Friendly Fire: ICE. Ice. (And The Oscars) Baby. - The Ben Shapiro Show Recap

Podcast: The Ben Shapiro Show

Published: 2026-01-29

Duration: 1 hr 6 min

Guests: Jennie Taer, Matt Walsh

Summary

The episode examines the complex political dynamics around ICE operations in Minneapolis and critiques the film industry's political undertones in Oscar-nominated movies.

What Happened

Tim Walz's recent actions have created confusion as he compared ICE officers to Nazis but then collaborated with them. Ben Shapiro, along with Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, and Andrew Klavan, analyzes the political implications of ICE's decreased deportation rate of criminal illegal immigrants, which has fallen from 87% to about 50%, partly due to sanctuary policies.

Jennie Taer, a Daily Wire reporter, shares insights from her ICE ride-along in Minneapolis, noting that organized groups are using signal chats and 3D-printed whistles to obstruct ICE operations. Despite these challenges, local police have begun assisting ICE, highlighting the complex interaction between federal and local law enforcement.

The episode also explores the decline in ICE's approval ratings, which have dropped significantly from being even with the American public to 27 points underwater. This shift is linked to media portrayals and political narratives that criticize ICE's enforcement actions.

Ben Shapiro critiques the film industry, particularly the Oscars, for promoting films with themes that encourage left-wing political violence and lack coherent storytelling. He highlights 'Sinners' as the most nominated film in Oscar history, yet considers it a B-level movie with an anti-Christian message.

The film 'One Battle After Another' is described as portraying the United States as run by a secret group of white supremacists, a reflection of the industry's trend toward politically charged narratives. Shapiro criticizes 'Frankenstein' for missing the original message of Mary Shelley's book, focusing instead on secular atheism.

The podcast concludes with a discussion on prediction markets like Calci, suggesting a 50% chance of Christine Noam being out of her role by May, reflecting ongoing political instability.

Key Insights

• ICE's deportation rate for criminal illegal immigrants has decreased from 87% to about 50%, influenced by sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal authorities.
• Organized groups in Minneapolis are using signal chats and 3D-printed whistles to disrupt ICE operations, yet local police have started to assist ICE in their efforts.
• ICE's approval ratings have dropped to 27 points underwater, a significant decline attributed to media portrayals and political narratives critical of the agency's enforcement actions.
• 'Sinners' holds the record for the most Oscar nominations in history, but it has been criticized for its perceived anti-Christian message and lack of coherent storytelling.