In a surprising turn of events, Cenk Uygur, founder and host of The Young Turks, has expressed newfound optimism about the presidency of Donald Trump. Once a staunch critic of Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement, Uygur now points to the political establishment—not Trump supporters—as the true adversary of progress.
The shift in Uygur’s perspective has sparked debate across the political spectrum, with his remarks highlighting growing frustration with the mainstream media and political elites.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Uygur reflected on why he feels more optimistic now than he did before Trump’s recent election victory.
“MAGA is not my mortal enemy (and neither is the extreme left). My mortal enemy is the establishment. And they have been defeated!” he wrote.
Uygur emphasized that the defeat of the establishment is not just about the election of Trump but also about the crumbling influence of mainstream media.
“Their strength wasn’t just in politicians like Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden. Their real power was in their propaganda machine—the mainstream media,” he said.
He praised the rise of online media for breaking the “oppressive monopoly on the American mind” and welcomed the shift to what he described as an “uncontrolled marketplace of ideas.”
“I’d rather be in the populist woods than an establishment prison,” he added.
Uygur’s tone toward Trump also softened significantly following the attempted assassination of the president-elect in July. During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was grazed by a bullet fired by an alleged assassin. Despite the chaos, Trump famously raised his fist and shouted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”—a moment that Uygur described as “brave” and “historic.”
Speaking to The Daily Signal at the Republican National Convention, Uygur condemned conspiracy theories claiming the assassination attempt was staged.
“You’re really going to stage shooting you in the ear, and if they miss by a centimeter, they’re dead? Are you insane? Who would stage that? That’s just nuts,” he said.
He also criticized Democrats who suggested Trump needed to tone down his rhetoric in the wake of the attempt.
“Brother, he just got shot,” Uygur said. “When you get shot, you’re allowed to say anything you want. I would have said worse. I think they’re just in la-la land.”
Uygur didn’t hold back in praising Trump’s response to the assassination attempt, calling it a defining moment not just for the campaign but for American history.
“When Trump raises his fist and says, ‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’—that is a brave moment I did not expect from Trump,” Uygur said. “The crowd chanting ‘USA! USA!’ made me proud of this country and that moment.”
He described Trump’s actions as emblematic of resilience and courage.
“This brother’s been shot, and here he is standing back up and saying to his crowd, ‘It’s OK, and we fight on,’” Uygur said. “I think that was his best moment in his life.”
Despite his praise for Trump’s actions, Uygur insisted that his core values have not changed.
“I’m not changing,” he clarified. “People think, ‘Are you going toward MAGA or are you going toward Trump?’ I’m just acknowledging reality.”
He reiterated that the assassination attempt and Trump’s defiant response were moments of bravery that cannot be denied, regardless of one’s political views.
“Anyone who says otherwise is just crazy,” he said.
Uygur’s criticism of the mainstream media also extended to its handling of Trump’s rhetoric. In March, he called for fairness in reporting, even as he maintained his criticism of Trump.
“I can’t stand Donald Trump and I think he’s a danger to American principles,” Uygur said, referring to a media controversy over Trump’s use of the word “bloodbath” during an economic speech. “But we need to be fair; he wasn’t advocating for violence this time.”
For Uygur, the problem lies in the media’s propensity to sensationalize and distort, which he believes undermines trust and fuels polarization.
Cenk Uygur’s recent remarks reflect a growing frustration with political and media elites, shared by both progressives and Trump supporters. While he remains critical of Trump in many respects, Uygur’s acknowledgment of the president-elect’s bravery and his condemnation of the establishment signal an evolving perspective.
In a political landscape increasingly defined by populism and anti-establishment sentiment, Uygur’s comments may resonate with those who see the traditional power structures as the real threat to progress and unity. Whether this shift marks the beginning of a broader realignment remains to be seen.
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