'I agree with me': Ben Shapiro's viral comedic response to Democrat who confronts him about his religious beliefs

Ben Shapiro shut down Rep. Eric Swalwell on Wednesday after the California Democrat tried — but failed — to weaponize Shapiro's personal religious beliefs.

At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the controversial Global Alliance for Responsible Media, Swalwell chose to question Shapiro about a topic unrelated to the hearing: Project 2025, the forward-looking plan for America created by the Heritage Foundation.

'Yes, I'm a religious Jew. That's true. You've found me out.'

After, ironically, Swalwell admitted he agreed with much of the project's proposals — for example, less government bureaucracy, more government efficiency, less government waste — the California Democrat tried to question Shapiro about immigration. And when Shapiro knocked those questions out of the park, Swalwell turned to abortion and same-sex marriage.

But that's when the hearing took a bizarre turn.

Shapiro attended the hearing as a representative of the Daily Wire, which had been unfairly targeted by GARM. But Swalwell chose to question Shapiro about his religious beliefs, instead.

"Do you support that part? ... Banning same-sex marriage?" Swalwell asked, referring to Project 2025.

"I am in favor of traditional marriage between a man and a woman, and I'm perfectly fine with anyone having any sort of voluntary sexual arrangement they seek," Shapiro responded. "That's a different thing from whether the government should attach benefits to that personal relationship."

That answer, however, was not sufficient for Swalwell, who responded by more precisely probing Shapiro's religious beliefs.

"But you think it's a sin to have same-sex marriage?" the Democrat followed up.

"I mean, I'm confused. Are you asking me as a religious Jew what I think about biblically?" Shapiro responded.

"I'm just asking: Is it a sin to be gay?" Swalwell asked again.

"From a religious Jewish perspective, orientation is not a sin, but activity is, that's also the same perspective of most major religions so far as I'm aware," Shapiro pointed out.

For the next minute, Swalwell asked Shapiro two questions on different topics. But, oddly, he later returned to the question of same-sex marriage, claiming to have found "receipts" of Shapiro's previous comments condemning homosexuality. Swalwell proceeded to read one such quote.

"Yes, I'm a religious Jew. That's true. You've found me out," Shapiro fired back. "I agree with me. Yes, that's true."

The response drew laughter from the crowd gathered in the hearing room.

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