Response to Ben Shapiro: US Election 2020

On October 19th, 2020, Ben Shapiro posted a video titled “I didn’t vote for Trump in 2016. I am in 2020 — here’s why.” — Click here for the video.

I saw the video on Facebook and out of curiosity decided to watch it (Let’s be honest, it’s a great click bait title!). I’ve watched a number of Shapiro’s videos and found this one particularly interesting. While Shapiro made some valid points, most of the arguments and the overall claim were deeply concerning to say the least.

In his video, Shapiro makes 3 primary arguments for why he is voting for Donald Trump this election cycle:

1. He was simply wrong on Trump’s conservative policy
2. Any damage Trump’s character has caused is already done and not it’s not going to help if he doesn’t vote for Trump this time
3. The Democrats have lost their minds

If you’re reading this and you’re a Republican, Democrat, or independent who didn’t vote for Donald Trump in 2016 and now you prefer a conservative president (or at least not the far left), but still don’t love Donald Trump and find it difficult to vote for Joe Biden, then this post is for you.

I’d like to go through those 3 points and explain one by one the flaws with each argument. My personal hope is that Ben Shapiro will read this post and not vote for Donald Trump on November 3, 2020.

1. If we look at Trump’s record he is clearly not the typical conservative president. If anything, his passage of conservative legislation, lower taxes, appointment of originalist judges, and slashing of regulation appears to be 1) an appeal to his base as opposed to his true belief system and 2) a method to advance his own wealth. If Republicans truly want to elect a conservative president, there are plenty of other options who will uphold conservative values, believe in them, and not use them for personal gain and the benefit of their family and friends. So much for draining the swamp…
2. To claim that the damage is already done and that we should continue course is short sided and a dangerous form of logic. With that said, it was great to clearly hear that Shapiro acknowledges that Trump’s character, statements, and attitude have caused damage and continue to do so. Shapiro also acknowledges that Trump has been “vindictive or petty or immoral.” This was, at the very least, refreshing to hear. Let’s not lie to ourselves that since it’s already happened we can continue to tolerate Trump’s behavior. That attitude causes a dangerous spiral and precedent that I’m sure Shapiro and his colleagues can understand. How people can turn a blind eye here simply because Trump advances conservative legislation and isn’t a Democrat should be concerning to anyone and everyone who wishes to see their country put over their party. Let’s be clear, Trump’s character has done considerable damage to the office of the presidency, to the reputation of the United States of America both domestically and abroad, and if he is reelected, considerably more damage will continue to be done that I hope will be reversible.
3. Shapiro’s final point is that the Democrats have lost their minds. Actually, the fact that Democratic voters chose Joe Biden, one of the most moderate candidates of those who ran for the nomination, demonstrates the exact opposite. Biden was chosen over Warren, Sanders, and others who do in fact represent and comprise the far-left wing of the Democratic Party. Let’s be clear, the Democrats have chosen a moderate candidate over the far left and have certainly not lost their minds. Shapiro’s and others attempts to paint the Democratic Party in this negative light, ignoring that one of the most moderate candidates of the nominees was selected, shows their political agenda and disregard for the truth. This should be concerning to all. Of course, other elements and voices within the Democratic Party will influence decision making. This is natural in a party that represents multiple beliefs and opinions. However, that is very different from claiming that the Democratic Party has been taken over by far left radicals. This is simply not true and mere slander to discredit an opponent. This is in stark contrast to the Republican Party that has rallied behind President Trump who in many regards has gone off the deep end of both the political and the moral spectrums.

Donald Trump is the sitting president and the Republican Party has chosen to nominate him as their candidate for a second term. The voters will decide on November 3rd which direction the country will take and who we will choose to lead the United States of America for the next 4 years. This is one of the most important election cycles in recent history and will define the course of our nation for the foreseeable future.

I appeal to those who did not vote for Donald Trump in 2016 and are debating about voting for him in 2020 (including Ben Shapiro):

1. If you care about conservative policies, please vote for someone who truly shares your values.
2. If you care about the character of the president, don’t tolerate Trump’s dangerous behavior and ignore the damage it causes.
3. If you care about putting country before party, then please don’t vote for Donald Trump this year (to be clear, I’m referring specifically to the presidency and not to how you vote up and down the rest of the ballot). The Democrats have not lost their minds and, if anything, they are the party of sanity this election cycle.

I hope the above points and rebuttals to Ben Shapiro’s video resonate with you and you vote your conscience this election year.