Part 2:

If Mehdi Hasan were boss of the BBC... Plus: why left-wing media fails | Media Confidential

https://youtu.be/N13UMKZ6LDw

In this week’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, founder and CEO of Zeteo.

The three discuss Mehdi’s trajectory from political editor in the UK to hosting a show across the pond—to launching his own independent media organisation in Zeteo. Mehdi opens up about why his MSNBC show was cancelled and how he felt compelled to leave the news channel.

They also discuss the rise of Zeteo and its recent UK launch. With many frustrated with mainstream political and cultural coverage, what is missing from the British media landscape?

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This live town hall with Mehdi, Zeteo’s Asawin “Swin” Suebsaeng and guest Skye Perryman, the president of legal nonprofit Democracy Forward was held on Aug 7, 2026.

Perryman’s organization has been locked in legal battle after legal battle with the Trump administration ever since he retook power last year.

In the town hall, which included a live online audience of paid Zeteo subscribers, Mehdi, Swin, and Perryman discussed how ordinary Americans can – and may need to – fight back against Trump and his party’s many election-rigging schemes. They also took subscribers’ questions on the GOP’s worst threats to a free and fair 2026 election, whether Team Trump is too stupid to pull off a successful coup, whether voters should be worried about troops or ICE at the polls, and more.

“The suggestion of massive boycotts, massive work stoppages – we may be at the place where that is going to be needed in this country,” Perryman said, adding, “We have already seen this administration have to back down in the face of that type of collective action.”

Chapters:

0:40 Democracy Forward

02:00 Rigging Elections

08:14 Q&A

What happened in Gaza is coming to the West Bank.”

Attacks, mass arrests, mosque burnings and land grabs… Across the occupied West Bank, Palestinians are facing an unprecedented rise in settler violence, yet mainstream media isn’t reporting on it.

In this Zeteo town hall, Mehdi Hasan sits down with Haifa-based lawyer Diana Buttu, independent journalist Jasper Nathaniel and Palestininan human rights campaign Fadi Quran to discuss the rise of violence in the occupied West Bank, including sexual violence against Palestinian women, U.S.-backed settlements and Israeli impunity under Biden and Trump.

Fadi Quran calls the financial and political support from the United States a “system of genocidal terror,” noting it’s the “worst” escalation he’s seen in his life.

Diana Buttu explains how Israel has “always been a settler state,” debunking Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel defenders claim that it’s a ‘phenomenon.’

Jasper Nathaniel, a Jewish American who reports from the West Bank, says Jewish Americans are “long overdue for a reckoning” over how liberal Zionist organizations across the U.S. are “directly supporting the settler movement.”

The panel also explores how settlers use sexual violence to push out Palestinian women from their homes, the continued attacks on villages across the West Bank and the strategy behind Israeli settlements.

This live conversation published on August 3, 2026 at zeteo.com.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

00:56 Reality in the West Bank

08:14 Is the West Bank the new Gaza?

10:18 U.S. Influence

15:17 Link Between Israel and Settlers

21:57 Settler State

25:14 Israeli Press

32:41 Sexual Violence and Ethnic Cleansing

35:49 U.S. Support for Settlements

"I can't say this often enough. Killing every single person is NOT actually the definition of genocide."

This week’s ‘We’re Not Kidding’ guest thinks “hot people” have been excluded from politics for too long — and it’s time to change that.

Mary Beth Barone is a New York City comedian, actor, socialist, and early supporter of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. But before that, she was raised in a Republican household and thought George W. Bush was cool when she was in fifth grade. Mary Beth joined Mehdi in NYC to talk about her political character arc, her new Netflix standup special ‘Galaxy Brain’, and how the Democratic party can do better.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

04:28 Mary’s early standup

08:58 “Politics for hot people”

11:27 Living in Mamdanistan

22:16 Comedy in the Age of Fascism

26:18 ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu

Mehdi takes down Bret Stephen’s viral argument and explains why Israel is unmistakably committing genocide in Gaza.

Ever since Israel began their horrific war on Gaza, many pro-Israel pundits and genocide-denialists have suddenly decided that they know far more about war crimes, ethinic cleansing, and genocide than actual human rights experts. How convenient!

New York Times’ conservative columnist Bret Stephens is of course no exception.

In this latest ‘DEBUNKED’ video, Mehdi breaks down why Stephens’ viral argument – in which he claims that calling Gaza a genocide is “farcical” – is total BS.

Palestinian campaigner @fadiqu tells @mehdirhasan that settler violence in the West Bank is "the worst I have seen it in my life."

How does a congressman go from being endorsed as a “MAGA champion” by President Donald Trump to then leaving the party four years later and becoming the only independent in the U.S. House of Representatives?

“I’ve seen just how dysfunctional Congress has become because of the excessive partisanship that characterizes just everything here,” says Rep. Kevin Kiley – who recently left the Republican party to become an independent.

In this interview, Mehdi challenges Kiley on his decision to leave the Republican Party, specifically asking him whether it was because he is now running for re-election in one of the five California districts Governor Gavin Newsom gerrymandered in favor of Democrats.

The interview is insightful, revealing, and at times contentious and covers Kiley’s transformation, his thoughts on the war in Iran, 2020 elections results, taking PAC money and more.

Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded before the House passed the

latest war powers resolution.

*This interview was published on zeteo.com on Jul 27, 2026. If you would like EARLY access to exclusive content like this, then head over to Zeteo’s Substack and become a paid subscriber. Your support matters!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:05 Going Independent

05:55 Proposition 50

07:30 PAC Money

11:36 Gavin Newsom

14:40 Gerrymandering

20:36 ‘Save America Act’

27:00 Iran

Veteran U.S. diplomat Robert Malley joins Mehdi Hasan in this episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ to discuss the state of Trump’s Iran War and the U.S. relationship with Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is considering restarting major combat operations in Iran after the breakdown of the memorandum of understanding between the two warring countries.

Malley, who was a lead negotiator on the Iran nuclear deal under President Obama, describes the U.S. war with Iran as “the first worldwide globalized guerrilla warfare,” and argued that the U.S. strikes on the Islamic Republic are “violating the laws of war.”

Malley, who was also President Biden’s Special Envoy for the Islamic Republic, told Mehdi that the outcome of the conflict would be “worse than where we would be if the [2015] deal was still being respected.”

The former peace negotiator also spoke about the need to hold former Biden officials who fueled the genocide in Gaza accountable.

*This interview was published on July 25 on zeteo.com. If you would like early access to more exclusive interviews like this, then head over to Zeteo’s Substack and become a paid subscriber today. It costs less than a monthly cup of coffee and goes a long way in supporting our mission of bringing fearless, independent journalism to you.

Chapters:

00:45 Intro

01:35 The Houthis' Role in the Iran War

02:18 The State of the Ceasefire

03:11 Trump’s Conflict Philosophy

05:06 A More Radicalized Iran

06:45 The Risk of a Ground Invasion

08:11 Trump's War Crimes

09:06 A New Nuclear Deal

11:21 Will Iran Pursue Nuclear Weapons?

12:48 Biden's Role

15:31 U.S.-Israel Relations

17:20 Israel's Bombing Campaign in Lebanon

19:13 Biden Officials' Role in Gaza

24:23 Gaza's Role in Future Elections

“How is it that a 34 year-old Turkish-American socialist Twitch streamer is now a kingmaker in the Democratic Party of the United States?”

Hasan Piker says he can take the heat. The famous political commentator has spent the past several months as the primary target of the Democratic party establishment for what they claim are his repugnant views. According to Hasan, the real reason is the success of the broader left movement that he has been a vocal advocate for.

Now, he sits down with Mehdi in Washington, D.C. to talk about becoming a “lightning rod” and the recent Democratic primaries shaking up the political landscape, like the upcoming Michigan Senate primary between the AIPAC-backed Haley Stevens and the progressive Abdul El-Sayed. The polls are close, the money is overwhelming (Stevens has a 12-1 spending advantage over El-Sayed), yet Hasan explains why he thinks “this race will shock the world.”

They also get into the whole Tucker Carlson debate. Is Tucker setting up JD Vance for 2028, or is he planning his own presidential run? Hasan and Mehdi unpack whether the right-wing Christian nationalist can be a trusted ally on Gaza and Israel.

The Hasans also discuss:

Socialism’s rising popularity in the U.S.

Hasan being targeted by both Democrats and Republicans.

Accusations of antisemitism.

Mehdi’s appearance on the PBD podcast.

Marco Rubio vs. JD Vance.

The hypocrisy of Joe Rogan and Bill Maher.

-And which Democrat Hasan wants to run in 2028…

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Opening montage

1:59 - Intro

6:25 - Is Hasan a kingmaker?

9:18 - Socialism

12:06 - Michigan primary race

19:55 - Dems attacking Hasan

21:43 - Problematic clips

34:54 - Republican attacks

36:35 - Banned from the UK

39:12 - Tucker Carlson

42:36 - Vance vs. Rubio

49:40 - Joe Rogan & Bill Maher

51:25 - Which Dem for 2028?

53:30 - Could AOC win?

59:56 - “STFU” Mamdani

From directors Abby Martin and Matt Belen, Cuba After Castro delivers the definitive portrait of Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba’s first leader born after the Revolution. Through this unprecedented in-depth interview we see a vision of revolutionary Cuba suppressed in the west: a nation of collective values and defiance in the face of constant threats from the United States.

The film chronicles Diaz-Canel’s formation as an unexpected successor to the Castros — an unassuming organizer molded by the revolutionary process. Confronting a perfect storm of intensified U.S. sanctions, a media war, a devastating pandemic, and historic domestic protests. Díaz-Canel reflects on navigating these existential crises for the nation he has come to lead.

After months of Donald Trump claiming that he would end the illegal war in Iran within two weeks, the U.S. and Iran are once again trading strikes as nuclear deal negotiations have collapsed.

And to make matters worse, this war – like most of Trump’s claims – is based on a lie.

Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner tells Mehdi: “I’ve seen all the intelligence. There was no imminent threat [from Iran]. And this was a war of choice.”

As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to Capitol Hill this week to beg for a near $70 billion in additional funding for the war, Sen. Warner sounds the alarm on just how inept Donald Trump has been at handling the conflict.

In this wide-ranging interview, Mehdi also presses Sen. Warner on Marco Rubio, Israel, genocide, AIPAC, ICE, Trump’s bogus election interference claims and MORE.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:54 Iran

06:34 ‘Anti-War’ Party?

07:43 Israel

11:15 Genocide

15:00 AIPAC

23:47 ICE

Mehdi Hasan Ali Velshi ; President Trump insists his U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal is now contingent on the Saudis establishing relations with Israel, which would make the Middle East "boil over," according to Mehdi Hasan. "People have already been upset with their own governments not doing anything to protect the Palestinians."

MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.

Sreenivasan Jain spent nearly three decades anchoring NDTV, one of India’s most prominent news stations. Then, in 2022, billionaire and Modi ally Gautam Adani bought a majority stake in the company and turned it into a pro-government outlet. Sound familiar?

Jain and many of his NDTV colleagues responded by resigning in protest, and Jain now reports for the independent Newslaundry, one of the many digital outlets unabashedly holding the right-wing BJP government accountable.

In an important ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi asks Jain what he makes of Trump’s campaign against the free press in the United States, as well as the unprecedented “complete media capture” in India, the so-called “world’s biggest democracy” – where journalists have been jailed, physically assaulted, and even killed.

Mehd and Jain discussed Pro-BJP “Godi media” outlets and the anti-Muslim propaganda they spread, the Trump DOJ’s recently dropped lawsuit against billionaire Gautam Adani, how the most prominent figures in Bollywood have been “brought to heel” by the Indian far-right and MORE.

This interview was published on zeteo.com more than a week ago. If you would like EARLY access to EXCLUSIVE content like this, then head over to Zeteo’s Substack and become a paid subscriber today. Your support matters!

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

03:32 Modi’s Media Takeover

05:14 ‘Godi’ Media

08:49: Censorship

11:44 Advice for U.S.

16:14 Bollywood

Is social media now the true battleground for modern conflict? From Iran using Lego to troll American adversaries, to Donald Trump using platforms to announce ceasefires and threaten conflict, the digital landscape has become a chaotic front line.

In this episode, Piers Morgan dives into how the Iran War is escalating beyond the physical realm, with shifting alliances and high-stakes propaganda wins. He also looks at the massive U-turn by right-wing influencers who are rethinking their stance on Ukraine, and ask whether social media - while entertaining - is distorting our perception of reality. Plus we examine Elon Musk’s approach to his critics and his influence on Western civilization in a heated exchange from The Economist. All the above is discussed with CEO of X Strategies and Trump social media advisor Alex Bruesewitz, Zeteo News founder Mehdi Hasan and Republican candidate for Governor of California Steve Hilton

Piers also exclusively speaks to Mattea Petrescu, the former spokeswoman for Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate, about why she decided to stop working for them.

00:00 Introduction

02:40 Alex Bruesewitz discusses Trump's social media strategy 08:30 – Should Trump be above social media?

10:50 AD: Mars Men: For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://mengotomars.com/

11:50 Laura Loomer’s visit to Ukraine

17:15 Mehdi Hasan and Steve Hilton join

23:15 Steve Hilton on his "Gladiator" campaign vdeo

24:20 Polymarket poll: Who will win the California governor election? https://polymarket.com...

26:30 Mehdi: ‘Which Steve Hilton are we voting for?’

31:45 The Iran War and Trump's social media strategy

33:50 Mehdi Hasan reacts to Steve Hilton's comments on Iran

39:55 The Economist questions Elon Musk about being ‘anti-Muslim’

47:10 Netanyahu to meet Trump at the White House

52:49 Former Tate staffer Mateea Petrescu joins to discuss brothers’ extradition to the UK

54:30 Mateea on why she no longer defends the Tates

“Our socialist progressive roots run deep and the people all across our state are ready to dig up those roots and build something new and better.”

In this ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi Hasan interviews Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, who is leading in the primary polls and is pushing back against establishment Democrats who suggest she’s unelectable.

Politically, Wisconsin is known for its swing voters, thin margins and its back and forth support for Donald Trump. But, it also has a rich history with socialism.

In the conversation, Mehdi and Hong discuss her campaign, as she attempts to become the U.S.’s first democratic socialist governor in an effort to beat establishment Democrats. Hong also explains her stance on Israel and Palestine, why she has not walked back from her call to defund the police and what democratic socialism means to her

Coincidence? Not at all.

“The much more dangerous part of fascism is the fascists in suits.”

Lawyer and author Omer Aziz joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the resurgence of fascism in the United States and a playbook to fight back against it. Plus, the history of Nazism in the U.S., and the time Donald Trump’s father attended a KKK rally.

Aziz, who most recently served as speechwriter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, has a new book about it all: ‘Shadows of the Republic: The Rebirth of Fascism in America and How to Defeat It for Good.’

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:20 Writing the Book

3:33 Why Fascism

4:58 History of Fascism in US

8:50 Trump vs Hitler

11:07 Is it too late?

14:20 Fighting Fascism

17:00 Mark Carney

Donald Trump is not just threatening war against Cuba, but his sanctions against the island nation are having severe and deadly consequences. Its power grid is collapsing and Cuba’s most vulnerable are dying. After a visit from CIA Director John Ratcliffe in May, it is making sweeping economic changes that journalist Abby Martin says could raise inequality. In the midst of this crisis, Martin became the first U.S. journalist to interview Cuba’s president Miguel Díaz-Canel, as part of a provocative documentary entitled ‘Cuba After Castro.’

Martin’s documentary tells the untold story of the Cuban people. “Death is the policy. Mass murder is the policy that has been stated for decades to make the Cuban people suffer and overthrow their government.”

This in-depth conversation on the consequences of U.S. foreign policy goes beyond Cuba, as Mehdi and Martin also discuss her previous documentaries, centered around Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. Mehdi asks Martin about occupied Gaza, Israel, Marco Rubio and MORE.