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Ep. 2423 - 5 Reasons Why Trump Holds All The Cards On China

Ben Shapiro Show · 11 May 2026 · 5 Egleze moments
Ep. 2423 - 5 Reasons Why Trump Holds All The Cards On China ▶

What happened in this episode?

Ben Shapiro argued that President Trump is entering this week's China summit from a position of strength, not weakness, systematically dismantling narratives that Beijing holds leverage over Washington. Shapiro opened by detailing five structural crises plaguing China: catastrophic demographics with a collapsing birth rate, systemic lack of innovation reliant on IP theft, hidden debt exceeding 300 percent of GDP, a technologically inferior military, and autocratic governance that stifles growth. He contrasted China's $15,000 per capita GDP with America's $95,000, emphasizing that China's economy is not remotely competitive despite media portrayals. A major revelation came when Shapiro disclosed that 10 to 15 percent of China's oil imports from Iran have been cut to zero under Trump's Iran policy, crippling a key Chinese energy source. He also reported that UAE's break from OPEC and the neutralization of Venezuela as a Chinese oil intermediary have further isolated Beijing. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced in a 60 Minutes interview that he proposed eliminating Israel's $3.8 billion annual U.S. military aid over the next decade, contradicting claims that Israel seeks increased American taxpayer support. Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling told Shapiro the federal government is now its smallest since 1966, saving $40 billion annually, while private sector jobs in construction and manufacturing surge. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed on Face the Nation that the Department of Energy has personnel ready to remove nearly 1,000 pounds of weapons-grade uranium from Iran. Shapiro also covered the failed Trump-brokered Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, which collapsed immediately with Russia launching 7,000 kamikaze drones on day one. The episode included sharp cultural commentary on a Kevin Hart roast featuring shockingly crude jokes and debunked rumors that Elliot Page would play Achilles in Christopher Nolan's Odyssey film. Shapiro closed by attacking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson for distorting the principles of America's founding, framing the left's revisionism as an attempt to delegitimize the nation ahead of America's 250th anniversary.

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Ben Shapiro Show
Published
11 May 2026
Original episode
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5 moments from this episode

Source-linked · editorially selected
01
Geopolitics

White House Official Says Iran Lost 10 to 15 Percent of Oil Supply to China

at 18:24 · Attributed speaker claim
10 to 15% of Chinese entire oil supply came from Iran. Guess what they are not getting now? Any of that.

Ben Shapiro revealed that before the Trump administration's Iran operations, 10 to 15 percent of China's total oil imports came from Iran, and that supply has now been cut to essentially zero. This represents a major strategic blow to China's energy security and shifts the balance of power in Trump's upcoming Beijing summit, contradicting media narratives that China holds leverage over the U.S.

02
Geopolitics

US Energy Secretary Confirms Department Ready to Remove Iranian Nuclear Material

at 32:04 · Attributed speaker claim
The nuclear expertise in the United States is within my department. They are ready. They've been monitoring what's happening in Iran, and they've been involved in the dialogues about how would we handle this material, where would we take it, what would we do with it. Iran has nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%. There's many ways that that can be achieved, but that must be achieved.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on Face the Nation that the Department of Energy has personnel ready and actively planning how to physically remove nearly 1,000 pounds of weapons-grade uranium from Iran and dismantle enrichment sites. This marks the first time a senior Trump official has publicly confirmed operational readiness for direct action on Iranian nuclear material.

03
Geopolitics

Netanyahu Tells Trump Israel Will Wean Off US Military Aid Within Decade

at 38:50 · Attributed speaker claim
I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have, because we receive $3.8 billion a year. And I think that it's time that we wean ourselves from the remaining military support. I said let's start now and do it over the next decade, over the next 10 years, but I want to start now.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed in a 60 Minutes interview that he has proposed to President Trump a plan to eliminate Israel's annual $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid over the next decade, beginning immediately. This directly contradicts narratives that Israel seeks to increase American taxpayer support and marks a major shift in the decades-long U.S.-Israel financial relationship.

04
Politics

Acting Labor Secretary Says Federal Government Now Smallest Since 1966 Saving 40 Billion Annually

at 42:50 · Attributed speaker claim
The federal government is at its smallest size since 1966, and that saves taxpayers over $40 billion a year. The private sector is booming, exactly what President Trump promised.

Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling revealed that the Trump administration has shrunk the federal government to its smallest workforce size since 1966, resulting in $40 billion in annual taxpayer savings. He contrasted this with the Biden administration's approach of growing federal payrolls while private sector job growth stagnated.

05
Geopolitics

Trump Ceasefire With Russia and Ukraine Results in 7000 Drone Attacks in One Day

at 49:45 · Attributed speaker claim
Despite that high-profile humanitarian ceasefire, Ukrainian General Staff reported 147 combat engagements on the truce's opening day. Russian forces reportedly launched over 7,000 kamikaze drones and conducted 2,000 shelling attacks, resulting in civilian deaths in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

President Trump announced a 3-day humanitarian ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend, but the Kyiv Post reported that Russia launched over 7,000 kamikaze drones and 2,000 shelling attacks on day one alone, with 147 total combat engagements. The ceasefire collapsed immediately, revealing the gap between diplomatic announcements and battlefield reality.