Shapiro rips Economist after it labels him alt-right

Conservative radio host Ben Shapiro ripped The Economist magazine on Thursday for characterizing him as a member of the “alt-right.”

The founder of the “Daily Wire” demanded a retraction while tweeting “‘F*** you and f*** the horse you rode in on.”

“Inside the mind of Ben Shapiro, the alt-right sage without the rage,” was the original title of the piece that included an interview with Shapiro. 

{mosads}After considerable blowback, The Economist changed the headline late Thursday morning. It now refers to Shapiro as a “radical conservative.”

“This article has been changed. A previous version mistakenly described Mr Shapiro as an ‘alt-right sage’ and ‘a pop idol of the alt right.’ In fact, he has been strongly critical of the alt-right movement. We apologise,” the publication wrote.

Shapiro, 35, has heavily criticized the alt-right on a regular basis. He took to Twitter to post a series of responses that included a link to a 2016 Washington Post piece in which he was quoted ripping then-candidate Trump for “flirting with the alt-right.”

You should be ashamed of yourselves for that garbage headline and description. To call yourselves a journalistic outlet and then botch this one so badly is astonishing. Here is me in 2016 in WaPo ripping Trump for flirting with the alt-right, e.g.: https://t.co/ZTbfswFTIT

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019

.@TheEconomist, this is a vile lie. Not only am I not alt-right, I am probably their leading critic on the right. I was the number one target of their hate in 2016 online according to ADL data. I demand a retraction. https://t.co/5p2ClA0mby

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019

Hit #1 on the NYT bestseller list and within hours @TheEconomist is lying about me by labelling me alt-right. How disgusting.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019

In other words, if you label me alt-right, f*** you and f*** the horse you rode in on.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019

Other members of the media joined in to support Shapiro’s argument.

Calling @benshapiro a “pop idol of the alt-right” is, regardless of your opinions on Shapiro, just incorrect. The alt-right… does not like Shapiro. He’s been one of the leading critics of the movement from the right. https://t.co/W4aXMM3TVh

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) 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

In reality Shapiro is an important figure precisely because he waves the “fusionism still works” banner in opposition to all the various alternative rights.https://t.co/b9hUs9zSfK

— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) March 28, 2019

This would be absolutely staggering news to the majority of the alt-right, who think Shapiro and virtually any mainline conservative is a globalist shill. https://t.co/ySZtwaOlkM

— Jane Coaston (@cjane87) March 28, 2019

Did @TheEconomist do any actual research on @benshapiro and the vile crap he gets from the *real* alt-right?

Forget I asked. Second paragraph in, the reporters write that Shapiro’s news site caters to “hyperventilating conservatives.” I think we know where this is going.

— Julie Gunlock (@JGunlock) March 28, 2019

Shapiro responded to the headline change by stating the modified headline is “at least defensible.” 

.@TheEconomist has now changed their headline — now I’m a “radical conservative.” At least that’s defensible. Here’s their correction and apology. pic.twitter.com/oGxv6iXuq1

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 28, 2019

Shapiro has a large following among younger conservatives, primarily through his daily podcast.

“The Ben Shapiro Show” podcast is downloaded 10 million times every month and 70 percent of his audience is under the age of 40, according to a 2018 report in The New York Times.