The Ben Shapiro Show - July 17, 2026


Maine Democrats Held a Debate. It Was a Disaster.


Episode Stats


Length

9 minutes

Words per minute

179.89

Word count

1,658

Sentence count

147

Harmful content

Misogyny

6

sentences flagged

Toxicity

4

sentences flagged

Hate speech

15

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

A man who thinks he's a woman is running for the U.S. Senate in Maine, but is actually a man named Graham Platner. And a woman named Ashley Webb is running against him. And she's running because she wants to be able to use the ladies bathroom.

Transcript

Transcripts from "The Ben Shapiro Show" are sourced from the Knowledge Fight Interactive Search Tool. Explore them interactively here.
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 Well, Graham Platner, you know, the Nazi tattoo guy who is allegedly rapey, but not in the gateway of home invaders anyway, and also allegedly rapey toward actual women.
00:00:08.000 He has dropped out of that Maine Senate race.
00:00:10.000 But as of yesterday, Graham Platner appears to have reappeared in a dress to run for office again after shaving.
00:00:16.000 I'm kind of like half kidding, sort of.
00:00:18.000 I'll show you what I'm talking about in just a second.
00:00:20.000 But truly, democracy happening in Maine, democracy in action, the best and brightest assembled for a Senate debate yesterday.
00:00:27.000 Uh, it was straight out of SNL.
00:00:28.000 Truly.
00:00:29.000 I've been saying for years now, it's as true as ever.
00:00:31.000 Politics is much more veep than it is House of Cards. 0.95
00:00:34.000 So, remember, Graham Plattner was ousted from that race. 0.97
00:00:37.000 It turned out that the Nazi tattoo wasn't enough to add him. 0.87
00:00:39.000 It was the multiple rape allegations that eventually did it.
00:00:41.000 Realistically, the reason that he was ousted by the Democrats is because he was running behind Susan Collins.
00:00:46.000 They decided to replace him.
00:00:48.000 I will say the slate of possible replacements in Maine for the Democrats is not great, Bob.
00:00:53.000 It's not the best.
00:00:56.000 So, one of the people running is Ashley Webb. 0.60
00:01:01.000 Ashley Webb is an openly trans and intersex woman.
00:01:07.000 Meaning, a man who believes that he is a woman.
00:01:11.000 I will say it bears a striking resemblance to Graham Platner.
00:01:13.000 So I do have to ask at least the question.
00:01:16.000 I'm just asking questions, as people are fond of doing, whether Graham Platner just shaved, put on a dress, and got back into the race here.
00:01:23.000 But Ashley Webb, his campaign, Ashley Webb, take no prisoners, that's the name of it.
00:01:30.000 Great.
00:01:31.000 Okay.
00:01:32.000 We'll take no prisoners.
00:01:33.000 Okay.
00:01:35.000 Was asked about his.
00:01:38.000 Credentials to be a senator, and here's what that sounded like.
00:01:43.000 Ashley Webb, what qualifications do you have to serve in the U.S. Senate?
00:01:47.000 Oh, I ran for office several times, didn't win, but I did run.
00:01:51.000 And then I'm a songwriter, and then I write my own books.
00:01:56.000 And then I suppose my transparency, I wouldn't lie to the people and I wouldn't deceive the people like we're being deceived right now. 0.65
00:02:12.000 I wouldn't lie to the people and I wouldn't deceive the people, said the man dressed as a woman.
00:02:20.000 Why is Ashley Webb running?
00:02:21.000 Again, this is the person who wants to run against Susan Collins.
00:02:24.000 Why is Ashley Webb running? 0.99
00:02:26.000 Well, because Ashley Webb just wants to be able to use the lady's bathroom, this rather large, hulking dude. 0.99
00:02:35.000 With the trans community, like we're being dehumanized. 1.00
00:02:39.000 They say that we want to hurt people.
00:02:40.000 I don't want to hurt anybody.
00:02:41.000 I just want to use the bathroom.
00:02:44.000 And it, and I, If they want me to use the men's room, I will, but I don't want to be assaulted.
00:02:51.000 I just want to poop is definitely a campaign slogan.
00:02:56.000 Okay, I guess Grand Platinum was the best of the bunch.
00:02:59.000 I guess, I mean, I thought, hey, man, they can't go. 0.58
00:03:01.000 Like, really, the best you could come up with is Nazi tattoo, multiple rape allegation guy.
00:03:05.000 And the main Democrats are like, yep, that was the best we could do.
00:03:10.000 It's like an episode of Pawn Shop.
00:03:11.000 That was the best they could do.
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00:04:15.000 Here's another Maine Democrat named Elizabeth Dickerson who says that she is running.
00:04:20.000 Because she is interested in the weather.
00:04:24.000 But I did this because I'm very interested in climate.
00:04:29.000 And President Trump has done about everything he can do to strip away any protections that we have on climate.
00:04:39.000 Electric.
00:04:41.000 The shining electricity from that candidacy.
00:04:41.000 Oh, man.
00:04:44.000 But don't worry, there were lots and lots of candidates, lots and lots of candidates, some looking like accountants, some looking like refugees from the local bar night. 0.65
00:04:54.000 Here was one Maine Democrat named Shanna Bellows who was asked about daylight savings. 0.84
00:05:01.000 And here's how that went.
00:05:05.000 The House of Representatives this week approved ending daylight saving time.
00:05:09.000 Would you approve of that?
00:05:10.000 Would you vote for that, Shanna Bellows?
00:05:11.000 Well, we had a debate about this in the state legislature.
00:05:13.000 I'm sure Troy remembers.
00:05:15.000 And I think there are reasons for and against.
00:05:18.000 And I haven't read that House bill, but I will when I am Senator. 1.00
00:05:22.000 Ending your white saving time. 1.00
00:05:25.000 When I was in the Senate, I think I voted for it, but you'd have to go back and look at my record. 0.98
00:05:25.000 Where do you stand? 0.98
00:05:29.000 And you know what?
00:05:30.000 It doesn't sound like there's a lot of conviction there.
00:05:33.000 I tell you, I love it when it gets light in the morning and gets dark at eight o'clock or nine o'clock.
00:05:42.000 That's my favorite summertime.
00:05:45.000 Cool.
00:05:46.000 And your favorite season is the one where you wear a light sweater?
00:05:51.000 Oh, goodness gracious.
00:05:53.000 How about Maine Democrat Nirav Shah?
00:05:55.000 Didn't Rav Shah have anything good to say?
00:05:57.000 Well, let's find out.
00:06:00.000 There are a lot of areas where Graham's policies and mine overlap.
00:06:04.000 One that I think is particularly relevant this week is the need to finally abolish ICE.
00:06:12.000 Abolish ICE.
00:06:13.000 Great.
00:06:15.000 This is going well.
00:06:16.000 All of them, by the way, are in favor of Medicare for all.
00:06:19.000 They're all in favor of Medicare for all.
00:06:21.000 So, man, these progressive geniuses.
00:06:24.000 Here we go.
00:06:27.000 You just said you're for Medicare for all.
00:06:28.000 Is everyone on this panel?
00:06:31.000 Yeah.
00:06:31.000 No?
00:06:31.000 Dan?
00:06:32.000 Just checking.
00:06:32.000 Incredible.
00:06:33.000 That's eight for eight with the candidate stunt.
00:06:38.000 I'm actually on Medicare.
00:06:39.000 Oh, okay.
00:06:40.000 Well, there you have it.
00:06:43.000 Good story.
00:06:44.000 Good story, dude.
00:06:46.000 I'm actually on Medicare.
00:06:48.000 Who cares?
00:06:51.000 Any other life stories you want to share?
00:06:52.000 I'm actually on Medicare.
00:06:54.000 The whole thing has an L skit.
00:06:56.000 It's an L skit.
00:06:57.000 What do you think of daylight savings?
00:06:59.000 Well, I really like it when it gets light in the morning and dark in the evening times.
00:07:04.000 Cool story.
00:07:06.000 Are you from Medicare for a while?
00:07:07.000 I'm actually on Medicare.
00:07:10.000 Awesome.
00:07:12.000 What do you think about the war in Iran?
00:07:14.000 Well, actually, I once went to a Persian restaurant.
00:07:19.000 Cool story, guys.
00:07:21.000 It turns out that Graham Plattner was the most normie Democrat they could come up with.
00:07:25.000 Excellent job, Maine.
00:07:27.000 Really great job.
00:07:29.000 One of the debate commentators.
00:07:30.000 And again, you got to love local news.
00:07:32.000 But here are the debate commentators who, again, this is like the fourth line in a high school football team of commentators talking about the Maine debate.
00:07:45.000 Solid stuff here.
00:07:48.000 When it comes to charisma, Platner had a lot of advantages.
00:07:51.000 You know, he was going to, I think, maybe mobilize people who aren't likely to show up to vote on a year when there's nobody running for president.
00:07:58.000 And I don't think any of those people that we saw just now have that card to play.
00:08:03.000 And I think they know it.
00:08:06.000 They do know it.
00:08:07.000 I mean, I love the Graham Platner.
00:08:09.000 You're wondering why it was that they couldn't come up with somebody who was better than Graham Platner.
00:08:13.000 And the answer was there weren't any.
00:08:15.000 What's going on up in Maine, guys?
00:08:16.000 Like, really, there's no one normal up there? 1.00
00:08:19.000 Like, everyone up there is either Graham Plattner, Tucker Carlson, or the trans woman who writes children's books and just wants to poop. 1.00
00:08:26.000 Like, is that what, like, come on, there has to be some normies up in Maine. 1.00
00:08:30.000 Come on, really?
00:08:33.000 Maybe when Stephen King is writing all those horror towns up in Maine, like, are those just like historical fiction?
00:08:39.000 Like, what are we doing here?
00:08:41.000 What are we doing here?
00:08:42.000 I feel like I know some people, I know, I mock Maine.
00:08:44.000 I'm mocking you a little bit, but I mean, like, watch that debate.
00:08:47.000 You deserve it a little bit.
00:08:48.000 You deserve it a little bit.
00:08:49.000 I make fun of New Yorkers most of the time, but.
00:08:51.000 I gotta say, that's a lot.
00:08:54.000 That's a lot happening up there in Maine.
00:08:55.000 You wondered why Susan Collins keeps winning? 1.00
00:08:58.000 Yeah, she's a talented politician, but also maybe just by default. 1.00
00:09:01.000 That's also possible.
00:09:03.000 What an amazing video you just watched.
00:09:05.000 Wasn't that amazing?
00:09:06.000 Well, you know, if you think so, head on over to dailywire.comslash subscribe to watch the full show ad free or check out this crazy story here.