The brouhaha erupted on Twitter after the Economist tweeted an interview with Shapiro, where he discussed his bestselling new book, “The Right Side of History.”
Irony Alert: The Alt-Right Hates Ben Shapiro
In its tweet, The Economist flippantly called Shapiro an “alt-right sage without the rage.” Immediately afterward, the London-based magazine got ratio’d into oblivion.
Thousands of Twitter users condemned the publication, saying it defamed Shapiro — an Orthodox Jew — by recklessly calling him a member of the “alt-right.”
The alt-right (or alternative right) is a fringe movement comprised of white supremacists, anti-Semites, and Holocaust deniers. The alt-right despises people like Shapiro because he’s a moderate conservative who’s also Jewish.
The Economist lambasted Ben Shapiro as an “alt-right sage without the rage.”| Source: Twitter
Shapiro Demands and Gets Immediate Apology
The irony is that Shapiro — an attorney who’s also the editor of the Daily Wire — has been viciously attacked by the alt-right for being too liberal.
In a 2016 report, the left-wing Anti-Defamation League concluded that Shapiro was the alt-right’s No. 1 target for online abuse among Jewish journalists. Moreover, Shapiro has repeatedly denounced the alt-right for its extremism.
Shortly after The Economist posted its tweet, a furious Shapiro demanded an immediate retraction.
“This is a vile lie…I demand a retraction.”
“You should be ashamed of yourselves for that garbage headline and description.”
The Economist later deleted the tweet and issued an apology.
We have deleted an earlier tweet for an article that mischaracterised Ben Shapiro, who has been strongly critical of the alt-right movement. We apologise. Here is the article https://t.co/ZmfgU6Gw2r
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 28, 2019
Trump Supporters Dislike Ben Shapiro
The Economist also posted an editor’s note on its website, saying it had made a grave mistake. The epic gaffe is one of the few times that Donald Trump supporters rallied to Ben Shapiro’s defense.
Many Trump supporters have not forgiven Shapiro for being a Never-Trumper during the 2016 presidential election. They still get furious whenever they’re reminded that if Never-Trumpers like Shapiro had gotten their way, Hillary Clinton would be president now.
For MAGA country, that’s an apocalyptic nightmare on par with hate-crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett occupying the Oval Office.
Editor’s note: Actually, @benshapiro is a Lib. We found out he just wrote a book, which is peak Lib. We apologize for the error.
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) March 28, 2019
I guess it’s not worth ever subscribing to @TheEconomist if they’re not smart enough to know @benshapiro isn’t alt-right. https://t.co/UpPKay77Gj
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) March 28, 2019
Even liberals dragged The Economist for its shocking blunder.
Fellow liberals, using words like “alt-right” to describe someone like @benshapiro is laughable & only works against you.
Stop it. https://t.co/4CEx4vG2Iv
— Dr. Debra Soh (@DrDebraSoh) March 28, 2019
Frankly I don’t think a tweet apology should be accepted and the editor should make a personal apology to @benshapiro’s face. He gets more alt-right hate than anyone. They knew that was the case and they chose to go for clicks… https://t.co/LVzyxkZx3Y
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) March 28, 2019
Media Conflates Conservatives With the Alt-Right
This incident spotlights a trope repeatedly pushed by the mainstream media, which is to deliberately conflate all conservatives with the alt-right.
For instance, President Donald Trump is a vocal supporter of Israel. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are both Jewish, as are their three children.
Trump has repeatedly condemned the alt-right. Despite this, the media — which is overwhelmingly left-wing — has referred to Trump and his supporters as alt-right as a way to demonize them. As a whole, Trump supporters disavow the alt-right.
Shapiro, a graduate of Harvard Law School, urged conservatives to fight back against this smear.
“Want to know how the Left elevates the alt-right to a position of power? By lumping in everyone who is conservative — including those who spend their lives fighting against the despicable alt-right — with the alt-right. Don’t let them.”
Want to know how the Left elevates the alt-right to a position of power? By lumping in everyone who is conservative — including those who spend their lives fighting against the despicable alt-right — with the alt-right. Don’t let them. https://t.co/fEwwATDhUK
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019
Lara Logan: Today’s Media Are Left-Wing Propagandists
In February 2019, former CBS News reporter Lara Logan torched the media, calling them left-wing “political activists and propagandists” masquerading as journalists.
“The media everywhere is mostly liberal. But in this country, 85% of journalists are registered Democrats.
“[Given this fact] How do you know you’re being lied to? How do you know you’re being manipulated?”
“For example, all the coverage on Trump all the time is negative…Although the media has always been left-leaning, we’ve abandoned our pretense, or at least the effort, to be objective today.”
“That means we’ve become political activists, and some could argue, propagandists.”