Overview of Ep. 2393 — AMERICA LAST: Conspiratorial Collaborationists Root For Our Enemies
Ben Shapiro argues that a significant cohort of public figures (he dubs them "America Lasters") consciously or unconsciously supports U.S. decline by defending or rationalizing the actions of Iran, Russia, and China while attacking U.S. allies like Israel. The episode centers on recent Iran-related events (missile launches, strikes, regime chaos), U.S. and allied responses, the diplomatic/economic levers in play (Strait of Hormuz, oil sanctions), and how conspiracism and multipolarist rhetoric enable and amplify anti-American positions.
Major Iran-related developments covered
- Iranian long-range missile launches
- Iran launched intermediate-range ballistic missiles reportedly toward Diego Garcia; the attempt demonstrated a longer range than Iranian officials previously claimed (2,000 km claim contradicted).
- Map analysis in the episode suggests a 2,000 km capability would put nearly all of Europe in range.
- Strikes and damage attributed to Iran
- Missile fragments struck Jerusalem’s Old City area (near Temple Mount), and missiles were fired toward Israeli sites including Dimona and Arad; over 100 civilians were reportedly wounded in one area.
- Iran has also attacked regional energy, gas, and desalination infrastructure (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi-related facilities).
- Iranian internal chaos and IRGC ascendancy
- Reports of a power vacuum after internal assassinations; IRGC (Revolutionary Guard) allegedly expanding control.
- U.S. and Israeli analysts describe Iranian command-and-control confusion; assertions that some recent actions are desperate or tactical mistakes.
- U.S./coalition military and diplomatic response
- President Trump threatened to strike Iranian power plants (explicit, dramatic rhetoric), then announced a 5-day postponement of strikes on energy infrastructure while backchannel talks continued.
- Treasury Secretary and CENTCOM statements framed Iran’s regime as weakened and the strikes/pressure as targeted at regime infrastructure, not civilians.
- Reported (Axios) six negotiating terms reportedly sought by the U.S.: no missile program for five years; zero uranium enrichment; decommissioning key nuclear sites; strict monitoring; regional arms control/missile cap; no proxy financing. Iranian public posture denied ongoing negotiations.
- Strategic leverage: Strait of Hormuz and oil
- Shapiro reiterates that Iran’s primary leverage is oil/transit through the Strait of Hormuz; military action is focused on neutralizing that leverage and Iranian coastal fortifications.
- U.S. strategy is described as balancing regime degradation with keeping oil prices manageable for domestic politics (sanctions relief and market signaling used tactically).
The “America Lasters” thesis
- Definition: Public figures and intellectuals who favor reducing U.S. global power, often advocating multipolarity or praising adversaries; accused of spreading misinformation and conspiratorial narratives that undermine support for U.S. action and allies.
- Examples called out in the episode:
- Media/punditry: Tucker Carlson (portrayed as sympathetic to multipolarity and allies of Russian/Chinese narratives), Joe Rogan (spreading rumors/conspiracies), Jeffrey Sachs (arguing for ceding power to China), Zhang (a Chinese propagandist figure promoted by some hosts).
- Leftist activists: Hassan Piker, Code Pink — criticized for aligning with anti-Israel messaging and romanticizing authoritarian regimes.
- Core critique: Multipolarity is not neutral; according to Shapiro, it would expand Chinese and Russian spheres of influence and embolden tyrannies that suppress human rights and threaten U.S. allies.
Conspiracism and information warfare
- Shapiro ties rising conspiratorial thinking to the America Last movement — claims of secret global cabals, fabricated narratives about U.S. leaders (e.g., rumors about Netanyahu’s status), and the recycling of fringe theories by influential podcasters and hosts.
- He argues this conspiracism makes segments of the public more receptive to narratives that favor U.S. retreat and embolden adversaries.
Domestic political items and other notes
- DHS / TSA funding impasse
- Travel disruptions and long security lines attributed to Democratic refusal to fully fund DHS; Elon Musk publicly offered to pay TSA salaries during the impasse.
- Senate/leadership maneuvers (Schumer’s conditional funding gambit) framed as political brinkmanship.
- Trump controversies and cultural items
- Ben condemns Trump’s reportedly celebratory public comment on Robert Mueller’s death.
- The administration installed a re-made Christopher Columbus statue using parts from a 2020-destroyed Baltimore monument — framed as symbolic of restoring Western civic heritage.
- Sponsors and commercial breaks interspersed (Microsoft 365 Copilot, Nordstrom, ZipRecruiter, Helix, American Beverage) — routine in-show advertising.
Listener Q&A highlights
- Tulsi Gabbard and conflicting intelligence
- Question on conflicting intelligence about Iranian ICBM development: Shapiro notes DNI Tulsi Gabbard has been seen as interpretatively isolationist, which can lead to differing public intelligence takes; analysis can vary given raw data and chosen analytic frames.
- Risk of wider religious conflict at Temple Mount
- Shapiro judges a full-scale Temple Mount war unlikely; he argues regional states and Israel understand Iranian incentives and are unlikely to be drawn into a pan-Islamic reaction in the way Iran hopes.
- Iranian uprising and arming an alternative government
- Unclear who controls arsenals inside Iran; Shapiro suggests dismantling IRGC/Basij and disbanding oppressive paramilitary structures would be necessary steps toward enabling internal change, but practicalities and outcomes are uncertain.
Key takeaways
- Recent Iranian missile activity undermines claims that Iran lacks long-range capability; Tehran’s actions escalate perceptions of threat to Europe and U.S. assets.
- Iran’s internal instability and IRGC prominence may be driving riskier, more desperate actions that expose long-range capabilities.
- The U.S. response combines military strikes and strong rhetorical threats (including targeting energy infrastructure) with tactical diplomatic signaling (short pauses on strikes, negotiation posture) aimed at both defeating Iran’s war machine and minimizing global oil-price shocks.
- “America Lasters” and multipolar advocacy are framed as ideologically aligned with authoritarian adversaries; Shapiro warns that reducing U.S. global influence would embolden China and Russia and weaken allies like Israel.
- Conspiratorial narratives and influential media figures can distort public understanding and erode support for policies that Shapiro argues preserve global stability.
Notable quotes from the episode
- Ben Shapiro label: “America Lasters” — people who want America to surrender global power.
- About Iran’s threat: “An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people.”
- On U.S. military posture: “Peace through strength” (quoted from President Trump in the episode).
- CENTCOM to Iranians: “We are attacking the regime and the Islamic Republic, not the wonderful people.”
Recommended follow-ups (implied by the episode)
- Monitor authoritative intelligence updates on Iranian missile and nuclear capabilities (to separate political rhetoric from verified facts).
- Track developments in Strait of Hormuz security and oil markets — these affect geopolitics and domestic economics.
- Be cautious with information from partisan or conspiratorial media sources; cross-check claims about leadership deaths, negotiations, and treaty commitments against credible intelligence and official statements.
Sponsors mentioned in the episode: Microsoft 365 Copilot, Nordstrom, ZipRecruiter, Helix, American Beverage (noted in transcript as routine ad reads).