College Student Mocks Ben Shapiro After His Mic is Covered During Fiery ‘Wokeness’ Debate: ‘I Thought You Were a Free Speech Warrior’

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro sparred with a college student during a Q&A session Wednesday night at a Young America’s Foundation event at Iowa State University. The exchange ended with the student being cut off by a moderator who covered the student’s microphone as he insisted he was being “censored” by Shapiro, a supposed “free speech warrior.”

Young America’s Foundation shared Shapiro’s full speech on YouTube under the title, “American wokeness must be destroyed,” and added in the blurb: “From gender transitions to Critical Race Theory, there’s no question that a toxic wokeness is infesting our nation, and it must be eradicated before it’s too late.”

The exchange began with the student asking Shapiro about his Jewish heritage and wether or not he had family members who were Holocaust survivors. Shapiro said he did not but noted he had helped many survivors to write their memoirs.

“My family is very messed up,” said the student, noting he has relatives who survived the Holocaust.

“I mean if you go through a trauma like the Holocaust, I imagine –” agreed Shapiro before being cut off.

“They teach that trauma between generations, you know what I mean,” replied the student.

“I mean trauma very often, in a lot of circumstances, is passed down. I know some kids of Holocaust survivors who have done fantastic and some who didn’t,” responded Shapiro.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, so you are officially woke. That is what is wokeness is about, it’s like, uh, people’s grandparents or great grandparents who were slaves,” continued the student, who was loudly booed.

The questioner then shouted down the audience and Shapiro told them to let him speak and said “I want to hear the argument.”

The student then noted a historical example of racial injustice, to which Shapiro said, “I understand that American history is filled with racial evil.”

Shapiro then offered his rebuttal, “So let me ask you a question. If the idea is that history has consequences, of course that’s true. That’s not wokeness. That is not wokeness. What wokeness suggests is fundamental institutions in American society –”

“No, it doesn’t,” shot back the questioner, who noted he once worked for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) presidential campaign and believes he understands what “wokeness” is.

“Yes, it a hundred percent does,” Shapiro shot back.

The questioner then noted he recently went to get a tattoo and the tattoo artist had Nazi symbols on his body.

“There are racist people who exist. The argument that you’re making — and I’m going to close with this because this is going in weird directions and I don’t really want to,” Shapiro replied before the questioner jumped in saying, “No, no, no, no. It’s not going in a weird direction. This is all wokeism is.”

After some more back and forth Shapiro said, “Now it’s my turn. Your definition is inaccurate. The reason your definition is inaccurate is because any sentient human being would acknowledge that history has consequences.”

“But if the idea is, but that’s not what wokeism is,” Shapiro added, “Wokeism is a different thing. Wokeism suggests all inequalities today are attributable to not only historical injustices, but also continuing injustices in the now. And that all disparities are attributable to discrimination –”

“I’ve never heard anybody describe it like that but a conservative,” the questioner shot back. “A conservative is the only person, and I want to know why. Why is that conservatives are the only people who define it like that? Why are conservatives the only people –”

“We’re going to have to stop this here because this is going nowhere,” concluded Shapiro.

After some more back and forth and booing from the audience, the questioner’s microphone was covered as he yelled, “This is not free speech, this is being censored. I thought you were a free speech warrior.”

Watch the full clip above

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