HILARIOUS: Shane Gillis Destroys The ESPYS…And Wokeness

Shane Gillis and the ESPYS

The episode opens with a highlight reel of Shane Gillis’s performance as the host of the ESPYS, an award show typically known for its pandering to progressive social narratives. Gillis, a comedian once canceled by Saturday Night Live before even appearing on the show, has since been rehabilitated and become a prominent figure in comedy, known for his politically incorrect and boundary-pushing humor. Shapiro praises Gillis for his unapologetic style, noting that his refusal to cater to left-wing sensibilities makes him uniquely charming.

Gillis’s set at the ESPYS was marked by a series of edgy jokes that took aim at the WNBA, immigration, January 6, and even Jeffrey Epstein, though the latter joke was reportedly cut. His WNBA jokes, particularly about Caitlyn Clark and Britney Griner, were described as “too edgy for 2025” but reminiscent of Richard Pryor’s style from the 1970s. Gillis’s humor unapologetically mocked the league’s racial tensions and the perceived pandering by ESPN, which Shapiro notes is a left-leaning network. The comedian also delivered a memorable immigration joke involving Joe Rogan and Donald Trump, which confused some viewers because it didn’t fit the usual left-right comedic mold.

Shapiro applauds the decision by ESPN’s management to hire Gillis, despite the backlash it likely caused internally, and suggests that whoever greenlit the choice deserves credit for shaking up the usual sanitized award show fare. Gillis’s closing tribute to Norm MacDonald, with a darkly humorous O.J. Simpson joke, capped off what Shapiro calls one of the best comedy sets in recent memory.

The Biden Mental Fitness Scandal

Shifting gears, Shapiro turns to a serious political scandal that he argues has been largely ignored by the mainstream media: the mental fitness of President Joe Biden during his time in office. He highlights the recent congressional testimony of Anthony Bernal, a top Biden aide and deputy campaign manager for Jill Biden, who invoked the Fifth Amendment seven times when questioned about Biden’s health and fitness to serve.

Drawing from the book Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Shapiro paints a picture of Bernal as a powerful insider who helped maintain the façade of Biden’s presidency, effectively enabling Jill Biden and her aides to run the White House due to Joe Biden’s cognitive decline. Shapiro condemns the failure of the Biden cabinet and other officials to invoke the 25th Amendment or otherwise address the issue, calling it a fundamental betrayal of the American people.

This scandal, Shapiro argues, dwarfs other controversies such as the Epstein case, which has received far more media attention despite being shrouded in speculation and incomplete information. The refusal of Bernal to answer questions about pardons, presidential duties, and potential lies about Biden’s health underscores the gravity of the situation and the lack of accountability.

Media Bias and the Fight Over Public Broadcasting

The conversation then turns to the ongoing political battle over funding for public broadcasting, specifically NPR and PBS. Shapiro discusses the Senate’s narrow vote to advance a package of funding cuts requested by the Trump administration, which includes clawing back over a billion dollars from public broadcasting and billions more from foreign aid programs.

Shapiro critiques NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher for denying bias in the network’s coverage, calling it a “lie” and pointing to the network’s left-wing slant, especially on issues like Russiagate and the Hunter Biden laptop story. He references former NPR staffers who have publicly acknowledged the network’s ideological shift and the resulting alienation of conservative listeners.

The episode mocks Democratic claims that defunding NPR and PBS would be a matter of life and death, especially during natural disasters, arguing that such claims are exaggerated and that Americans have many alternative sources for emergency information. Shapiro frames the fight over public broadcasting funding as emblematic of the broader culture war, where left-wing media outlets seek to maintain taxpayer subsidies despite widespread public skepticism.

The Radical Left’s March

Shapiro then turns to the Democratic Party’s current trajectory, focusing on the rise of radical figures like Zoran Mamdani, the controversial Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. He describes Mamdani’s recent private briefing with House Democrats, where he was praised for his “dynamic and natural” communication style, despite his radical platform advocating for nationalizing grocery stores and other far-left policies.

Shapiro highlights the support Mamdani receives from prominent progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andre Carson, who downplay or obfuscate his more extreme positions, including his ambiguous stance on the Muslim Brotherhood and violent resistance movements. This, Shapiro argues, reflects a Democratic Party increasingly aligned with socialism, third-worldism, and even pro-jihadist sympathies.

He also discusses Omar Fate, a Minneapolis mayoral candidate who openly claims that white people are the greatest threat to America, echoing the racial essentialism and victimhood narratives that have become common on the left. Shapiro warns that this radicalism, combined with a compliant media, is pushing the Democratic Party further away from mainstream American values.

The Horseshoe Theory and the Radical Right

Not content to focus solely on the left, Shapiro explores the “horseshoe theory,” which posits that the far left and far right, despite their differences, share certain radical tendencies. He references a piece by Rebecca Heinrich that analyzes the growing anti-American and conspiratorial elements within the MAGA movement, particularly those who reject America’s role in World War II and the postwar international order.

Heinrich coins the term “1939 project” to describe this revisionist right-wing narrative that seeks to discredit America’s historical achievements and alliances, much like the left’s “1619 project” reframes American history through the lens of slavery and systemic racism. This movement, Shapiro notes, is skeptical of NATO, Israel, and American military power, putting it at odds with President Trump’s “peace through strength” foreign policy.

Shapiro points out that Trump himself has distanced from this faction, emphasizing his support for NATO, military strength, and a clear-eyed approach to global threats like Iran and Russia. The episode underscores the tension within the conservative movement between pragmatic leadership and more conspiratorial, isolationist voices.

Economic and Political Updates

The episode also includes a discussion with Senate Majority Leader John Thune about the recently passed “one big beautiful bill,” a sweeping legislative package that includes tax cuts for working and middle-class Americans, reforms to Medicaid aimed at reducing waste and fraud, and provisions for school choice and military modernization. Thune emphasizes the bipartisan nature of the bill’s savings and reforms, while Shapiro highlights the political challenges of bending the cost curve on entitlement programs.

Thune also addresses the Senate’s efforts to label the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and the importance of maintaining Republican majorities in the Senate for judicial confirmations and legislative priorities. The conversation touches on the upcoming 2026 elections and the challenges Republicans face in defending vulnerable seats.