Ana Kasparian, co-host of "The Young Turks," recently shared her reasons for parting ways with the Democratic Party during an appearance on Jillian Michaels' "Keeping It Real" podcast.
Kasparian, a former progressive media host, confessed to feeling "politically homeless" in recent years. She attributed this to a growing intolerance for debate and the free exchange of ideas within the left, as well as their adoption of lenient crime policies, which she believes are harmful to society.
According to Fox News, Kasparian criticized the left's attempts to "demonize and even dehumanize the other side." She confessed to previously believing that friendships with conservatives or supporters of former President Trump were impossible. Both Kasparian and Michaels expressed their identification with disenchanted Democrats who now feel alienated from their former party.
A pivotal moment for Kasparian was when she faced backlash from liberals after revealing her fear of leaving her house following a sexual assault by a homeless man in Los Angeles in 2022. "Before I knew it, I started getting these messages, and it's really, really harsh stuff, about how, You are painting a picture of the homeless community. How could you be like this? These are your unhoused neighbors and they need help,'" she recounted the negative feedback she received.
Kasparian was taken aback by accusations of racism, despite never revealing the race of her assailant. "That woke me up," she admitted. "Some of the people that I've associated myself with because I thought they were the good people.They definitely have stereotypes in their head and are totally blind to the fact that they have those stereotypes and go around accusing others of being bad actors when they themselves need to do the work."
Kasparian also expressed her disagreement with the "defeatist mentality" she perceived towards minorities. She contrasted her upbringing by "very tough" parents who instilled in her the importance of hard work and self-reliance, with the Democratic Party's narrative. Despite acknowledging the unique challenges faced by younger generations, Kasparian still views America as a land of opportunity, a sentiment she feels is not echoed by the Democratic Party.
"They keep using this messaging that infantilizes them and makes them seem as though, you know, if it weren't for us White saviors, messing around with these laws and policies, they would never be able to survive. And I find that so gross," she stated.
Kasparian cited an instance where a Los Angeles school district abolished its honor student program due to a lack of Hispanic student participation. "It's doing away with an opportunity rather than seeing what the flaws are in our education system and then rising to the occasion to help these students, where we do see the disparity, to get to where we want them to be. That's the right way to approach it. But there's just this weird defeatist mentality. And I'm honestly also very sick of White people going around being offended on behalf of marginalized people," she said.
The pair also discussed their concerns about the "fat-acceptance" movement on the far-left. "Instead, there's this effort to basically tell people, you're fine the way you are, you don't need to change a thing,' even if that thing is slowly killing you. It doesn't make any sense," Kasparian added.
Kasparian and Michaels also expressed their dismay at the transformation of their home state of California. Michaels, who relocated from California to Miami in 2021, has previously spoken about how the state's lenient crime policies prompted her move. The duo blamed Governor Gavin Newsom for the "madness" in the state and expressed concern that these issues could become nationwide problems.
"Unfortunately, some of the failed policies we've started here have been exported to other states," Kasparian concurred. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment but received no immediate response. This conversation between Kasparian and Michaels serves as a reminder of the growing disillusionment among some former Democrats, highlighting the importance of open debate and the free exchange of ideas in a healthy democracy.
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