Cenk Uygur, founder and lead host of The Young Turks, appears to have distanced himself from his party’s usual rhetoric.
In the wake of Kamala Harris’s crushing defeat, Uygur is not only lambasting his own party but cozying up to unlikely allies, including Elon Musk and even Donald Trump Jr.
Earlier this year, Uygur stunned his base when he announced he was “considering” voting for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. instead of Joe Biden. On his show, Uygur accused the Democrat establishment of sabotaging democracy to maintain its grip on power.
Uygur said at the time:
[RFK Jr.] right to be concerned about Biden being a threat to democracy himself, maybe not for the reasons that he’s stating, but Biden did support anti-democratic movements within the primary. The Democratic Party cancelled the election in Florida; they tried to keep out every candidate in North Carolina, Tennessee, et cetera.
So they love to rig elections; yes, I used the word rigged, so you can go cry about it in mainstream media. How about you do you job and talk about how they cancelled an election in Florida and just declared Biden the winner. So if you’re going ot make the argument you are a champion of democracy, you should probably try it in your own primaries.
For the first time today, I’m now considering RFK Jr.
RFK Jr. later dropped out of the race, urging his supporters to vote for Donald Trump.
After Harris’s catastrophic defeat, Uygur’s criticisms only intensified, shifting his focus toward the broader failings of Democrat leadership.
In the aftermath of Kamala Harris’s defeat, Uygur took to X to voice his frustrations with the Democratic establishment. His posts lambasted the party for its intolerance and elitism, claiming they now embody the very corporate culture he once despised in the GOP.
He wrote:
“When I became a Democrat, it was the more tolerant party. Republicans were run by religious nut jobs and corporate robots. Now, the Democrats are in a lot of ways the less tolerant party.
The least tolerant part is actually the establishment wing of the party that says anyone opposing their anointed leaders is committing heresy. If you try to give constructive criticism of the party to improve it, they drive you from the party while screaming, “He’s not a real Democrat!!”
They hate populists. They have become the corporate robots I couldn’t stand. They hate their base. They insult our intelligence by pretending that the donors are not in charge. They think we should be controlled and learn how to follow orders. And they have no idea how elitist they sound.
Predictably, their unironic reaction to this post will be, “Heretic!!””
Yeah
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2024
Uygur’s disillusionment didn’t stop at criticism; it veered into the bizarre when he pitched himself to Elon Musk as a potential ally in slashing government waste. Responding to Musk’s calls for budget efficiency, Uygur volunteered:
“Hey Elon Musk, put me in charge of the Pentagon. I’ll slash $400B easy. That’ll get you 20% to your goal of $2T, right out of the gate. I went to Wharton three years before you. I own a media company, so I know how to run a business. If you really want to cut, put me in, coach.”
Musk’s response? Surprisingly open: “Specific suggestions are welcome.”
Uygur doubled down, suggesting a ten-year ban on generals taking jobs with defense contractors to curb wasteful spending. The idea earned him a rare nod from Donald Trump Jr., who called it “a great idea that has been discussed.”
“As you know, you’d need to see the line items in the budget, but I have one suggestion already. The generals are not allowed to get a job with defense contractors for ten years. They authorize so much wasteful spending because they’re going to get hired by those same companies.”
This is a great idea that has been discussed.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 20, 2024
Uygur responded with unexpected praise for Trump Jr., stating, “While the left is yelling at me not to work with MAGA, here’s Donald Trump Jr. saying we should limit generals from working for defense contractors. That’s a policy we’ve been pushing for and gotten nowhere with Democrats on. Who cares who does it as long as it gets done?”
A little common sense never killed anyone.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 20, 2024
In another post, Uygur hammered home his newfound skepticism of the Democratic Party’s inclusivity. He contrasted the openness of Musk and the populist right with the rigid orthodoxy of Democrat elites.
“I asked Elon Musk to put me in charge of cutting the Pentagon. And he said – what are your suggestions? I run the largest left-wing network online and a Democratic leader has NEVER asked me that question. The idea that they would take advice from a populist is disdainful to them.
Now, which side seems more open and inclusive? Which side seems more welcoming and which side tries really hard to drive you away if you disagree even a little with orthodoxy? Which side is asking for suggestions and which one is demanding compliance and obedience?”
Now, which side seems more open and inclusive? Which side seems more welcoming and which side tries really hard to drive you away if you disagree even a little with orthodoxy? Which side is asking for suggestions and which one is demanding compliance and obedience?
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) November 19, 2024
