We're Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

This episode is sponsored by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/notkidding to try it for free.
Stephen Miller's baldness. Donald Trump's theater career. Alexi "DEI hire" Lalas. South African racists. Inept autocrats. Baby Hitler. Osama Bin Laden's favorite soccer team. 
These are just a few of the many topics that Mehdi and Adam Friedland talked about on the new episode of 'We're Not Kidding'. The comedian and host of the wildly popular YouTube talk show, 'The Adam Friedland Show', sat down with Mehdi in New York City for a chaotic yet vulnerable conversation about Israel, U.S. politics, and some of Adam's most viral interviews. But first, Mehdi needed to argue about the World Cup. 
 
Even though they come from different backgrounds, Mehdi and Adam bond over their shared profession of interviewing defensive politicians. One of Adam's most viral interviews, with Bronx Congressman Ritchie "AIPAC Guy" Torres, was of particular interest to Mehdi. "You got very emotional there. Did he make you like that? Did the situation in Gaza make you like that?" Mehdi asks. 
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The two also discuss:
Adam's family history in South Africa.

How Stephen Miller might have turned into a fascist (he and Adam went to school together).

Trump's influence on the World Cup. 

Adam's experience working in an Israeli ambulance service.

Getting Scott Jennings to admit he's a "performer."

Whether Adam should run for president.

And many, many, many, other things…

This interview was published 7 days earlier on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to exclusive content and hard-hitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Find Mehdi:
Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
Credits:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Adam Friedland
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello
Producer: Melanie Riehl
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
Special Thanks: Andrew McDonald
 
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
https://advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo

Mehdi and Wajahat Ali have been friends for almost two decades. And just like with any good friend, there's a lot the two don't agree on, from who they think the best Bond actor is to whether there are alliances the left can make with the far-right on Israel. But one thing they do stand together on is just how vital immigrants are to America. 
In fact, it's the premise of Waj's memoir, Go Back to Where You Came From, which he calls both a "love letter to a country that doesn't love us back" and a "warning to a country about what happens when you go against the immigrants." Waj discusses his experience growing up as the child of Pakistani immigrants and Mehdi chimes in with his experience being an immigrant to the U.S.
They also talk about America at 250 and the dueling 4th of July speeches between Zohran Mamdani (very good!) and Donald Trump (very bad!). "There were MAGA people on the mall who told journalists that it was 'liberals in the weather service' trying to ruin the Trump speech on Saturday night," Mehdi says. "They literally see the storm destroying the sets and they're like, 'We don't believe the liberals in the weather service.'" Waj says. "It's a cult, man."
In this intimate and hilarious conversation, the two also discuss:
Waj's parents being sent to prison.

Donald Trump intervening in the World Cup.

Extremism in the U.S. versus the UK.

The rise of Islamophobia.

And… the Epstein Files.

This interview was published several days earlier on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to exclusive content and hard-hitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack:
https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Find Mehdi:
Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
Credits:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Wajahat Ali
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
Special thanks: Kennedy Garmong
 
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
https://advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo

This episode is sponsored by Shopify. To get their $1/month trial, go to https://shopify.com/mehdi
When it comes to 'We're Not Kidding' guests, Mehdi has sat down with multiple, multi-talented, multi-hyphenates — but none have been as multi as today's guest. Nina Kharoufeh is a Palestinian-American, a hijab-wearing Muslim, a standup comedian, an amateur boxer, and a children's book author. But if you ask Nina, she'd likely say her most important role is being an outspoken defender of Palestine. She joined Mehdi in DC to talk about her eclectic career journey and the backlash she's received for criticizing Israel since Oct. 7. 
Nina is also the author of the children's book 'I'm a Princess Too' about a young Muslim girl who gets cast as a princess in the school play but then is bullied by her peers for wearing a hijab. On top of all of that, Nina is also an amateur boxer who has competed in fights at Madison Square Garden. "If you could challenge anyone in the world to a fight, who would it be?" Mehdi asks. "Amy Schumer," Nina says.
The two also discuss:
Nina's time working at SiriusXM and (gulp!) FOX News.

Why it's always OK to "play the Muslim card."

DJ Khaled's silence on Israel's genocide in Gaza.

Getting caught going to a pro-Palestine rally by her mom when she was 12.

Whether George W. Bush was better than Donald Trump.

How Mehdi turned up in the Epstein files (it's not bad, we promise!)…

This interview was published 7 days earlier on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to exclusive content and hard-hitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Find Mehdi:
Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
Credits:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Nina Kharoufeh
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer: Frank Cappello
Editor: Liam Mann
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
Special thanks: Randa Jumean
 
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
https://advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo

The 2028 U.S. presidential election is just over two years away — which means we already have to start talking about it.
In a special LIVE taping of 'We're Not Kidding' in New York City, Mehdi was joined by author, political commentator, and host of the 'Fast Politics' podcast Molly Jong-Fast, where they sought to answer the one burning question of every politics (and comic book) nerd: Which of the Democratic presidential hopefuls has the greatest superpower – and what is their 'Kryptonite' that could tank their candidacy?
Together, they break down Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's celebrity status, who the sleeper hit of the Democratic primary could be, and discuss why, if she runs, Kamala Harris will probably lose…again. "When you lose, shouldn't you just go away?" Mehdi asks. "That's why I think [Kamala Harris] is not going to run again," Molly says.
They also take questions from the live audience in New York on whether social media is to blame for young people being drawn in by right-wing pundits like Tucker Carlson, why the media rarely covers labor issues, and whether Trump has an exit strategy in Iran (spoiler: he doesn't).
The two also discuss:
The Jan. 6 rioters' billion-dollar payout from the Trump administration.

Marco Rubio and JD Vance's 'Apprentice'-style tryout for Trump's backing in 2028.

How much right-wing political content is actually astroturfed.

This episode was co-produced by On Air Fest and On Air Presents as part of their yearlong programming.
This interview was published 7 days earlier on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to exclusive content and hard-hitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Find Mehdi:
Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
Credits:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Molly Jong-Fast
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer: Frank Cappello
Editor: Liam Mann
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
 
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
https://advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo

This episode is sponsored by Incogni. For 60% off your first order, go to https://incogni.com/mehdi
Would you be surprised to find out that one of the leading investigators into the cryptocurrency industry is… a former teen heartthrob from the early 2000s TV series 'The O.C.'? Ben McKenzie became famous for playing bad boy Ryan Atwood in the hit 2003 drama, but he may end up being remembered for his work investigating and speaking out against the opaque crypto industry. 
Ben is the writer, director, and star of the new documentary, 'Everyone Is Lying To You For Money', which documents his years-long look into the scammy, fraudulent, and oftentimes criminal world of cryptocurrency. He met up with Mehdi in Washington D.C. to talk about his new film and what drove him to make it. Mehdi and Ben unpack the film's globetrotting story — from Miami, to El Salvador, to London — as Ben follows the (figurative) money. Ben explains what exactly cryptocurrency is and uncovers why its evangelists want you to buy it so badly. 
The two also discuss:
How 'The O.C.' introduced an entire generation to class politics.

Why Ben is supporting Brad Lander for Congress over Dan Goldman. 

If taking corporate PAC money should be a litmus test for Democrats.

Which Democrats have a shot at the presidency in 2028…

This interview was published 10 days earlier on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to exclusive content and hard-hitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here: https://zeteo.com/subscribe
Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends
Find Zeteo:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews
Find Mehdi:
Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan
Credits:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Ben McKenzie
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
 
To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit
https://advertising.libsyn.com/network/Zeteo