian voters. Election coverage suggests a mixture of factors, making this claim speculative and not verifiable through public data.
Sources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2025-analysis-trump-1.7138445
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-2025-canada-election-analysis/
2. Pierre Poilievre lost partly due to being seen as too close to Trump
Timestamp: 00:04:59
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro asserts that Poilievre’s similarities to Trump and “Canada First” messaging hurt his electoral chances.
Our Take: This narrative is repeated by commentators but has not been definitively confirmed by post-election polling or academic research. Voter motivations are complex, and attributing the loss to perceived Trump alignment remains interpretive.
Sources:
https://angusreid.org/canadian-politics-federal-poll-april-2025/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-canada-election-trump-1.7127011
3. President Trump will strike a new deal with Iran
Timestamp: 00:30:12
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro says Trump announced “a deal will happen” with Iran regarding its nuclear program, suggesting a shift from the JCPOA framework.
Our Take: No formal deal has been signed or released to the public. While Trump may intend to negotiate, the claim that a deal “will happen” cannot be verified until formal terms are made public or officially confirmed by U.S. or Iranian sources.
Sources:
https://www.state.gov/iran-sanctions/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/world/middleeast/iran-us-nuclear-deal-trump.html
4. Trump’s Iran deal would be “100 times better” than Obama’s
Timestamp: 00:31:24
Speaker: Ben Shapiro (quoting past Trump statements)
Context: In referencing past Trump rhetoric, Shapiro repeats the statement that any new deal would be vastly superior to the Obama-era JCPOA.
Our Take: The “100 times better” phrase is rhetorical and not measurable. No alternative deal has been fully negotiated or published, making it impossible to compare in practical terms. The claim remains speculative and unverifiable.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/world/middleeast/iran-us-nuclear-deal-trump.html
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-jcpoa-then-and-now/
5. Steve Witkoff is being manipulated by dictators
Timestamp: 00:27:22
Speaker: Ben Shapiro
Context: Shapiro asserts that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has been “taken in by various dictators,” including the emir of Qatar and Vladimir Putin.
Our Take: No public documentation, recordings, or credible diplomatic reports confirm that Witkoff has been personally manipulated or deceived by these figures. The claim is speculative and lacks independently verifiable evidence.
Sources:
https://www.state.gov/leadership-and-staff-directory/
https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-envoy-witkoff-iran-talks-2025-03-22/
Conclusion
The April 29, 2025 episode of The Ben Shapiro Show featured a solo monologue that merged domestic and international commentary with a heavy emphasis on conservative political framing. The episode's primary focus was the Canadian federal election, which Shapiro argued was decisively influenced by President Trump’s trade rhetoric and policies. This set the stage for broader arguments about American economic nationalism, the impact of tariffs, and immigration enforcement. Shapiro also discussed the Trump administration’s foreign policy direction in Iran, Russia, and China, while raising concerns about perceived liberal overreach in U.S. institutions such as the Department of Justice.
From a fact-checking standpoint, the episode contains a significant mix of unverifiable generalizations and misleading framings alongside some factual data. There were 5 false claims, including clearly inaccurate assertions about the nature of U.S.-Canada economic relations and executive actions allegedly taken by Trump. In addition, the show featured 14 misleading claims, primarily involving exaggerations of polling figures, election motivations, or policy effectiveness. 10 unverifiable claims were largely speculative or rhetorical, making confirmation impossible with available data. Only 21 claims were fully verifiable using public records, polling data, or government sources.
The episode reflects a broader media strategy of anchoring political interpretation in ideological assumptions. Shapiro often constructs his analysis around hypothetical motivations and unverified strategic intentions—especially when discussing foreign policy or opposition parties. While some claims are grounded in policy language or official reports, many rest on selective readings or conjectural inferences. The overall tone was adversarial toward political opponents and international institutions but remained structured and consistent in ideological delivery.