Mehdi Unfiltered

This week, we have a bonus episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ because there’s no shortage of news to cover. On Sunday, we saw another assassination attempt on former President Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, with the alleged shooter having an AK47-type rifle on him. As upset as the Republicans are, their outrage over this second assassination attempt on Trump has its limits. It stops at gun control.Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Democrat from Florida, the first member of Generation Z to be elected to Congress, and the former National Organizing Director for March for Our Lives, the youth-led movement in support of gun control, joins Mehdi in studio to talk about the attempted attack and the failure of gun reform in in the US so far. Also on the show, Zeteo contributor, award-winning actor and activist Cynthia Nixon discusses Barnard College’s latest restrictions on its faculty when it comes to speech, freedom of expression, and pro-Palestinian sentiment on its campus. Nixon is a Barnard alumna and had a lot to say, including on the recent suspensions of students, which left many without health insurance and, in some cases, even housing. And finally, justice correspondent for The Nation, Elie Mystal discusses Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance’s dangerous peddling of fake stories about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. It’s led to serious threats against Springfield schools, hospitals, city officials, and the city’s Haitian population. Mystal is of Haitian descent and recently wrote for the Nation: ‘White People Have Never Forgiven Haitians for Claiming Their Freedom’. He joins the show to talk about his piece; the racist, Republican-led narrative being pushed; and the bigger picture. We hope you enjoy this week’s bonus episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’. Be sure to join the conversation in the comments - including telling us what you thought of this week’s guests. (We really do read what you have to say!)And in case you missed it, be sure to check out Mehdi’s exclusive interview with Jill Stein from Monday.  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.comIn this special episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’, Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein and her running mate professor Butch Ware join ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ for a wide-ranging and challenging interview. Stein sat down for an hour-long interview with Mehdi where he covered her stance on Israel and Gaza; whether she helped Trump in 2016 and whether she is helping him again in 2024; her own controversial record on Russia and Syria; and the long-standing failures of the Green Party on her watch. The almost 1-hour interview, above, with Stein and her running mate Ware, is available in full for our paid subscribers. (Free subscribers get a preview.)For those of you who are paid subscribers, do join the conversation in the comments. A NOTE FROM MEHDI: I see some lively and critical discussions in the comments below. To be clear, I do tough interviews. Jill Stein and Butch Ware merited a tough - but fair - interview. I'm amused that some people enjoy my interview style when it is a guest they dislike, but dislike my interview style when it's a guest they like. I hope you all watch the full interview, which we did at length, to give both guests an opportunity to address multiple contentious issues. 

The Occupied Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank are home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. But today in Gaza, the Israeli bombardment of churches and Palestinian Christian neighborhoods is pushing that community to the brink of extinction. And in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler expansion and travel restrictions not only make it difficult for Palestinian Christians there to practice their faith, but can even classify them as illegals in their own home.Khalil Sayegh, a Palestinian Christian and former resident of both occupied Gaza and the occupied West Bank, joins Mehdi to discuss the consequences of Israel’s war, and how Israeli aggression isn’t only killing the Palestinian Christians of today, but the Palestinian Christians of tomorrow as well. “We’re less than a thousand [Christian] people in Gaza, we’re allowed to only marry Christians, and there are almost no Christians to marry anymore,” says Khalil, who lost his father and sister in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians. Watch the full interview above to hear why Sayegh is not allowed to return to his homeland of Palestine, his reasoning as to why Christian evangelicals in the US are turning a blind eye to the Christians of occupied Gaza, and his heartbreaking stories of loss from the embattled strip.  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

On this week’s episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’, Mehdi breaks down former President Donald Trump’s “embarrassingly incoherent but shamelessly dishonest” debate performance on Tuesday night, after Kamala Harris successfully baited him and exposed “deluded Trump.”“Trump's people told Trump not to get baited. But the thin-skinned man-child that he is, he just couldn't stop himself. He took the bait. Every time,” Mehdi says. US Congressman and “Squad” member Jamaal Bowman joins Mehdi to discuss his recent primary defeat, the role AIPAC played in it, and his continued fight for social justice in all its forms. On his frustration about how difficult it is to push for progressive change, Bowman says: “It seems like whenever we try to do a transformative piece of legislation, it has to include something like a thousand more police, or another billion to Israel, or tax cuts for corporations.” Watch Mehdi’s full interview with Bowman above to hear him also discuss his views on the debate, and why he thinks so many House Democrats continue to remain silent about Israel’s war on Gaza. Israel’s Ceasefire Protests: This past weekend, over 700,000 protesters took to the streets in Israel calling for a hostage deal, and criticizing the Netanyahu government. Palestinian Lawyer and Zeteo Contributor Diana Buttu was one of many to witness those protests. She joins the show to discuss what they were like and how, despite the calls to release the hostages, many of those protesters did not appear very concerned with Israel’s destruction of Gaza. “People are angry about the economy. They're angry about the fact that this is continuing. They're angry with Netanyahu. They’re angry with the Haredi [Jews] not going to the army, but not at all any sort of reckoning with what they've done to Palestinians,” Diana tells Mehdi. 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

Most Zeteo subscribers are already well-aware of Project 2025 and its anti-democratic agenda. But what a lot of people aren’t aware of is all the billionaire oligarchs who are using dark money to fund it. David Sirota, host of ‘The Lever’s’ new podcast series Master Plan, joins Mehdi to explain what these groups have to gain from Project 2025, and how they’ve become so successful when it comes to thwarting democracy and its’ rules. “In a one person, one vote democracy, it's much harder for oligarchs and corporations to pass the unpopular, self-enriching policies they want,” Sirota tells Mehdi. “They need to use the thing that they have the most of – money – to rig that and short circuit that process.” Watch the full conversation above to hear Sirota explain what his new investigative podcast series, “Master Plan,” has revealed about dark money, buying elections, and just how dangerous Project 2025 could be. Also, check out The Lever’s “Master Plan” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! 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

On this week’s episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered,’ Mehdi breaks down one of Donald Trump’s most fascistic plans yet – using the US military to crush dissent.“It’s not a conspiracy theory, nor is it a secret,” Mehdi says, as he brings the receipts exposing Team Trump’s plan to use the Insurrection Act to crack down on protesters via military force, starting on day one of his second term.“We're not exceptional,” Rosa Brooks, former Obama Defense Department adviser, tells Mehdi. “I think one thing that Americans tend to think is that somehow bad things that happen in other places couldn't possibly happen here, but we are not immune from the forces of history.”Watch Mehdi’s monologue, and his full conversation with Rosa Brooks and Yale University fascism expert Jason Stanley, above.—Christians in Gaza: Khalil Sayegh, a member of Gaza’s Palestinian Christian community, joins Mehdi in the studio to discuss how Israel has repressed and attacked his community, both before and especially since October 7, 2023, and how the US evangelical elite has ignored the Christians of Gaza. “My sister was entering a room with my infant niece, literally walking into the room and just before she got into this room, the room itself just collapsed,” Sayegh tells Mehdi, referencing the recent Israeli strike on a house next to Gaza’s Saint Porphyrius Church.—Khizr Khan is back: Also on the show, Mehdi talks to legendary Gold Star father Khizr Khan, on set, about Trump’s recent stunt at Arlington Cemetery, in violation of federal law, and why it matters. “Trump is void of accountability, sense of responsibility. That is why we see that civility in our political discourse is at its lowest,” says Khan, who lost his son Humayun in Iraq in 2004 and famously denounced Trump at the Democratic National Convention back in 2016.  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.Oh and check out the big Washington Post story on how Zeteo, with your support, is going from strength to strength. Thank you! 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

“I was the first president in modern times to start no new wars,” Donald Trump declaimed at the RNC in Milwaukee in July.That statement, like pretty much every statement Trump makes, is false. On multiple levels.And yet, I keep meeting people – in leftwing circles, in Muslim-American circles, in Arab-American circles, and beyond – who tell me that they’re voting for Trump in November because they believe him; they think that he isn’t a hawk and that he killed fewer Muslims than Democratic presidents have. “At least he didn’t do a genocide like Biden,” I hear some say.It’s an argument that gives me a proper headache because it simply is not true. In fact, it’s total and utter nonsense.So, when it comes to Trump and the topic of war, and especially the killing of Muslims in the Middle East, it’s time for a thorough debunking.Please do watch and share my video explainer above.(It’s such an important issue that we have kept it free for all subscribers!) 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

Twenty years, trillions of dollars, and the longest war in US history failed to eradicate the Taliban. Now, with the Taliban having taken back the country – and having implemented some of the most troubling restrictions on women we’ve seen from them – what’s next for Afghanistan and its people? And what’s been happening since the mainstream media mostly stopped covering the story? The head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) Ali Maisam Nazary joins Mehdi Unfiltered in Washington, D.C. to talk about his coalition group’s efforts to force out the Taliban and take back the country. But how effective have they been so far – including in their efforts at getting foreign help? Are they even popular in the country? And what was their record when their members were part of the last government? Watch the interview above, including Nazary explaining the dire state of women in Afghanistan at this very moment (he calls it gender apartheid). And for paid subscribers, join the conversation in the comments and let us know what other countries you want to see us covering! 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

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