Ben Shapiro, Once a Trump Critic, is Now Hosting a Fundraiser for Him: 'Will Walk Over Broken Glass'

Ben Shapiro, once a critic of former President Donald Trump, revealed on his podcast last Friday that he intends to host a fundraiser for Trump in the coming week, according to Mediaite. He explained his change of heart toward the former President by citing Joe Biden as the 'worst' commander-in-chief in his lifetime. Shapiro further expressed his commitment to voting for the Republican nominee, stating he would 'walk over broken glass' to do so. He announced the fundraiser on X, formerly Twitter. He said, “My calculus is very simple, America was better off under Donald Trump than it is under Joe Biden."

Shapiro further added, "At home, America was safer and more prosperous… When Donald Trump was president, America was better off. I will always be honest with you about Donald Trump, he wasn’t my first choice in the primaries. He’s a deeply flawed human. I’ve been open in my criticisms of Trump on both character and policy… But Donald Trump is the man standing between America and a second Joe Biden term." Shapiro has a history of strong criticism towards Trump, going as far as to label himself a "Never Trumper" in 2016, according to OK! Magazine.

Shapiro also seemingly held Trump responsible for the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, where a mob of Trump supporters, incited by his false claims about the election, stormed the Capitol building and attacked police. The attack resulted in several deaths and hundreds of injuries. Initially, Shapiro had thrown his support behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the early stages of the Republican primary for 2024. However, after the early frontrunner withdrew following his loss in Iowa in January, Shapiro quickly switched his support to Trump.

The outspoken conservative not only supported DeSantis but also sharply criticized Trump's media allies. He aimed former Fox News host Tucker Carlson back in August last year. He said, "I mean, how soft were the softballs that Tucker was throwing to Donald Trump?” Shapiro also urged Republicans to distance themselves from Trump if they hoped to have a shot at winning the general election against Biden. He argued that sticking with the former President would lead to a damaging defeat for the Republican party. He wrote, “Republicans shouldn’t play that game. If they do, they’re cruising for a bruising.”

Yet, his decision to host a fundraiser suggests Shapiro has fully embraced Trump as the presumed nominee and head of the Republican Party. While Shapiro is ready to support Trump, former Vice President Pence confirmed on Friday that he would not endorse Trump in this election cycle. "It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year," Pence said, as per The Guardian. He continued, "I'm incredibly proud of the record of our administration. It was a conservative record that made America more prosperous, more secure and saw conservatives appointed to our courts in a more peaceful world."