Mehdi Unfiltered

Donald Trump has a seriously abusive relationship with the media. He bashes them as “enemies of the people,” tries to discredit them as “fake news,” and even calls for reporters and anchors to be jailed, yet much of the so-called ‘liberal’ US media seem to give him a pass on so much of the shocking stuff that he says or does.No lessons seem to have been learned from the 2016 debacle, and our media is now bent on trying to find some sort of ridiculous equivalence between the ordinary exaggerations and misstatements of the Democrats and the brazen gaslighting and fabulism of Trump and the GOP. By trying to look ‘neutral’ and ‘unbiased,’ the press has effectively assumed the role of Trump normalizers, at best, and Trump apologists, at worst. So what’s wrong with our ‘liberal’ media? And how do we fix it before it’s too late? To answer these questions and more, Mehdi was joined in the studio this week on ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ by two of the US media’s most eloquent critics. Journalist and author Wajahat Ali, who publishes the Left Hook Substack newsletter, and veteran reporter and author James Fallows, who was chief speechwriter to President Jimmy Carter, and publishes the Breaking the News Substack newsletter. “I think it's time for fact checkers to retire for this election cycle.” “There's a bias towards normalizing things that are objectively crazy and being afraid to say, this is crazy.”Watch the panel discussion above to hear the full conversation about how the media lost their way, why truth is no longer prioritized in today’s mainstream media landscape, and listen out for at least one very dark, but very funny joke, from Wajahat!If you’re a paid subscriber, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments, and who you would like to see Mehdi talk to next! And if you’re not a paid subscriber, what are you waiting for? We want to hear from you too! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

In an exclusive interview with ‘Mehdi Unfiltered,’ the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, speaks to Mehdi on the threats that face both Palestinians in Gaza and his own organization. “I don't know how much worse it can become, I have to say, we are losing and we are lacking words to describe the situation,” says Lazzarini. UNRWA is currently fighting a polio outbreak in Gaza, but a successful vaccination campaign there is nearly impossible given Israel’s bombardment. “This is a communicable disease which doesn't know any border and could also spread in the entire region, including Israel,” Lazzarini tells Mehdi. In addition to disease, UNRWA faces repeated Israeli attempts at dismantling their entire organization. From accusations that staffers took part in the Oct. 7 attack, to allegations that Hamas builds tunnels under UNRWA schools.“I do not have the military expertise to look at what's underneath the entire Gaza Strip… All these allegations need to be investigated. First, we need to investigate the killing of the UN staff,” says Lazzarini. Watch the full conversation above to hear what the Commissioner-General also has to say about war crimes in Gaza.Also on the show: why can’t U.S. news organizations get their coverage of Donald Trump right? Mehdi is joined by journalist and author Wajahat Ali as well as former chief speechwriter to President Jimmy Carter, James Fallows, to talk about it. The conversation includes Ali calling for “fact checkers to retire for this election cycle,” Fallows on the “failure of imagination” among liberal white journalists, and a dark joke about detention camps from one of the two that we’ll leave for them to tell. Then there is Afghanistan, where the situation for women and minorities gets worse by the day, under Taliban rule, but which is being ignored by much of our mainstream media.“What we see today in Afghanistan is gender apartheid. Women have been erased from public life. Their basic rights have been taken away from them,” Ali Maisam Nazary, Head of Foreign Relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), tells Mehdi on this week’s show.Watch the full interview to hear more on the status of women in Afghanistan. Mehdi also challenges Nazary on the fighting in the Panjshir Valley, the NRF’s record in the last government, and the difficulties that lie ahead. If you’re a paid subscriber, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments, and who you would like to see Mehdi talk to next! And if you’re not a paid subscriber, what are you waiting for? We want to hear from you too! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comCHICAGO – In this special episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’, we’re at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, around the corner from the United Center, at the Palestinian-American owned OUD Coffee and Cafe. Mehdi is joined in this exclusive interview with prominent voices from the Uncommitted Movement – and just moments after it was revealed that the DNC would not be allowing a Palestinian to speak at the convention.Joining ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ are co-chair of the Uncommitted Movement Layla Elabed, who briefly spoke with Vice President Harris recently; former U.S. Representative from Michigan Andy Levin, a progressive, Jewish critic of Israel; and Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman, the first Muslim-American woman, and first Palestinian-American to be elected to the state’s House of Representatives.Just minutes before this recording began, the panel got word that the DNC officially confirmed a Palestinian speaker would not be brought to speak on stage at the convention on Thursday, despite officials suggesting to the movement earlier that it could happen. The DNC had gone so far as shortlisting potential speakers, according to unnamed members of the movement who spoke to Zeteo.“I really thought I could take something back after this week,” Romman said. “And now I don’t know what I’m going to say to [my community].” Romman was the Palestinian-American who most likely would have been the speaker on stage Thursday evening.The Uncommitted Movement has been a prominent anti-war, pro-Palestinian coalition that’s secured more than 700,000 votes during the Democratic Party primaries, including more than 100,000 in the swing state of Michigan alone. It has thirty delegates from 8 states here at the DNC. So, how does the movement feel after the DNC denied a Palestinian voice a spot on the convention stage, especially after they featured the parents of an Israeli-American hostage in Gaza on stage Wednesday night? Do members believe they’ve made headway with the Democratic party in recent months, what’s been happening behind-the-scenes? And, the big questions, what happens next – and what’s the plan for November? Watch the full conversation above and join the conversation in the comments below!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comThroughout the course of Israel’s brutal 10-month assault on Gaza, Ami Ayalon – the former head of Israel’s Security Service, Shin-Bet, and the ex-commander of the Israeli Navy – has emerged as one of the Netanyahu government’s chief critics, along with several other former Israeli military officials. In this wide-ranging interview for ‘Mehdi Unfiltered,’ Ayalon tells Mehdi why he believes Benjamin Netanyahu and Itamar Ben-Gvir are a threat to Israeli democracy, why it is time to “stop the occupation,” and why he would fight against Israel if he were a Palestinian.“[Netanyahu] did everything in order to increase the power of Hamas and to make sure that Abu Mazen and the Palestinian Authority will not be able to create a unified government,” Ayalon says. “I think that too many Israelis do not understand that we shall not have security unless we shall stop the occupation. And we shall not have democracy unless we shall end the occupation.”As reports of Israeli torture and rape against detained Palestinians continue to emerge, Mehdi also confronts Ayalon over allegations of torture against Shin Bet on his watch - and the former security chief admits to Mehdi that he has “many regrets.”Watch the full interview, above, to see Mehdi debate Ayalon on whether or not Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza by bombing civilian targets. Please note that free subscribers can only watch the first ten minutes as a preview.If you’re a paid subscriber, join the conversation below - we love hearing what you think!

In this week’s episode of Mehdi Unfiltered, Mehdi speaks to British Member of Parliament Zarah Sultana, who blames politicians and the press for the shocking far-right riots in the UKPlus, Mehdi speaks to YouTube star Bryan Tyler Cohen about his new book on the "shameless" GOP.SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

Mehdi speaks to 18-year-old conscientious objector Tal Mitnick, who chose to go to prison rather than serve with the Israeli army in occupied Gaza, and calls on the U.S. to stop arming his country.SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

Watch Mehdi break down all 30 chapters of Project 2025’s dystopian manifesto in just two minutes flat. (He speaks very fast!)SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode of Mehdi Unfiltered, Award-winning journalist and Zeteo contributor Rula Jebreal joins Mehdi to talk about a landmark 83-page opinion from The International Court of Justice asserting Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as illegal. Plus, Mehdi speaks to Congressman Ro Khanna of California about Joe Biden stepping down as the democratic nominee for president, and being replaced with his second in command, Kamala Harris. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

Mehdi lays out his seven pieces of unsolicited advice for Vice President Kamala Harris, who has now become the likely 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode of Mehdi Unfiltered, two former Trump administration officials join Mehdi to talk about the moments that stood out to them from the Republican National Convention, including Trump’s 92-minute-long speech. Plus, Mehdi debates The Washington Post’s Shadi Hamid on the media’s coverage of the former president.SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe