Liberal Host Mehdi Hasan Clashes with 20 Far-Right Trump Supporters on Explosive YouTube Debate
Los Angeles – July 21, 2025 – Sparks flew and tensions soared as liberal journalist Mehdi Hasan faced off against 20 far-right Trump supporters in a dramatic and chaotic debate on the popular YouTube show “Surrounded” by Jubilee. The episode, released over the weekend, quickly went viral as both sides clashed over heated topics like crime, immigration, the Constitution, and former President Donald Trump’s legacy.
Hasan, a former MSNBC host and now CEO of the media platform Zeteo, took center stage as the lone progressive voice against a room filled with vocal conservative and far-right opponents. Reflecting on the experience later, Hasan admitted, “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
The format of the show involved Hasan making bold claims, which were then challenged by his opponents. One of his most controversial remarks was accusing Trump of being “pro-crime” and “pro-criminal,” arguing that the former president defies the Constitution and supports policies amounting to ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Hasan defended his statement by highlighting Trump’s blanket pardons for over 1,500 individuals linked to the January 6th Capitol riots, including nearly 600 people charged with assaulting or resisting law enforcement. He said someone who pardons such individuals is clearly soft on crime, explaining, “Pro-criminal could describe someone who is soft on criminals, such as letting criminals leave prison or pardoning individuals who assaulted police officers.”
In response, a Republican participant called January 6th a “very special case” and a “climax point in history.” He admitted that “pardons that probably shouldn’t have been given” don’t necessarily make Trump pro-crime.”
The debate also took a personal turn when one conservative questioned Hasan’s right to comment on U.S. issues, saying, “Why do you care about what’s happening here? You’re from England, and your parents are from India.” Hasan, a naturalized U.S. citizen, didn’t hesitate to respond but was met with more hostility.
Another Trump supporter bluntly told him, “I don’t want you here,” adding, “Because you come here and say all this bulls— about how Americans are lazy, you push your left-wing politics.”
The arguments quickly escalated into chaos, with some conservatives embracing extreme positions. One declared, “Quite frankly, if Trump is anti-Constitution, good, and I think he should go further.” When Hasan asked if that meant changing the Constitution when it’s in their favor, the man said, “Absolutely.” But when asked if Democrats should be allowed to do the same, he replied, “Absolutely not.”
Another participant openly identified as a fascist, saying, “I’m for defending the traditional demographics of this country, which is majority white. It should stay that way.” He also stated that he believes in autocracy led by those who are “in line with Catholic teaching,” and admitted he didn’t vote for Trump because “he’s not Catholic.”
The tone turned even more combative when one conservative said, “You’re in a room with juggernauts right now. I’m telling you right now, you are going to be blown open if you think that my position is hard-right. You have no idea what you’re up against.”
In a moment of irony, Hasan quipped that some of the Trump supporters were so extreme, they made “liberals” out of neoconservatives and libertarians, saying, “You might as well be leftists.”
Jubilee’s “Surrounded” has become known for pitting ideological extremes against each other and has previously hosted controversial figures like Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, and Charlie Kirk.
This episode, however, may have been one of the most volatile yet — a true glimpse into the polarized state of American political discourse in 2025.
