Latest news with #MehdiHasan
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Viral Debate Clip Highlights A Scary Reality About Today's Conservatives
A viral clip from a debate between political commentator and journalist Mehdi Hasan and a self-proclaimed fascist is bringing to light some troubling realities about the conservative movement and the general level of public discourse today. Hasan appeared in the latest episode of Jubilee's 'Surrounded' series titled '1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives,' during which the former MSNBC host at one point debated a participant by the name of Connor. When asked to describe his ideal vision of the U.S., Connor referenced deporting people and then expressed a desire for a 'benevolent' autocrat who puts an end to American democracy. He also insisted that he would not be harmed by such a dictator and started to quote Nazi theorist Carl Schmitt, leading Hasan to ask if he was a fan of the Nazis. 'We may have to rename this show because you're a little bit more than a far-right Republican.'@mehdirhasan called out a self-proclaimed 'fascist' on the show 'Surrounded' where he debated 20 far-right Republicans. — Zeteo (@zeteo_news) July 20, 2025 'I frankly don't care about being called a Nazi at all,' Connor responded, later adding, 'Well, they persecuted the church a little bit. I'm not a fan of that.' Asked about Nazi persecution of Jews, he said, 'I certainly don't support anyone's human dignity being assaulted.' And when Hasan suggested that his views make him a fascist, he proudly replied, 'Yeah, I am.' This particular exchange highlights a number of disturbing aspects of the modern far-right movement, particularly the extremist vision of government and dangerous delusions about how such a system would impact people. 'I don't think that it is terribly rational to believe that one couldn't be harmed by a benevolent dictator, should one rise to take power,' Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, told HuffPost. 'Even 'benevolent' dictators have rarely remained so throughout their tenure in office and have a track record of hurting even those who are closest to them.' When Connor shared his vision of government under a 'benevolent' autocrat, he stated, 'I'm not going to be a part of the group that he kills.' But this viewpoint is particularly misguided and dangerous, in addition to callous. 'Excessive executive power is always dangerous because of the potential for capriciousness,' said Todd Belt, professor and political management program director at The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University. 'The autocrat who is friendly to you one day may not be the next. Also, power corrupts.' With this in mind, Neiheisel emphasized the value of a critical and engaged citizenry. 'I would also say that a healthy distrust of power is, on balance, a positive orientation to have in a democratic public,' he said. To maintain this kind of critical thinking and healthy distrust, however, the public must be educated and informed about historic events and politics. 'I think it is terrifying that fascism seems to be making a comeback among some young people who are terribly misinformed about what awful, immoral, murderous regimes they were,' said John Jost, a professor of psychology and politics at New York University. 'This guy seems to think that Francisco Franco was a good Catholic guy, but he is either completely clueless or in massive ideological denial. Even the slightest bit of research reveals that Franco killed much more than 100,000 innocent people, and it took many decades for the Spanish people to get over it, if indeed they have.' Jost published a paper in September titled 'Both-Sideology Endangers Democracy and Social Science' ― in which he points to evidence that 'false, misleading, and poor-quality information is more likely to populate conservative-rightist than liberal-leftist media ecosystems.' Thus, misleading and incorrect information about dictators like Franco can more easily spread and give rise to troubling views on government. 'The kind of rhetoric on display from the person Hasan was questioning appears to have become more prevalent on the right in recent years,' Neiheisel said. 'Although he doesn't say as much, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the individual in the clip is motivated by a desire to see some flavor of Christian dominion or theonomy come into practice in the United States.' He added that many others have come to support autocratic rule without a religious motivation ― as seen with influential far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin's argument for an American monarchy. 'I think that pro-fascist guy's comment about having a benevolent dictator speaks to a bit of a larger phenomenon that's happening in the United States where some portion of the electorate hungers for a strongman,' said Matt Dallek, a political historian and professor at The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University. He pointed to a far-right vision of an all-powerful figure who expels immigrants, fosters a more white and native-born population, and unleashes law enforcement to go after alleged bad actors like 'the corrupt evil Deep State' with Democrats and 'Never Trumpers' and whoever the enemy of the moment is. 'That sentiment has become increasingly mainstream over the past few years ― that if you are a citizen, you're native born, you're white, you're a man and you have resources, then the authoritarian forces that this benevolent dictator will unleash will only target the bad guys, not you,' Dallek said. This delusional viewpoint in service of a racist, extremist and even murderous vision for the future suggests public discourse might be reaching new lows ― which begs the question of whether these kinds of 'debates' involving extremists are in any way helpful or productive for the participants, viewers or society at large. 'I'm not sure how helpful these types of debates are,' Neiheisel said. 'The only possible way in which the exchange between Hasan and Connor could be seen as a normative good from my perspective is that it might showcase that there actually are people who believe what Connor professes to believe about what government ought to look like. Acknowledging that there are those who would turn the country into more of an autocratic state is the first step en route to understanding why this impulse exists.' Belt noted that rather than a censoring or 'cancelling' approach, the 'Surrounded' debate setup takes the position of 'counterspeech' ― responding directly to harmful or offensive speech and countering it with more speech. 'While this approach aligns with constitutional values theoretically, I think that in practice it does not achieve the thoughtfulness of dialogue implicit in the counterspeech doctrine,' he said. 'The incessant interruptions make the video look more like a game of who can score the most points by making the other look as radical as fast as they can, and that's not really thoughtful dialogue. I think this video appeals to audiences who are looking for someone to take the other side 'down a peg' ― there's a real schadenfreude appeal to this type of video.' He added that progressives disillusioned with the Democratic Party's 'milquetoast' response to Trump's second term might find particular satisfaction in these kinds of viral clips and seeing someone take their arguments more forcefully to the other side. 'On one hand, the old Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis shared the idea that 'sunlight is the best disinfectant,' and typically those who believe in free speech believe you counter bad speech with good speech,' Dallek said. 'So I understand the impulse of taking on someone with really hateful, horrific views, and trying to expose that person for holding those extremist positions.' On the other hand, he believes it is 'a little bit nuts' to platform someone who is a self-proclaimed fascist and seemingly refuses to condemn Hitler and the Holocaust. Sure, this choice might draw attention and traffic to your clip and to your platform, but at what cost to humanity? (For his part, Hasan has said the producers did not communicate the extreme nature of the conservative participants' views to him ahead of his appearance.) 'I don't think much, if anything, can be gained by providing a platform and legitimizing such extreme, repugnant views via a debate with someone who is so far out because you're helping put these horrific ideas ― which have mostly been confined to the fringe since World War II ― into the mainstream,' Dallek said. 'And in the age of the internet and social media, some people will listen to others who express hateful or conspiratorial rhetoric, and they will act on these ideas in violent ways. So it's really kind of perilous and a way of further debasing a public discourse that has already been debased quite dramatically.' He emphasized that he has a lot of respect for nonprofits, civic organizations and individuals who attempt to bridge divides in the United States by having conversations with right-wing Trump supporters in which they seek to listen and understand why people believe systems are rigged or corrupt. 'I think that kind of dialogue can be productive and is important, but it's very different from what seems to me to be an almost Jerry Springer-esque pie-throwing contest with a self-described fascist,' Dallek noted. 'That's a bad idea if you want to have a serious conversation about the divisions in the U.S. The country is awash in hateful, dehumanizing rhetoric, and these ideas have become more mainstream. Platforming a self-described fascist only serves to further that process.' Related... Former MSNBC Host's Reaction To Right-Winger Calling Self A 'Fascist' Goes Viral Trump Called MAGA Supporters 'Stupid' — But Do They Even Care? Experts Weigh In. Trump Leveled A Baffling Threat At Rosie O'Donnell — Experts Explain Why It's Truly Terrifying
Buzz Feed
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Connor From Jubilee Video Lost Job, Asks For Money
By now, you've surely seen clips of the viral Jubilee video where progressive journalist and author Mehdi Hasan debated 20 far-right conservatives. It was disturbing, to say the least. And one of the most controversial participants was Connor, a self-proclaimed fascist... ...who brought up Nazi theorist Carl Schmitt to defend his stance, and then refused to condemn Nazis. The clip was shared and discussed widely across social media. During an appearance on the Rift TV podcast, Connor gave an update, saying, "Unfortunately, I lost my job as a result. No one really is to blame for that. It's just the culture that kind of exists currently, surrounding the manner in which you're canceled for voicing a ... heterosexual, Christian, sort of moral belief." On the podcast, he said he condemns "the persecution of anyone, Jews included," but didn't want to "play" Mehdi's "game" because it was a "loaded question." After losing his job, Connor began crowdfunding on a GiveSendGo page with the title: "Fired for my Political Beliefs." He wrote, "Voicing fully legal traditional right wing political views results in real consequences. This is cancel culture and political discrimination on full display." At the time of publication, Connor has raised $36k and received 975 prayers??? Okay. People who gave donations also wrote comments supporting Connor and asking God to bless him. As you might imagine, the internet is having a field day with all this. Here's what people are saying: The entire video is up on Jubilee's YouTube page. For those of you who watched it, how did it make you feel? What are your thoughts or concerns? Share in the comments or in the anonymous form below.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Self-Described Fascist Begs for Donations After Claiming Viral Debate Got Him Fired
A man who admitted to being a fascist during a debate claims he's been fired from his job after sharing his 'traditional' right-wing political views, and is now asking for handouts. The man, who identifies himself as 'Connor' in a fundraiser asking for donations but uses the pseudonym Pinesap, was one of '20 far-right conservatives' who debated progressive broadcaster Mehdi Hasan as part of Jubilee's 'Surrounded' series. During the debate—which has been viewed almost 4 million times on YouTube alone—Connor said he believes in 'autocracy' and was asked by Hasan if he's a fan of the Nazis. 'I, frankly, don't care being called a Nazi at all,' Connor answered. Connor, who identified himself as a Catholic, also complained that the Nazis 'persecuted the church a little bit.' Asked about the Nazis' persecution of Jews specifically, Connor added: 'I certainly don't support anyone's human dignity being assaulted.' 'There was a little bit of persecution and stuff like that, which is bad,' he added, when Hasan pressed him on Jewish persecution again. 'We may have to rename this show,' Hasan said, 'Because you're a little bit more than a far-right Republican.' 'Hey, what can I say?' Connor replied with a smile. When Hasan suggested Connor could describe himself as a 'fascist,' Connor said: 'Yeah, I am,' before laughing maniacally and receiving applause from others in the debate. Connor now claims he was fired for his views and has launched a fundraising page on GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site which has faced criticism for hosting extremist causes. 'I'm raising money as an emergency fund and for other expenses while I look for a new job,' the page reads, without providing details of the role or company he was supposedly fired from. 'Unfortunately, voicing fully legal traditional right-wing political views results in real consequences. This is cancel culture and political discrimination on full display.' The page has already blown past its original $15,000 goal, with contributions hitting just under $20,000 as of Tuesday morning. 'We need a white nation! It's our only future! Vive le Fascisme,' one donor wrote while contributing $88. The number 88 is a coded far-right symbol used by neo-Nazis and white supremacists, which stands for 'Heil Hitler' as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. 'We are rising and must look after one another,' another anonymous donor posted while chipping in $15. Connor discussed getting fired, without naming the company or his job title, during an appearance on the Rift Report podcast on Monday. 'Well, unfortunately, I lost my job as a result. And no one really is to blame for that,' he said of the debate. 'It's just the culture that kind of exists currently surrounding the manner in which you're canceled for voicing [...] any heterosexual, Christian, sort of moral belief that goes beyond sort of the secularism and the relativism that we're so used to in our time.' Connor did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former MSNBC Host's Reaction To Right-Winger Calling Self A 'Fascist' Goes Viral
Political commentator and journalist Mehdi Hasan's baffled reaction to a far-right influencer proudly admitting he is a fascist has left the internet in shock, and the YouTube channel that hosted the debate between the two is facing pushback for platforming fascism. In a Sunday episode of Jubilee's 'Surrounded' titled '1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives,' the former MSNBC host was shocked to find out his opponents included those he described as 'actual outright open fascists.' Journalist Mehdi Hasan said he was disappointed after a debate with far-right conservatives he called "openly fascist" aired on Jubilee. Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images 'I am disappointed that I had to sit across from people who believe in white genocide, who believe I'm not a citizen,' Hasan said, reflecting on the debate at the end of the episode. 'Multiple people here said I should be deported. One of them was even the child of immigrants, which I found bizarre.' One person in particular left Hasan's jaw on the floor. The topic that Hasan had put up for debate was whether 'Donald Trump is defying the Constitution.' That conversation begins at 21:40. 'I don't really care, to be quite frankly,' said one guest, who went by the name of Connor. 'Quite frankly, there are a lot of legal processes that are enabling criminals and bad people to fully enact their will in this country in the name of the Constitution,' Connor continued. 'So quite frankly, if Trump is anti-Constitution, good, and I think he should go further.' 'This is wonderfully revealing of the modern conservative mindset,' Hasan said. Connor went on to quote Nazi theorist Carl Schmitt, and when Hasan asked how Connor felt about the Nazis, he replied, 'Well, they persecuted the church a little bit. I'm not a fan of that.' When asked specifically about Jews, Connor said, 'I certainly don't support anyone's human dignity being assaulted.' At that point, Hasan interjected that Connor was 'a little bit more than a far-right Republican.' 'Hey, what can I say?' Connor said. 'I think you can say, 'I'm a fascist,'' Hasan replied. 'Yeah, I am,' Connor said, laughing. Hasan looked concerned and baffled as the group cheered and clapped for Connor. Hasan eventually ended the exchange, stating, 'I don't debate fascists.' The self-identified fascist later claimed he lost his job because of his comments on the show, and ranted about cancel culture while in an appearance on RiftTV. He also set up a fundraiser for himself, which was reviewed by HuffPost and had reached over $25,000 at the time of writing. 'Unfortunately, voicing fully legal traditional right wing political views results in real consequences,' Connor wrote on a page for the fundraiser, which did not say what his job had been. 'This is cancel culture and political discrimination on full display.' Many online have condemned Jubilee for platforming him and other far-right conservatives in the first place. Another person on the episode told Hasan to 'get the hell out' and 'I don't want you here' after the journalist said he was an immigrant, in an intense interaction that starts at 53:46. In his reflection at the episode's end, Hasan called it 'kind of disturbing to see that they think what I thought they think and they were happy to say it out loud.' He told followers on X, formerly Twitter, that this was 'not how the debate was sold' to him by producers. Related...
Forbes
2 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Mehdi Hasan's Viral Jubilee Debate With Far-Right Conservatives, Explained
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)
