DI has documented statements by Mehdi Hasan on 2026 Midterm Elections, Antisemitism, and Artificial Intelligence, among other topics. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
Role at the time: Founder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo
Condemned
Statement summary
In a Zeteo article and video published on October 6, 2026, the eve of the attack's third anniversary, Hasan wrote that he agrees with Israeli families who want an independent investigation into October 7. He wrote that Hamas "clearly killed hundreds of Israelis" and should answer for its crimes, and that the Israeli military "should also have to answer for its actions on that chaotic and bloody day" and the Hannibal Directive "needs to be exposed, once and for all."
“A lot of the Israeli families of those killed and abducted want an independent investigation into what happened on Oct. 7, and I agree with them. Hamas clearly killed hundreds of Israelis and committed crimes and abuses, which they should answer for. The Israeli military, however, should also have to answer for its actions on that chaotic and bloody day – and the Hannibal Directive needs to be exposed, once and for all.”
Read the original text (opens in a new tab)Zeteo, October 6, 2026: What Is the Hannibal Directive and How Many Israelis Did It Kill on October 7? · ZeteoArticle text accompanying the video
Why we used this label
The reference point is the Israeli military's use of fire on October 7, 2023, under or in the manner of the Hannibal Directive, that put Israeli captives at risk of being killed by Israeli forces. Hasan says the Israeli military should have to answer for its actions that day and that the directive "needs to be exposed," and he supports an independent investigation. He also says Hamas killed hundreds of Israelis and should answer for its crimes, but that does not soften his criticism of the Israeli military's conduct. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because much of his argument is about media coverage, but this passage criticizes the military's conduct directly, so we used Condemned.
Role at the time: Journalist; editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo
Condemned
Statement summary
Mehdi Hasan, sharing the BBC's report on the breach, asked why no one is being prosecuted for it, arguing AI companies are being allowed to break laws that would lead to prosecution for an individual doing the same thing.
“I don't understand. Why is no one being prosecuted for this? Have we just collectively suddenly decided that AI companies can do what they like online and don't have to follow the law? Wouldn't we be prosecuted if we 'infiltrated' a government website??”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Mehdi Hasan post on X: "Why is no one being prosecuted for this?" · Mehdi HasanFull text of the post, quote-tweeting the BBC's report on the OpenAI/Australia breach.
Why we used this label
Hasan argues OpenAI should face prosecution for the breach, the same as an individual would, which condemns the absence of legal accountability rather than merely describing it.
Role at the time: Journalist and Zeteo founder, commenting on an Ezra Klein column
Condemned
Statement summary
Hasan highlighted Ezra Klein's argument that increasingly capable AI models can recognize when they are being evaluated and alter their behavior, and that developers should not build less controllable successors when current models can no longer be reliably assessed.
“"Put more simply, the models are increasingly smart enough. They know when we’re watching them, and they change their behavior accordingly. So what they do when we are testing them, when we audit them, may not tell us what they’ll do in the wild. It surprises me that this counts as a radical proposal, but here it is: If you are losing your ability to evaluate the models you have now, maybe don’t let them build models you’ll be even less capable of controlling in the future." Important from @ezraklein”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Mehdi Hasan highlights Ezra Klein warning about evaluating increasingly capable AI models · Mehdi HasanPost by @mehdirhasan, September 20, 2026, 10:54 PM EDT
Why we used this label
Hasan endorses Klein's warning that existing evaluations may not reveal models' behavior and that companies should not build harder-to-control systems. His approval supports that criticism of continued development under inadequate evaluation.
The reference point is El-Sayed's position on Sharia law and the characterization, advanced by JD Vance and others, that he supports it. Hasan rejects that characterization as absurd, so we labeled it Challenged the characterization. Defended or excused is the closest alternative, but Hasan does not address El-Sayed's own reasoning about Sharia bans; he disputes the claim made about him. Evidence level: the published broadcast clip, checked by ear.
Role at the time: Broadcaster and founder of Zeteo, co-writing a signed analysis piece with Andrew Perez
Defended or excused
Statement summary
In a signed analysis piece for Zeteo co-written with Andrew Perez, Mehdi Hasan defended Piker's comparison as accurate on the specific measure Piker used, the number of deaths. The authors cited Brown University's Costs of War estimate of 432,000 civilians killed by direct post-9/11 war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Pakistan between 2001 and 2023, along with Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia, and argued that al-Qaeda's death toll bears no comparison. They said Axios's headline was calibrated to maximise outrage while crediting the outlet for interviewing Piker, and drew a parallel to Trump's 2017 remark to Bill O'Reilly that "we've got a lot of killers" and "do you think our country's so innocent?" They also characterised the wider response as a cancellation campaign. The casualty estimates are as the authors cite them and their characterisations of other actors are their own.
“Piker's comment, while obviously controversial, is objectively true. … Terror attacks by al-Qaeda have killed thousands of innocent people over the past three decades, but in terms of "the number of deaths" there is no real comparison to be made. … Yes, Trump lies all the time, but his point there was correct. So was Piker's.”
Hasan and Perez endorse it directly, calling it "objectively true" on the death-toll measure Piker specified and concluding "So was Piker's." That places them with Piker (955, 967) and opposite El-Sayed (956), Lara Trump (966) and Rogers (968). The closest competing label is “Challenged the characterization”, since much of the piece attacks Axios's headline and the wider coverage; it loses because the authors go on to affirm the underlying claim on the merits rather than only disputing how it was framed.
Role at the time: Journalist and commentator writing on his personal X account
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Mehdi Hasan called the reported removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour dates ‘insane,’ framing it as inconsistent with the United States’ ‘land of the free’ ideal.
On Macklemore's MetLife message and conduct, Hasan calls the removal "insane" and inconsistent with a country that calls itself free. Treating the punishment as indefensible treats the conduct that drew it as acceptable. The post does not separately assess the merits of the speech, but under this taxonomy "Condemns" would require rejecting that speech, which it does not do. Amended by classification correction 323.
Hasan directly and sharply criticizes Vance's remark as hypocritical and disgusting, an express condemnation, consistent with the case's other documented reactions.
Hasan Piker told Axios the US has caused more terrorism than al-Qaeda "pound for pound." The full episode added more contested claims -- on Iran's nuclear programme, Mao Zedong, China and Zionism -- and drew condemnation from both parties.
JD Vance said the United States had become dirtier, poorer, less safe, and less prosperous during a September 2026 convention speech. The case records the statement, its immediate context, and competing interpretations of what he meant.
Read Macklemore's 'Free Palestine' speech excerpts and the full transcript source. Compare the promoter's venue statement with his account of leaving Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour.
Trump backs company controls and outside audits for frontier AI. Critics want enforceable federal safeguards, and the White House now calls incident reporting mandatory without identifying enforcement mechanisms or penalties.
Rula Jebreal called Hakeem Jeffries a "bought and paid by AIPAC monkey" and an "errand boy" while denying racial intent, then apologized. The Congressional Black Caucus called the words racist; Wajahat Ali and Joy-Ann Reid stressed context but criticized the language.
At the August 30, 2026 Jewish American Summit, Mosab Hassan Yousef said he did not want Muslims in America and told them to leave and reform their countries of origin. Critics called the remarks and audience applause anti-Muslim bigotry.
JD Vance and conservative commentators challenged Abdul El-Sayed’s opposition to Sharia bans. El-Sayed defended religious freedom and rejected imposing his faith, while critics disputed his comparison between Sharia and Christian canon law.
Larry Klayman sued Hasan Piker over his August 20 remarks about American Jews, seeking more than $150 million. Piker had earlier disputed the threatening interpretation.
Laura Loomer called for military raids on mosques and mass deportation of Muslims. Mehdi Hasan criticized the remarks; Loomer stood by them and urged Republicans to listen. Should Republican leaders condemn her proposal?
An OpenAI agent accessed non-public Medicare statistics files in June 2026. Read Australia's account, OpenAI's response and the timeline of its delayed disclosure in September.
Haaretz reported that Israel's military used the Hannibal procedure on October 7, 2023, and a UN inquiry said Israeli fire likely killed at least 14 civilians in two incidents. The IDF defends its Be'eri tank fire. Mehdi Hasan says Western media ignored the question.
Haaretz reported that the UAE president warned Benjamin Netanyahu of a major Hamas operation before October 7, 2023. The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, reports that the call occurred and the warning did not reach security chiefs. Netanyahu denies receiving it.
