Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro sounds alarm over media's 'gaslighting' of Trump

The mainstream media's attempt to gaslight the public was on full display over the weekend, Ben Shapiro said Monday, defending President Trump against withering criticism from liberals who found his July Fourth remarks "dark and divisive."

"The generalized theme of the speech was exactly right," Shapiro told listeners on "The Ben Shapiro Show." "It was probably the best speech he's ever given."

However, Shapiro warned, "The media are totally gaslighting this thing."

Trump on Saturday vowed to "safeguard our values" from enemies within — leftists, looters, agitators, he said — in a Fourth of July speech packed with all the combativeness of his political rallies.

"We are now in the process of defeating the radical left, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters and the people who, in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing," he said. "We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children."

The speech was praised by conservatives and Trump supporters alike, while liberal media members were quick to condemn the president's remarks, which Shapiro said were "prompted by weeks of rioting, looting, tearing down monuments," as polarizing and "dark."

"The media is saying that Trump is just delusional...that all the things he's talking about in his speech did not happen," Shapiro said. "So when Trump talks about the destruction of American history or the cancel culture, all of this is a figment of his imagination?"

The vile media mischaracterization of Trump's July 4 speech is extraordinary gaslighting. The speech wasn't dark. And it wasn't "out of nowhere" or "aggressive." It was prompted by weeks of rioting, looting, tearing down monuments, and lying about Americans both dead and alive.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 5, 2020

"Now, you've been following the news for the past few months," the outspoken conservative continued. "You might say to yourself, 'Wait, what? Like what?' We've been watching people talking openly about tearing down statues of George Washington."

"I'm pointing out to you, you're not crazy," Shapiro told listeners. "Don't be gaslit. All this stuff was happening. But now that Trump said that it was happening the media was like, it never happened. You imagined it. There are not threats to America's history, or her culture, or her freedoms. We're not trying to indoctrinate you ... you're just crazy!"

Shapiro suggests politics and ideology have trumped honesty in the media's coverage of Trump's speech.

"If people were honest in the slightest about this they would recognize that what he is saying ought to be utterly uncontroversial," Shapiro concluded. "But it is not."

It’s just been announced that Ben Shapiro is leaving his role as Editor-in-Chief at the Daily Wire:

Hoc De Thi – Popular conservative news and commentary site the Daily Wire is celebrating their five year anniversary with the announcement of a new editor-in-chief, the company’s co-CEO Jeremy Boreing told TheBlaze in a phone and email conversation Monday.

Ben Shapiro, the prominent conservative commentator and co-founder of the Daily Wire, will be stepping aside from his role as editor-in-chief and entering into a new role as editor emeritus.

Shapiro, who hosts the largest conservative podcast in the country, “The Ben Shapiro Show,” will remain a part owner of the site as well as the site’s featured talent, but will no longer drive its editorial direction.

His replacement…

Replacing Shapiro is John Bickley, who according to Boreing has been with the site since its launch as a writer and editor — and most recently as supervising editor — under the pseudonym, “James Barrett.”

Boreing added that the move has been in the works for some time as Bickely has been performing the essential duties of the role for roughly the past two years. Now what has been the reality of day-to-day operations is being formalized in title.

Shapiro said in a statement: “John Bickley isn’t just a tremendous editor and writer, he’s a principled conservative and an honest human being. I can’t think of anyone better to take over as EIC, and I look forward to seeing the new, exciting editorial direction of the site.”

In an email, Bickley stated that he is committed to the Daily Wire’s goal of becoming “the biggest alternative media company and counter-cultural outlet for news, opinion, and entertainment in the nation.”

He added that he is motivated, like Shapiro, by a philosophy of “facts over feelings,” and said, “that’s never going to change.”

Has it been five years already? Wow, time flies.

Well with anything, we wish Shapiro the very best. He’s a sharp conservative thinker and I’m sure he’ll do well in whatever he does.