Mehdi Hasan's Viral Jubilee Debate With Far-Right Conservatives, Explained

Forbes

5 days ago

Topline
Left-wing journalist Mehdi Hasan debated 20 far-right conservatives in a video that has gone viral on social media, largely due to shocking statements made by some of his opponents, including one who admitted he identifies as a fascist and doesn't care about being called a Nazi—and who has since lost his job, which Forbes confirmed through an employer.
Mehdi Hasan's debate video for Jubilee has gone viral. (Photo byfor ... More Crooked Media) Getty Images for Crooked Media
Key Facts
The video, part of a controversial video series produced by media company Jubilee, has garnered 4 million views since its publication Tuesday and has racked up millions more views across X and TikTok.
The nearly two-hour debate covered hot topics ripped from the headlines: Whether President Trump was defying the constitution, the value of immigrants to the U.S. and U.S. involvement in Gaza.
Some inflammatory claims made by the participants have gone viral, including one from a man who identified himself as Connor, who responded, 'Yeah, I am,' after Hasan suggested he may be a fascist, to applause from the other participants, and also said he didn't care about being called a Nazi, voiced opposition to democracy and free speech, and advocated for autocracy by rulers who uphold Catholic teachings.
One day after the Jubilee debate, Connor (who has not returned interview requests from Forbes) claimed in an interview on RiftTV he was fired from his job as a result of the debate, which he blamed on the 'manner in which you're canceled' for voicing 'heterosexual, Christian, moral beliefs.'
VeUP, a cloud engineering firm, confirmed to Forbes the man had been a subcontractor, stating his employment was 'not terminated by VeUP, but by the core contractor.'
Connor has since posted a fundraiser on a Christian fundraising platform seeking $15,000 in emergency funds while he seeks a new job, and as of Tuesday morning, he has raised more than $29,000, with some comments from donors including, 'It's ok to be white,' and 'We need a white nation! It's our only future! Vive le Fascisme!'
What Moments From The Debate Have Gone Viral?
One clip from the debate, in which a participant tells Hasan he's 'going to have to go'—meaning he wants Hasan, who is an immigrant, to leave the United States—garnered 10 million views in a post on X. In another clip that garnered 4 million views on X, a participant told Hasan he feels his 'entire race,' referring to white people, is facing a 'genocide' in the United States. In a moment from the debate that garnered 4 million views on TikTok, Hasan pressed a participant over her views on immigration, prompting her to admit her parents are immigrants to the United States, but 'at this moment' she does not 'accept that immigrants are Americans.'
What Has Hasan Said After The Debate?
Hasan has said in posts on X after the debate was uploaded to YouTube that he did not know some of the participants would be 'actual outright open fascists,' adding in another post, 'Jubilee cast these folks, not me!' At the end of the Jubilee video, Hasan said he enjoys debating people but tries to 'avoid bad faith folks,' adding he believes some of the participants in the video were debating in bad faith. 'Free speech doesn't mean you need to give credibility or oxygen or a platform to people who don't agree in human equality,' he said.
Chief Critics
Some viewers have criticized Jubilee, accusing the media company of platforming people who lack basic decency. In one post that garnered 44,000 likes on X, a user accused Jubilee of 'lying to its guests,' referencing a post by Hasan saying he was unaware of how far-right the guests would be. In another post that garnered 30,000 likes, a user said Jubilee should be 'demonetized' on YouTube, accusing it of 'knowingly spreading Nazi propaganda.' Last year, when a different Jubilee debate video went viral, a Vox journalist said the questions appear 'primed to become 'rage bait' clips meant to get viewers excited or angry, to the tune of millions of clicks.' Matt Bernstein, a left-wing activist and podcaster with millions of social media followers, said he previously turned down an invitation to appear on Jubilee and said he does not believe a "channel that gives a platform of millions to people who self identify as 'fascist' should be allowed to monetize its videos' on YouTube.
Who Is Mehdi Hasan?
A former MSNBC host, Hasan left the network last year and launched his media company Zeteo, which he previously told Forbes is an independent organization through which he will speak 'bluntly about racism, fascism, genocide and more.' Hasan hosts multiple podcasts for Zeteo as well as the 'Head to Head' podcast for Al Jazeera, and works as a columnist for The Guardian. He is the author of a 2023 book, 'Win Every Argument,' about how to succeed in debates.
What Is Jubilee?
Jubilee is a media company mostly known for its YouTube channel, where it has 10 million subscribers and primarily posts videos that attempt to challenge social taboos and norms. One of its most popular video series is the format Hasan participated in, in which one person of a certain political belief is made to debate more than a dozen people with opposing beliefs. Last year, a video of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk debating 25 college students described as liberal racked up 30 million views, making it one of Jubilee's most popular uploads. Other popular video series include 'Odd One Out,' in which a group of people are challenged to find which one does not share a common characteristic—like six vegans trying to find the one meat eater—and 'Middle Ground,' where people of opposing political views try to find beliefs in common.
Further Reading
'1 woke teen vs. 20 Trump supporters': The new age of viral political videos (Vox)
'Memeification of Politics': What to Know About Jubilee Media's Viral Debate Show Surrounded (Time)