Read Rush Limbaugh’s Long-Form Interview of Breitbart Editor Ben Shapiro

In the January issue of the Limbaugh Letter, Rush Limbaugh conducted a six-page interview with Breitbart News senior editor-at-large Ben Shapiro. The interview covered everything from Donald Trump to the Republican Party’s inability to break through with young voters.

Limbaugh asked Shapiro if–at age 31 with six books under his belt, including The New York Times bestselling Bullies–he was doing what he dreamed of doing. Shapiro told him, “I really feel that the difference to be made in American culture is not necessarily through the traditional means of politics… I think you’re a far more important force in American life, Andrew Breitbart was a far more important force in American life, than the vast majority of legislators who are ever going to set foot on the public stage. So, yes, I can say I’m doing what I dreamed of, which is utilizing whatever ability I have in my power to fight the nefarious forces of the left — which I really believe are the forces that are going to destroy the country from within.”

Limbaugh replied, “You write, you go on television, you tell people what you think, but then you’re out there trying to see that it dominates, that it is implemented. That’s exactly what the conservative movement needs. You’re not just content to have people be dazzled by your brilliance; you actually go out and confront and try to persuade, mobilize, motivate people.”

Shapiro told Limbaugh that the great shortcoming of the Republican Party is its failure to engage in politics as war: “If they’re on the left and they’re hardcore on the left, not only do I not care about them, my goal is to humiliate them in front of as many people as humanly possible. Because this is blood sport now. This is war. This is a political war, and trying to pretend that it’s just having a conversation over a beer, I don’t have that much time in my life.”

Shapiro also talked at length about reaching out to young people – and he said that the key was not pandering to them. “I don’t believe in coddling young people. I think this is how we got here,” Shapiro told Limbaugh. “We got here because we had two generations of parents teaching their kids self-esteem in the absence of achievement. And now we’re surprised when kids want crap in the absence of achievement. You don’t get to take other people’s stuff because you’re a loser. It makes you an immoral person and a bad person if you think that’s okay.”

Limbaugh concluded, “After talking to you here for 45 minutes, the best thing the Republican Party could do would be to listen to you and try to emulate your beliefs, your energy, and your strategies — because you seem to have more potential and more ideas about how to actually beat these people back. I wish you all the luck in the world. It’s been fascinating to watch you become the master of your domain. It’s really, really great what you’ve been able to do, and I wish you continued success…Tell everybody at Breitbart I said hi.”

To read the whole interview, click here.