Politicizd - As the country recognizes one year since the attack on the United States Capitol, many conservative commentators are struggling to balance the political fallout from an anti-Trump position that defends the United States Constitution and its values.
In the case of Ben Shapiro, this battle has rarely been an issue, as the commentator willfully expresses his own viewpoints often at the expense of his own party affiliation; the Republican Party. These anti-GOP stances have always been appreciated by political allies and opponents, as they value his desire for the truth. Recently, Shapiro's pro-vaccination efforts were applauded as he became one of the most public pro-vaccination conservatives in the current political discourse.
Nevertheless, this type of outspoken behavior can severely damage a political commentator with a following of largely right-leaning conservatives. Thus, when it came the events of January 6th, 2021, the damage was inevitable.
Shapiro, a strong critic of former President Trump's election fraud claims, was forced to either reject his own values and embrace the President, or reject the President and lose a significant amount of followers. Shapiro chose the latter.
Effectively, this led to Shapiro's largest loss of followers on Twitter since his account was created in December 2008.
Among this period, Shapiro authored several 'controversial' tweets; at least in the eyes of many Shapiro fans.
The tweet responded to a disturbing video of Pro-Trump rioters breaking into the United States Capitol Building in an attempt to change the outcome of the 2020 election.
However, to many Trump supporters this video captured patriotism at its finest and a potential vindication of their most deepest conspiracy; that President Trump was being robbed of an otherwise landslide election victory.
Instead of course, through 64 separate lawsuits, and countless other inquires, there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Shapiro, a strong supporter of the President, made this position clear, arguing that the legal system had done its job and that it was time to accept Joe Biden's victory and ultimately, Democracy.
Shapiro also added to the conversation on his podcast, The Ben Shapiro Show, taking aim at the Capitol rioters and former President Trump. This supplemented his tweets, causing hundreds of thousands of fans to retract their support.
In fact, one year later, Shapiro posted another 'controversial' tweet publicly condemning January 6th.
"Today is the first anniversary of January 6, a riot predicated on a falsehood pushed by President Trump -- a riot which did not prevent the certification of the 2020 election by Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell."
(Ben Shapiro, Twitter, January 6th, 2022)
This tweet cost the commentator nearly a thousand followers, as supporters flatly rejected its premise.
Unfortunately, this doesn't bode well for Republicans as it recognizes the party's severe infatuation with President Trump, alarmingly at the expense of the United States Constitution and American Democracy.
Coincidentally, many conservatives are in a tough spot, debating whether the accomplishments of an effective administration should be disregarded if the former President ran again. However, if anything is clear from the data above, supporters are certainly hesitant to forget their political leader, Donald J. Trump.
Politically, this could spell disaster as candidate Donald Trump is largely unpopular among independents, foreshadowing a potential 2024 election loss. To the contrary, a candidate like Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, could represent similar ideals without the downsides of the former President's more unpredictable behaviors.
Nonetheless, when facing a potentially unpopular President like Joe Biden, Republicans will be in an envious position. That is, given that the party embraces a more respectable ideology that accepts the 2020 election. If not, independents will be forced to vote Democratic and re-elect President Joe Biden (if he runs for re-election).
Overall, this predicament indicates that political limbo will be the essential medicine for many conservative pundits seeking to keep their fanbases. For some though, like Ben Shapiro, the truth could even surpass a desire for followers. Yet for others it could mean compromising their own viewpoints for their career. Ultimately, this could enhance President Trump's election chances, as pundits refuse to condemn his more irrational political doings.
