‘What I Didn’t Expect Was Open Racism’: Mehdi Hasan's Takeaways From Debate with the ‘Far-Right’

‘What I didn’t expect was open racism’: Mehdi Hasan's takeaways from debate with the ‘far-right’

After his debate with 20 “far-right conservatives” on the YouTube channel Jubilee went viral, Mehdi Hasan joined ‘Velshi’ to discuss the value of debating far-right extremists and what he learned from the experience. “I knew they would be extreme. What I didn't expect was open racism, of the kind we haven't seen for a long time, where people are telling me to my face to get out of the country.”

Mehdi Hasan Viral Jubilee Debate: A ‘Low‑key KKK Rally’ & The Problem of Platforming Fascists

When Jubilee Media uploaded its now viral Surrounded Mehdi Hasan Jubilee Debate debate episode, “1 Progressive vs 20 Far‑Right Conservatives,” on 20 July 2025, the premise seemed simple: place the sharp‑tongued progressive journalist Mehdi Hasan in a room with 20 young conservatives and let them test their arguments. What millions of viewers witnessed was more than a debate; it became a case study in the mainstreaming of extremist ideologies and…