Cenk Uygur: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|American political commentator (born 1970)}}

'''Cenk Uygur''' is the main host of the [[Young Turks (talk show)|Young Turks]] [[talk show]], a regular [[blogger]] on [[The Huffington Post]], and an attorney. He is a graduate of the [[Wharton School of Business]] and [[Columbia University Law School]], and a former associate at the law firms of Drinker, Biddle & Reath in [[Washington DC]] and Parcher, Hayes & Liebman in [[New York City]]. He first became a talk show host at a Washington, DC radio station on the weekends while working at Drinker, before eventually shifting to full-time radio work.

{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Cenk Uygur

| image = Cenk Uygur (54233799117) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Uygur speaking at AmericaFest 2024

| alt =

| birth_name = Cenk Kadir Uygur

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|3|21}}

| birth_place = [[Istanbul]], Turkey

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = [[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[Columbia University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])

| occupation = {{hlist|Political commentator|media host|attorney|businessman}}

| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (since 2007)

| otherparty = [[Independent voter|Independent]] (2000–2007)<br />[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (until 2000)<ref>{{cite episode |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZSCFX8NRg|author=Jesse Ventura |title=Cenk Uygur Goes #OffTheGrid |series=Jesse Ventura Off The Grid |network=Ora TV |date=April 10, 2014 |via=YouTube |access-date=September 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228125132/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZSCFX8NRg |archive-date=December 28, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

| spouse = Wendy Lang

| children = 2

| relatives = [[Hasan Piker]] (nephew)

| module = {{Listen |embed= yes |filename= CenkUygurMainstramMedia.ogg |title= Uygur's voice |type= speech |description= On the intersection of mainstream media and United States political corruption, 2012 }}

}}

'''Cenk Kadir Uygur''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|ɛ|ŋ|k|_|k|ə|ˈ|d|ɪər|_|ˈ|j|uː|g|ər}} {{respell|JENGK|_|kə|DEER|_|YOO|gər}}; {{IPA|tr|ˈdʒeɲc kaˈdiɾ ˈujɡuɾ|lang}}; born March 21, 1970) is an American-Turkish political commentator, media host, and attorney. He is the co-creator of ''[[The Young Turks]]'', a [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]] and [[Left-wing populism|left-wing populist]] sociopolitical news and commentary program.

==Links==

*[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/ Cenk Uygur blog archives at The Huffington Post]

*[http://www.youngturk.com The Young Turks website]

In 1996, Uygur worked briefly as an associate attorney. He launched and began hosting ''The Young Turks'' in 2002. In 2011, he worked briefly for [[MSNBC]] as a political commentator (he was replaced by [[Al Sharpton]]), and then from 2011 to 2013 he appeared on a weeknight commentary show on [[Current TV]]. In 2017, Uygur co-founded the progressive [[political action committee]] [[Justice Democrats]].

In 2020, Uygur was a candidate in both the [[2020 California's 25th congressional district special election|special election]] as well as the [[2020 United States House of Representatives elections in California#District 25|regularly scheduled election]] for [[California's 25th congressional district]]. Some considered his candidacy controversial due to his past comments about women and minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ community, religious Jews, and Muslims, which some found offensive but which he said were taken out of context by the media.<ref name="nytdec13">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/13/us/politics/bernie-sanders-cenk-uygur.html|title=Bernie Sanders Retracts Endorsement of Cenk Uygur After Criticism|first=Jennifer|last=Medina|date=December 13, 2019|accessdate=January 26, 2024|work=The New York Times|archive-date=March 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321165327/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/13/us/politics/bernie-sanders-cenk-uygur.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="tdbnov21">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrats-fear-carpetbagger-cenk-uygurs-offensive-past-remarks-will-lose-them-california-congressional-seat|title=Dems Fear 'Carpetbagger' Cenk Uygur Will Lose Them California Seat|first=Will|last=Sommer|date=November 21, 2019|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=November 13, 2023|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075344/https://www.thedailybeast.com/democrats-fear-carpetbagger-cenk-uygurs-offensive-past-remarks-will-lose-them-california-congressional-seat|url-status=live}}</ref> He lost both elections, placing fourth overall and second among Democrats after receiving six and seven percent of the vote, respectively.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

{{law-bio-stub}}

Uygur announced his candidacy in the [[2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2024 Democratic presidential primaries]] in October 2023 to pressure [[Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election|President Biden to withdraw]], despite not being a [[Natural-born-citizen clause (United States)|natural-born U.S. citizen]] as required, claiming that the courts could overturn the requirement.<ref name=":6" /> Uygur suspended his campaign on March 6, 2024.<ref name=":10" />

==Early life and education==

Cenk Uygur was born in [[Istanbul]] to a wealthy [[Turkish people|Turkish]] family. His mother's maiden name was Yavaşça,<ref name=":3">{{cite web | url=https://lexfridman.com/cenk-uygur-transcript/ | title=Transcript for Cenk Uygur: Trump vs Harris, Progressive Politics, Communism & Capitalism &#124; Lex Fridman Podcast #441 | date=August 30, 2024 }}</ref> and his father, Doğan, started life as a rural olive and grape farmer in [[Kilis]], a city in southern Turkey near the Syrian border, later winning a scholarship to a technical university in Istanbul, becoming a mechanical engineer, and starting a company. The family emigrated to the United States when Cenk was eight years old, and there Doğan worked as a commercial real estate developer.<ref name="nomani">Asra Q. Nomani (2023). [https://books.google.com/books?id=92ywEAAAQBAJ&dq=Cenk+Uygur+%22east+brunswick+high+school%22&pg=PT263 ''Woke Army; The Red-Green Alliance That Is Destroying America's Freedom''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075312/https://books.google.com/books?id=92ywEAAAQBAJ&dq=Cenk+Uygur+%22east+brunswick+high+school%22&pg=PT263#v=onepage&q=Cenk%20Uygur%20%22east%20brunswick%20high%20school%22&f=false |date=September 5, 2024 }}</ref> He spent the remainder of his upbringing in [[East Brunswick, New Jersey]], and graduated from [[East Brunswick High School]].<ref name="nomani" /> Uygur was raised in a secular [[Muslim]] household, but became more religious during college.<ref name="latimes">{{Cite web|date=December 13, 2019|title=Bernie Sanders retracts endorsement of Californian who defends crude sex ratings of women|author=Michael Finnegan|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-12-12/bernie-sanders-endorses-cenk-uygur-young-turks|access-date=July 19, 2020|website=The Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> He says that he then became [[agnosticism|agnostic]], and is now a "stone-cold [[atheist]],<ref name=":3" /> although he still identifies as a [[Cultural Muslims|cultural Muslim]].<ref name="nomani" /><ref name="latimes" /><ref name="YouTube, Muslim">{{Cite web|last=Uygur|first=Cenk|title=Cenk says he is a Muslim|date=2021|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tzv4plwtOQ&t=276s|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/9Tzv4plwtOQ |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=February 21, 2021|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Although a D in high school [[calculus]] almost kept Uygur out, he transferred into the undergraduate [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania]], where he majored in [[management]] and graduated in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://magazine.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/winter-2004/title-5/|title=Making News|work=Wharton Magazine|first=Braden|last=Kelner|date=January 1, 2004}}</ref><ref name="where are">{{cite news|url=http://www.thedp.com/index.php/article/1991/10/column_where_are_the_white_christians|title=Where are the White Christians?|author=Cenk Uygur|work=[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]]|date=October 18, 1991|access-date=June 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224821/http://www.thedp.com/index.php/article/1991/10/column_where_are_the_white_christians|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> There, he wrote a school paper column in 1991 in which he criticized [[affirmative action]] for blacks and other minorities.<ref name="washsept12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/09/12/cenk-uygur-future-liberal-media/|title=Cenk Uygur Just Might Be the Future of Liberal Media|author=Amanda Whiting |work= Washingtonian|date=September 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedp.com/article/1991/10/column_where_are_the_white_christians|author=Cenk Uygur|date=October 18, 1991|title=Column: Where are the White Christians?|website=www.thedp.com|access-date=November 14, 2023|archive-date=November 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114052141/https://www.thedp.com/article/1991/10/column_where_are_the_white_christians|url-status=live}}</ref> He also criticized campus [[feminist]]s for "making [[Anita Hill]] their patron saint" and made disparaging comments about women<ref>{{Cite web|last=Homan|first=Timothy R.|date=December 3, 2019|title=Young Turks founder: Past remarks on women were attempt 'to be a stupid, politically incorrect Republican'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/472795-young-turks-founder-past-comments-about-women-were-an-attempt-to-be-a-stupid|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="comp"/><ref name="washsept12"/> and said that the discussion about [[Campus sexual assault|rape on campus]] was making men afraid.<ref name="washsept12"/>

Representing the Turkish Students Association on the university's Student Activities Council, Uygur argued against a $228 allocation to the Armenian Club in the council budget; council members overwhelmingly voted against him, and uncharacteristically applauded after his defeat was announced.<ref name="dispute raised">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/node/30151|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121085554/http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/node/30151 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 21, 2013 |title=Turk, Armenian dispute raised at SAC |first=Drew W. |last=Zoller |work=The Daily Pennsylvanian |date=April 25, 1991 |access-date=July 22, 2011}}</ref><ref name="washsept12"/> In November 1991, he wrote an article in ''[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]]'' titled "Historical Fact or Falsehood?", in which he [[Armenian genocide denial|denied the Armenian genocide]] and asserted: "The claims of an [[Armenian genocide]] are not based on historical facts. If the history of the period is examined it becomes evident that in fact no such genocide took place."<ref name="hyetert">{{Cite web|url=https://hyetert.org/2016/04/02/cenk-uygur-the-young-turks-and-the-denial-of-the-armenian-genocide/|title=Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks, and The Denial of The Armenian Genocide|work=HyeTert|date=April 2, 2016|access-date=November 11, 2023|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075318/https://hyetert.org/2016/04/02/cenk-uygur-the-young-turks-and-the-denial-of-the-armenian-genocide/|url-status=live}}</ref> He has since recanted these statements and reversed his position.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical Fact or Falsehood?|author=Cenk Uygur|date= November 22, 1991|url=https://dparchives.library.upenn.edu/cgi-bin/pennsylvania?a=d&d=tdp19911122-01.2.24&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=The Daily Pennsylvanian}}</ref><ref name="comp">{{Cite web|first=Art|last=Tavana|title=The Complicity of The Young Turks' Ana Kasparian When She Ignores the Armenian Genocide|url=https://www.playboy.com/read/the-complicity-of-ana-kasparian-1|date=May 18, 2018|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=[[Playboy (magazine)|Playboy]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CNN's Chris Cuomo grills Cenk Uygur on his record of Armenian Genocide denial|url=https://en.armradio.am/2019/11/29/cnns-chris-cuomo-grills-cenk-uygur-on-his-record-of-armenian-genocide-denial/|author=Siranush Ghazanchyan|date=November 29, 2019|access-date=July 23, 2020|website=Public Radio of Armenia|language=en-US|archive-date=July 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723080602/https://en.armradio.am/2019/11/29/cnns-chris-cuomo-grills-cenk-uygur-on-his-record-of-armenian-genocide-denial/|url-status=live}}</ref> He received a [[Juris Doctor]] degree from [[Columbia Law School]].<ref name="huff po">{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur |title=Cenk Uygur|access-date=February 28, 2011 |work=[[The Huffington Post]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222212552/http://www.huffingtonpost.com//cenk-uygur |archive-date=February 22, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==

===Early career===

Uygur worked briefly in 1996 as an associate attorney. He practiced first at the law firm [[Drinker Biddle & Reath]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], and then at Hayes & Liebman in [[New York City]].<ref name="nomani"/><ref name="washsept12"/>

He then worked in 1996 as a weekend/fill-in radio talk show host on [[WRKO]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], and also that year in a similar position on [[WQOF|WWRC]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name="pgsept1">{{Cite web|url=https://thepenngazette.com/rebel-with-a-url/|author=Andrea K. Hammer|title=Rebel with a URL|work=The Pennsylvania Gazette|date=September 1, 2010|access-date=November 11, 2023|archive-date=November 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111004022/https://thepenngazette.com/rebel-with-a-url/|url-status=live}}</ref> He bought time on a local access channel in Washington, D.C., where he made political commentary on his show called ''The Young Turk''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nicolas|last=Rapold|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/movies/mad-as-hell-a-documentary-about-the-pundit-cenk-uygur.amp.html|title=The Righteous Ranter, Howling at Left and Right|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 5, 2015|access-date=November 15, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075319/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/movies/mad-as-hell-a-documentary-about-the-pundit-cenk-uygur.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1999, he wrote for, produced, and appeared on a [[WAMI-TV]] news show, ''The Times'' in [[Miami]], Florida.<ref name="pgsept1"/><ref name="profile"/> He then started ''The Young Turks'' (TYT) on [[Sirius Satellite Radio]].<ref name="pgsept1"/><ref name="profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.confabb.com/users/profile/cuygur |title=User Profile for Cenk Uygur (cuygur) |access-date=February 28, 2011 |year=c. 2007|first=Cenk|last=Uygur|publisher=Confabb|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718030010/http://www.confabb.com/users/profile/cuygur |archive-date=July 18, 2011 }}</ref> That year, Uygur wrote on a blog post on the TYT website: "It seems like there is a sea of tits here, and I am drinking in tiny droplets. Obviously, the genes of women are flawed. They are poorly designed creatures who do not want to have sex nearly as often as needed for the human race to get along peaceably and fruitfully."<ref name="washsept12"/> He also wrote, in a letter to the editor in ''Salon'', that talk of an Armenian genocide was simply propaganda.<ref name="hyetert"/> In the 2000s, Uygur maintained a weekly blog on ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' and wrote entries that were critical of the [[2003 Iraq war]].<ref name="Puschmann178">{{cite book|last=Puschmann|first=Cornelius|chapter=Thank you for thinking we could: Use and function of interpersonal pronouns in corporate web logs|editor1-last=Dorgeloh|editor1-first=Heidrun|editor2-last=Wanner|editor2-first=Anja|title=Syntactic variation and genre|year=2010|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=9783110226478|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I1sjYq0nsEgC&q=cenk+uygur&pg=PA178|pages=178|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075440/https://books.google.com/books?id=I1sjYq0nsEgC&q=cenk+uygur&pg=PA178#v=snippet&q=cenk%20uygur&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kavka147">{{cite book|last=Kavka|first=Misha|title=Reality TV|year=2012|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=9780748654352|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KZBvAAAAQBAJ&q=cenk+uygur&pg=PA147|pages=147|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075344/https://books.google.com/books?id=KZBvAAAAQBAJ&q=cenk+uygur&pg=PA147#v=snippet&q=cenk%20uygur&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

===''The Young Turks''===

{{Main|The Young Turks}}

[[File:Cenk Uygur at Streamys.jpg|thumb|upright|Uygur in 2010]]

Uygur created the [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]], [[Progressivism|progressive]] talk show ''The Young Turks'' with the goal of starting a liberal-leaning political and entertainment show.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Alex |date=April 10, 2020 |title=Inside the union campaign that roiled left-wing network The Young Turks |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/10/union-campaign-that-roiled-the-young-turks-178996 |access-date=May 24, 2022 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108044811/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/10/union-campaign-that-roiled-the-young-turks-178996 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Fish59139" /><ref name="GrigoryanSuetzl185" /><ref name="Greenwood96">{{Cite book |last=Greenwood |first=Sue |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L4U0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT7 |title=Future Journalism: Where we are and where we're going |publisher=Routledge |year=2017 |isbn=9781317192664 |pages=96 |access-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075820/https://books.google.com/books?id=L4U0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT7#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> It launched on the [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] network on February 14, 2002, and was also on the [[Air America (radio network)|Air America]] radio network between 2006 and 2008.<ref name="GrigoryanSuetzl185">{{harvnb|Grigoryan|Suetzl|2019|p=185}}</ref><ref name="Conway85">{{Cite book |last=Conway |first=Kyle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3792DgAAQBAJ&q=Air+America+Cenk&pg=PA85 |title=Little Mosque on the Prairie and the Paradoxes of Cultural Translation |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year=2017 |isbn=9781487520557 |pages=85 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075937/https://books.google.com/books?id=3792DgAAQBAJ&q=Air+America+Cenk&pg=PA85#v=snippet&q=Air%20America%20Cenk&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Dagnes179">{{Cite book |last=Dagnes |first=Alison |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=36qMDwAAQBAJ&q=Super+Mad+at+Everything+All+the+Time |title=Super Mad at Everything All the Time: Political Media and Our National Anger |publisher=Springer |year=2019 |isbn=9783030061319 |pages=179 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075823/https://books.google.com/books?id=36qMDwAAQBAJ&q=Super+Mad+at+Everything+All+the+Time#v=snippet&q=Super%20Mad%20at%20Everything%20All%20the%20Time&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Uygur and his co-host [[Ana Kasparian]] applied a [[populism|populist]]-left branding and programming strategy that made TYT a global online organization.<ref name="Dagnes146152195202">{{Cite book |last=Dagnes |first=Alison |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ikd6VrcMPUcC&q=A+Conservative+Walks+Into+a+Bar:+The+Politics+of+Political+Humor&pg=PP1 |title=A conservative walks into a bar: The politics of political humor |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2012 |isbn=9781137270344 |pages=146, 152, 195, 202 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075823/https://books.google.com/books?id=ikd6VrcMPUcC&q=A+Conservative+Walks+Into+a+Bar:+The+Politics+of+Political+Humor&pg=PP1#v=snippet&q=A%20Conservative%20Walks%20Into%20a%20Bar%3A%20The%20Politics%20of%20Political%20Humor&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="PaoGhuHar2639">{{Cite web |last1=Paolillo |first1=John |last2=Ghule |first2=Sharad |last3=Harper |first3=Brian |date=2019 |title=A network view of social media platform history: Social structure, dynamics and content on Youtube |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/59701/0261.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225033455/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/59701/0261.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2020 |access-date=February 23, 2020 |publisher=Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences |pages=2639}}</ref><ref name="Peck105108">{{harvnb|Peck|2019|pp=105, 108}}</ref>

Armenian-Americans have [[The Young Turks#Name controversy|criticized]] the show's name because the original [[Young Turks]] political movement in the [[Ottoman Empire]] was responsible for the [[Armenian genocide]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Pechdimaldji |first=Stephan |date=August 13, 2020 |title=Why Cenk Uygur Needs to Dump the Name 'The Young Turks' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/cenk-uygur-the-young-turks-armenian-genocide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815205535/https://www.thewrap.com/cenk-uygur-the-young-turks-armenian-genocide/ |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |website=[[The Wrap]]}}</ref><ref name="pastemagazine">{{Cite magazine |last=Hunter-Hart |first=Monica |date=January 5, 2017 |title=Why Cenk Uygur Is Getting Confronted about the Name "The Young Turks," and Why It Matters |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/why-cenk-uygur-is-getting-confronted-about-the-nam.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230829/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/why-cenk-uygur-is-getting-confronted-about-the-nam.html |archive-date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=August 27, 2019 |magazine=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]}}</ref><ref name="vice2020" /> Executive Director of the [[Armenian National Committee of America]] [[Aram Hamparian]] said of Uygur and the show's name: <blockquote>Denying a genocide, belittling its survivors, and then naming your political show after its perpetrators should be troubling not only to [[Armenian American]]s, but anyone concerned about [[human rights]]. Cenk Uygur... did just this ....<ref name="hyetert" /></blockquote>''The Young Turks'' began a daily news video show on [[YouTube]] in 2005, and claims to have been the first on the streaming service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TYT Network |url=https://tyt.com/about/talent/1lBUR818CcK6qKyc4SsmGQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913002502/https://tyt.com/about/talent/1lBUR818CcK6qKyc4SsmGQ |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |website=tyt.com |language=en}}</ref> Uygur regularly says that ''The Young Turks'' is the largest online news show in the world, and has claimed so since at least 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kevin Lincoln |title=Meet The Host Of "The Largest Online News Show In The World" |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/i-host-the-largest-online-news-show-in-the-world-and-im-risking-it-all-to-join-a-cable-network-youve-never-heard-of-2011-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913040050/https://www.businessinsider.com/i-host-the-largest-online-news-show-in-the-world-and-im-risking-it-all-to-join-a-cable-network-youve-never-heard-of-2011-12 |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> It has amassed over 5 billion views on YouTube, and over 5 million subscribers, for a U.S. rank of #5,566.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=Bron |date=June 29, 2022 |title=Revealed: The biggest English-language news outlets on Youtube and their most popular videos |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/biggest-news-youtube/ |website=[[Press Gazette]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Young Turks's YouTube Stats and Analytics &#124; HypeAuditor – Influencer Marketing Platform |url=https://hypeauditor.com/youtube/UC1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ/ |website=HypeAuditor.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Young Turks |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912093910/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ |archive-date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref> Leveraging the strength of ''The Young Turks'' talk show, Uygur expanded it into a network of channels and shows, beginning with Pop Trigger on July 5, 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pop Trigger |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVa_VOxnPSJe49poc7DW2yQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828004506/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVa_VOxnPSJe49poc7DW2yQ |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref> Video of the show is streamed daily on its website, as well as on YouTube, YouTubeTV, via various streaming platforms, broadcast on a handful of local television channels throughout the U.S., and is a [[podcast]].<ref name="rebel headquarters">{{Cite web |title=The Young Turks: Rebel Headquarters : News : Politics : Commentary |url=http://www.theyoungturks.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301231336/http://www.theyoungturks.com/ |archive-date=March 1, 2008 |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref><ref name="podcasting">{{Cite web |title=The Young Turks: Welcome to The Young Turks Podcasting : News : Politics : Commentary |url=http://www.theyoungturks.com/info/podcasting |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106090958/http://www.theyoungturks.com/info/podcasting |archive-date=January 6, 2011 |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref>

In September 2011, when Uygur had been seeking a television platform for ''The Young Turks'' for years, a weeknight TV edition of the show was announced on fledgling Current TV, which had low ratings,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stelter |first=Brian |date=September 20, 2011 |title=Current TV Hires Cenk Uygur |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/current-tv-hires-cenk-ugyur/ |website=Media Decoder Blog}}</ref><ref name="Fish59139">{{Cite book |last=Fish |first=Adam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SdKyDgAAQBAJ&q=Young+Turks+Cenk&pg=PA161 |title=Technoliberalism and the end of participatory culture in the United States |publisher=Springer |year=2017 |isbn=9783319312569 |pages=59, 139 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075824/https://books.google.com/books?id=SdKyDgAAQBAJ&q=Young+Turks+Cenk&pg=PA161#v=snippet&q=Young%20Turks%20Cenk&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> at 7 p.m. EST (M–F) on the network beginning sometime in the fourth quarter of 2011.<ref name="currenttv">{{Cite news |last=Stelter |first=Brian |date=September 20, 2011 |title=Current TV Hires Cenk Uygur |url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/current-tv-hires-cenk-ugyur/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110922010124/http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/current-tv-hires-cenk-ugyur/ |archive-date=September 22, 2011 |access-date=September 20, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{Cite news |last=Madlena |first=Chavala |date=April 26, 2010 |title=Cenk Uygur on the success of The Young Turks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/26/cenk-uygur-young-turks |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928091053/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/26/cenk-uygur-young-turks |archive-date=September 28, 2013 |access-date=May 27, 2010 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref name="mediabistro">{{Cite news |last=Hammer |first=Andrea K. |date=May 25, 2010 |title=Hey, How'd You Draw 250 Million Viewers to Your Web Show, The Young Turks? |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a10892.asp?c=mbennf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529153719/http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a10892.asp?c=mbennf |archive-date=May 29, 2010 |access-date=May 26, 2010 |quote=On January 21, 2010, MSNBC announced that he would be substitute hosting a one-hour news show for the station at 6 P.M. Eastern on weeknights [[Mediabistro.com]]}}</ref> The show on Current TV began in December 2011, to low viewership,<ref name="mdcjan13">{{Cite web |last=Stelter |first=Brian |date=January 13, 2012 |title=Current TV Finds a Good Number Within Its Tiny Ratings |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/current-tv-finds-a-good-number-within-its-tiny-ratings/ |website=Media Decoder Blog |access-date=November 14, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426193425/https://archive.nytimes.com/mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/current-tv-finds-a-good-number-within-its-tiny-ratings/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ended on August 15, 2013, with the end of all live programming on Current TV.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

In 2015, Uygur hosted ex-[[Ku Klux Klan]] leader and [[white supremacist]] [[neo-Nazi]] [[David Duke]] on the show in an antisemitic segment about “how Jews control everything."<ref name="varietydec14">{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=December 14, 2019 |title=Bernie Sanders Retracts Endorsement of Young Turks Founder Cenk Uygur After Backlash |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/bernie-sanders-cenk-uygur-retracts-endorsement-backlash-1203436658/ |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112011931/https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/bernie-sanders-cenk-uygur-retracts-endorsement-backlash-1203436658/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="mdcjan13" /> Cenk stated on the Lex Friedman show in 2024 he was arguing against David Duke's views.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJtPROVsePk |title=Cenk Uygur: Trump vs Harris, Progressive Politics, Communism & Capitalism {{!}} Lex Fridman Podcast #441 |publisher=Lex Fridman |access-date=2024-09-03 |via=YouTube}}</ref> In 2019, he tweeted that [[Evangelical Christians]] harbored the worst antisemitism in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=David French |date=March 22, 2019 |title=The Real Reasons American Evangelicals Support Israel |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/the-real-reasons-american-evangelicals-support-israel/ |website=[[National Review]] |access-date=November 13, 2023 |archive-date=November 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113060346/https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/the-real-reasons-american-evangelicals-support-israel/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2018, ''The Young Turks'' launched its own TV-format 24-hour channel on YouTube TV, which includes both live and prerecorded programming.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=May 17, 2018 |title=YouTube TV Launches Tastemade, TYT Network 24-Hour Linear Channels |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-tv-tastemade-young-turks-linear-channels-1202812759/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828212710/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-tv-tastemade-young-turks-linear-channels-1202812759/ |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

Uygur hired his nephew, [[Hasan Piker]], to work for the show.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lorenz |first=Taylor |date=November 10, 2020 |title=How Hasan Piker Took Over Twitch |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/style/hasan-piker-twitch.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=November 14, 2023 |archive-date=November 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110173729/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/style/hasan-piker-twitch.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===MSNBC===

[[MSNBC]] hired Uygur as a contributor and substitute anchor for the network on October 21, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2010/tv/news/msnbc-hires-cenk-uygur-1118026116/|title=MSNBC hires Cenk Uygur|first=Sam|last=Thielman|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 22, 2010|access-date=November 15, 2023|archive-date=November 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115041617/https://variety.com/2010/tv/news/msnbc-hires-cenk-uygur-1118026116/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Marmura100"/><ref name="Karpf125">{{cite book|last=Karpf|first=David|title=The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy|year=2012|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199942879|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlifgdlbCIkC&q=cenk+uygur&pg=PA125|pages=125|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075825/https://books.google.com/books?id=xlifgdlbCIkC&q=cenk+uygur&pg=PA125#v=snippet&q=cenk%20uygur&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> On January 21, 2011, Uygur was appointed as the host of the 6 p.m. Eastern slot on MSNBC as the anchor of a new prime time edition of ''[[MSNBC Live]]'', resulting in a rearrangement of the time slots of MSNBC's other prime time shows. Uygur filled the time slot for six months, from January through June 2011.<ref name="olbermann leaves">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/24/AR2011012405321.html |title=Keith Olbermann leaves MSNBC, speculation follows |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 4, 2011 |access-date=March 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113084729/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/24/AR2011012405321.html |archive-date=November 13, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hollywood">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cenk-uygur-exits-msnbc-213624|title=Cenk Uygur Exits MSNBC|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=July 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723082136/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cenk-uygur-exits-msnbc-213624 |archive-date=July 23, 2011|accessdate=July 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/business/media/sharpton-close-to-being-msnbc-anchor.html|title=Sharpton Appears to Win Anchor Spot on MSNBC|first=Brian|last=Stelter|date=July 21, 2011|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

Management saw the style of several hosts, including Uygur, as off-base from MSNBC's branding objectives, resulting in their demotion.<ref name="Peck105"/> According to Uygur, MSNBC President [[Phil Griffin]] disliked his "aggressive style" and told him the network's audience "require different manners of speaking".<ref name="Peck105"/> MSNBC denied that the network desired censorship of his anti-corporate stances, and both sides agreed that their main differences of opinion were about the style of communication.<ref name="Peck105"/> His contract ended when he was offered a weekend slot and declined. He was replaced by [[Al Sharpton]], who by September had attracted 4% higher ratings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/business/media/as-an-msnbc-host-al-sharpton-is-a-hybrid-like-no-other.html|title=As an MSNBC Host, Sharpton Is a Hybrid Like No Other|first=Alan|last=Feuer|date=September 18, 2011|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 14, 2023|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905075826/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/business/media/as-an-msnbc-host-al-sharpton-is-a-hybrid-like-no-other.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Peck105"/><ref name="sharpton appears">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/business/media/sharpton-close-to-being-msnbc-anchor.html?scp=1&sq=cenk&st=cse|title=Sharpton Appears to Win Anchor Spot on MSNBC|first=Brian|last=Stelter|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 20, 2011|access-date=February 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301131137/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/business/media/sharpton-close-to-being-msnbc-anchor.html?scp=1&sq=cenk&st=cse|archive-date=March 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="leaving">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cenkuygur-idUSTRE76K02A20110721 |title=Cenk Uygur, host of "MSNBC Live" since January, will be leaving MSNBC after declining a shift to another timeslot|author= Lucas Shaw|work=[[Reuters]]|date=July 20, 2011|access-date=June 30, 2017 |archive-date=February 1, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201044812/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/21/us-cenkuygur-idUSTRE76K02A20110721 |url-status=live }}</ref> After leaving cable news, Uygur devoted his attention to TYT.<ref name="Peck105">{{cite book|last=Peck|first=Reece|title=Fox populism: Branding conservatism as working class|year=2019|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|___location=Cambridge, England|isbn=9781108496766|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JFR-DwAAQBAJ&q=Fox+Populism:+Branding+Conservatism+as+Working+Class&pg=PR9|pages=105|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080332/https://books.google.com/books?id=JFR-DwAAQBAJ&q=Fox+Populism:+Branding+Conservatism+as+Working+Class&pg=PR9#v=snippet&q=Fox%20Populism%3A%20Branding%20Conservatism%20as%20Working%20Class&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Uygur over time became disillusioned with traditional media establishments.<ref name="Marmura100"/>

===Wolf-PAC===

[[File:Climate March 0163 Our Rev (34350836975).jpg|thumb|Uygur speaking at the [[People's Climate March (2017)|People's Climate March]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], in April 2017]]

{{Main|Wolf-PAC}}

Several [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] rulings ([[Buckley v. Valeo|1976]], [[First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti|1978]], [[Citizens United v. FEC|2010]]) on [[Campaign finance in the United States|campaign finance]] motivated Uygur<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/02/in-supreme-court-ruling-on-campaign-finance-the-public-dissents/ |title=In Supreme Court Ruling on Campaign Finance, the Public Dissents |work=ABC News |access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite interview|last=Uygur|first=Cenk |subject-link=Cenk Uygur |interviewer=Sam Kessler |title=Politics and Populism: Interview with Cenk Uygur|url=https://harvardpolitics.com/interviews/politics-populism-interview-cenk-uygur/|publisher=Harvard University |___location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |date=February 26, 2017 |work=Harvard Political Review |access-date=August 9, 2019 |archive-date=August 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809153545/https://harvardpolitics.com/interviews/politics-populism-interview-cenk-uygur/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> during the [[Occupy Wall Street]] movement to launch a long-term project, a [[political action committee]] named Wolf-PAC, on October 19, 2011, in New York City.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Blumenthal|first1=Paul|title=Cenk Uygur Launches New Effort To Separate Money And Politics|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/cenk-uygur-separate-money-and-politics_n_1023053.html|access-date=November 16, 2014|work=The Huffington Post|date=October 20, 2011|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129034341/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/cenk-uygur-separate-money-and-politics_n_1023053.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Wieciech80">{{cite journal|last=Wieciech|first=Tomasz|title=An Article V Convention of States as a Constitutional Initiative at the Federal Level|url=https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/bitstream/handle/item/67529/wieciech_an_article_v_convention_of_states_as_a_constitutional_initiative_2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|journal=TEKA of Political Science and International Relations|volume=13|issue=1|year=2018|pages=80|access-date=February 24, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080341/https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/bitstream/handle/item/67529/wieciech_an_article_v_convention_of_states_as_a_constitutional_initiative_2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|url-status=live}}</ref> Wolf-PAC aims to lobby state legislators to pass resolutions calling for a [[Convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution|Convention of the States under Article V of the U.S. Constitution]]. Its slogan is "A super-PAC to end all super-PACs". The aim of the convention would be to pass an amendment to the [[United States Constitution]] that would end [[corporate personhood]] and publicly finance all elections in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Plan |url=http://www.wolf-pac.com/the_plan |work=Wolf PAC |access-date=February 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130219035834/http://www.wolf-pac.com/the_plan |archive-date=February 19, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2017}}, five states had passed a resolution calling for such a convention, though not all states used identical language in their convention call.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bogdan|first1=Jennifer|title=At R.I. State House, Wolf PAC lobbyists made late push|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160620/at-ri-state-house-wolf-pac-lobbyists-made-late-push|access-date=April 10, 2017|publisher=Providence Journal|date=June 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710041417/http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160620/at-ri-state-house-wolf-pac-lobbyists-made-late-push|archive-date=July 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to filings with the [[Federal Election Commission]], during the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, Wolf-PAC devoted nearly 80% of its disbursements to salaries and administrative costs. Jonah Bennett quipped in ''[[The Daily Caller]]'': "Cenk Uygur is so intent on keeping money out of politics his own PAC spends virtually all its donor money on personnel and operating expenses."<ref name="cpr">{{Cite web|url=https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-young-turks-part-3/|title=The Young Turks: Regressive Bad Faith|date=November 1, 2018|author=Steve Warner|website=Capital Research Center|access-date=November 14, 2023|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080335/https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-young-turks-part-3/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Justice Democrats===

{{Main|Justice Democrats}}

On January 23, 2017, Uygur co-founded the [[Justice Democrats]] along with [[Kyle Kulinski]], a political commentator who had been affiliated with Uygur's ''Young Turks'' network.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Wiegel|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/23/progressives-launch-justice-democrats-to-counter-primary-corporate-legislators/|title=Progressives launch 'Justice Democrats' to counter party's 'corporate' legislators|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 23, 2017|access-date=January 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330162649/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/23/progressives-launch-justice-democrats-to-counter-primary-corporate-legislators/|archive-date=March 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Tim|last=Haines|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/01/24/cenk_uygur_launches_a_new_wing_of_democratic_party_justice_democrats.html|title=Cenk Uygur Launches A "New Wing" Of Democratic Party: Justice Democrats|website=[[Real Clear Politics]]|date=January 24, 2017|access-date=January 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202071447/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/01/24/cenk_uygur_launches_a_new_wing_of_democratic_party_justice_democrats.html|archive-date=February 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GrigoryanSuetzl190"/> The group seeks to steer the Democratic Party in the strongly progressive, [[social democracy|social democratic]] or [[democratic socialism|democratic socialist]]<ref name="GrigoryanSuetzl190"/> direction espoused by U.S. senator [[Bernie Sanders]]. The group has supported [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]] candidates in primaries against politicians whom they consider to be [[New Democrats (United States)|moderate]] and [[Conservative Democrat|conservative]] Democrats,<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Wiegel|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/09/29/four-reasons-why-democrats-arent-facing-rebellions-in-primaries/|title=Four Reasons Democrats Aren't Facing Rebellions in Primaries|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 29, 2017|access-date=February 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130151722/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/09/29/four-reasons-why-democrats-arent-facing-rebellions-in-primaries/|archive-date=November 30, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GrigoryanSuetzl190">{{cite book|last1=Grigoryan|first1=Nune|last2=Suetzl|first2=Wolfgang|chapter=Hybridized political participation|editor1-last=Atkinson|editor1-first=Joshua D.|editor2-last=Kenix|editor2-first=Linda|title=Alternative Media Meets Mainstream Politics: Activist Nation Rising|year=2019|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781498584357|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_CYDwAAQBAJ&q=Alternative+Media+Meets+Mainstream+Politics:+Activist+Nation+Rising|pages=190|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080335/https://books.google.com/books?id=D_CYDwAAQBAJ&q=Alternative+Media+Meets+Mainstream+Politics:+Activist+Nation+Rising#v=snippet&q=Alternative%20Media%20Meets%20Mainstream%20Politics%3A%20Activist%20Nation%20Rising&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> such as [[Joe Manchin]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tuzmp3.co/mp3/progressive-primary-challenger-senator-joe-manchin-a-democrat-in-name-only.html|title=Joe Manchin|website=tuzmp3.co|access-date=January 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119235341/http://tuzmp3.co/mp3/progressive-primary-challenger-senator-joe-manchin-a-democrat-in-name-only.html|archive-date=January 19, 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> [[Joe Crowley]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/nyregion/joseph-crowley-ocasio-cortez-democratic-primary.html|title=Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Defeats Joseph Crowley in Major Democratic House Upset|last1=Goldmacher|first1=Shane|date=June 26, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 16, 2019|last2=Martin|first2=Jonathan|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627022115/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/nyregion/joseph-crowley-ocasio-cortez-democratic-primary.html|archive-date=June 27, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Dianne Feinstein]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.xumo.tv/video/XM0H7MR58SF89A/huge-dianne-feinstein-challenger-announcement-thursday-november-2nd|title=HUGE Dianne Feinstein Challenger Announcement Thursday, November 2nd|website=XUMO|access-date=January 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120065851/https://www.xumo.tv/video/XM0H7MR58SF89A/huge-dianne-feinstein-challenger-announcement-thursday-november-2nd|archive-date=January 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Uygur was forced out of the Justice Democrats on December 22, 2017, following the discovery of blog posts that he had written in the early 2000s in which he made statements that were described by Justice Democrats leadership as "sexist and racist".<ref name="lamnov19">{{Cite web|url=https://lamag.com/featured/cenk-uygur-congress-campaign|title=Cenk Uygur Is out for Katie Hill's Seat. When it Comes to Republicans, He's Ready to 'Rip Their Face Off'|author=Brittany Martin|work=LA Magazine|date=November 19, 2019|access-date=November 12, 2023|archive-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112071220/https://lamag.com/featured/cenk-uygur-congress-campaign|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=nytdec13/><ref>{{cite tweet |author=Justice Democrats |user=justicedems |number=944356205476106240 |date=December 22, 2017 |title=We are deeply disturbed by recent news regarding @cenkuygur & David Koller. Their language and conduct is horrifying and does not reflect our values at Justice Democrats. We would be hypocrites to not act immediately and ask for their resignation. Here is our official statement}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/justice-democrats-ousts-cenk-uygur_us_5a3eb4d1e4b025f99e178181 |title=Progressive Group Ousts Cenk Uygur Over Past Sexist Writing|last=Marans|first=Daniel|date=December 23, 2017|website=[[The Huffington Post]] |access-date=April 24, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108010430/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/justice-democrats-ousts-cenk-uygur_us_5a3eb4d1e4b025f99e178181|archive-date=January 8, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Hellinger109">{{cite book|last=Hellinger|first=Daniel C.|title=Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump|year=2018|publisher=Springer|isbn=9783319981581|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3hvDwAAQBAJ&q=Conspiracies+and+Conspiracy+Theories+in+the+Age+of+Trump|pages=109|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080336/https://books.google.com/books?id=U3hvDwAAQBAJ&q=Conspiracies+and+Conspiracy+Theories+in+the+Age+of+Trump#v=snippet&q=Conspiracies%20and%20Conspiracy%20Theories%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Trump&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> The next day, Uygur apologized and denounced his past statements in a video on The Young Turks channel on YouTube. In an interview with ''TheWrap'', Uygur said he had deleted the "ugly" posts a decade ago, and added: "The stuff I wrote back then was really insensitive and ignorant. If you read that today, what I wrote 18 years ago, and you're offended by it, you're 100 percent right. And anyone who is subjected to that material, I apologize to. And I deeply regret having written that stuff when I was a different guy".<ref name=":1" /> Uygur said that he wrote the posts while he was still a conservative, before he underwent a political transformation and became a liberal; he asserted that he "had not yet matured" and "was still a conservative who thought that stuff was politically incorrect and edgy". Uygur added, "If someone said that today, I would heavily criticize them on the show and rightfully so, and I have. I've criticized myself over the years".<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/young-turks-cenk-uygur-blog-breasts-women-flawed/|access-date=July 11, 2019|title='Young Turks' Founder Cenk Uygur Apologizes for 'Ugly,' 'Insensitive' Old Blog Posts (Exclusive)|first=Jon|last=Levin|date=December 21, 2017|website=[[TheWrap]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712011737/https://www.thewrap.com/young-turks-cenk-uygur-blog-breasts-women-flawed/|archive-date=July 12, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/22/cenk-uygur-young-turks-founder-apologizes-insensit/ |title=Cenk Uygur, 'Young Turks' founder, apologizes for 'insensitive and ignorant' posts about women |last=Chasmar |first=Jessica |date=December 22, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]] |access-date=April 24, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808115003/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/22/cenk-uygur-young-turks-founder-apologizes-insensit/ |archive-date=August 8, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Rebellion PAC===

In 2020, he co-founded Rebellion PAC, a political action committee with a focus on running advertisements in support of progressive electoral candidates, alongside [[Brianna Wu]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/13/trailer-path-ahead-kamala-harris/|title=The Trailer: The path ahead for Kamala Harris|last=Weigel|first=David|author-link=David Weigel|date=August 13, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 30, 2022|archive-date=January 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128001439/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/13/trailer-path-ahead-kamala-harris/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Political campaigns ==

===2020 U.S. House of Representatives candidacy===

{{further|2020 California's 25th congressional district special election}}

[[File:Bernie and Cenk (27106153856) crop.jpg|thumb|right|Uygur with [[Bernie Sanders]] at a campaign rally in California in 2016]]

In mid-November 2019, Uygur filed to run for [[United States House of Representatives|Congress]] in [[California's 25th congressional district|California's 25th district]], a seat recently vacated by the resignation of [[Katie Hill]]. He did this despite the fact that he did not live in the district.<ref name="lamnov19"/> Other candidates included Democratic Assemblywoman [[Christy Smith (politician)|Christy Smith]] and former Trump campaign aide [[George Papadopoulos]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |author=Ecarma |first=Caleb |date=November 13, 2019 |title=Cenk Uygur Files to Run For Congress in Katie Hill's District |url=https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/cenk-uygur-files-to-run-for-congress-in-katie-hills-district/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114042804/https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/cenk-uygur-files-to-run-for-congress-in-katie-hills-district/ |archive-date=November 14, 2019 |access-date=November 14, 2019 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malaea |first=Marika |date=November 13, 2019 |title=Cenk Uygur of 'The Young Turks' files to run for Congresswoman Katie Hill's seat one day after endorsing Sanders |url=https://www.newsweek.com/cenk-uygur-young-turks-files-run-congresswoman-katie-hills-seat-one-day-after-endorsing-1471638 |access-date=November 14, 2019 |website=Newsweek |language=en |archive-date=November 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114030025/https://www.newsweek.com/cenk-uygur-young-turks-files-run-congresswoman-katie-hills-seat-one-day-after-endorsing-1471638 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Wulfsohn |first=Joseph |date=November 13, 2019 |title=Liberal host Cenk Uygur files for congressional run in Katie Hill's former district |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/cenk-uygur-congress-run-katie-hill-california |access-date=November 14, 2019 |website=Fox News |language=en-US |archive-date=November 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114044005/https://www.foxnews.com/media/cenk-uygur-congress-run-katie-hill-california |url-status=live }}</ref> Uygur ran in two primary elections on March 3, 2020: the special election primary to fill the vacant seat through January 2021 and the Democratic primary for the next full term (decided in the 2020 November election). Uygur raised over $100,000 in small donations in the first three hours after announcing his candidacy.<ref name="clz3W">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Jake |date=November 15, 2019 |title=Vowing to take on the 'greedy corrupt donor class', Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur announces congressional bid |url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/15/vowing-take-greedy-corrupt-donor-class-young-turks-founder-cenk-uygur-announces |access-date=February 3, 2020 |publisher=Common Dreams |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116182036/https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/15/vowing-take-greedy-corrupt-donor-class-young-turks-founder-cenk-uygur-announces |url-status=live }}</ref> That figure rose to $796,000 in the remainder of the quarter.<ref>{{cite web|last=Montellaro|first=Zach|date=January 6, 2020|title=The TV ad crush coming to the early states|url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-score/2020/01/06/the-tv-ad-crush-coming-to-the-early-states-784075|access-date=February 3, 2020|work=Politico|archive-date=January 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112000541/https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-score/2020/01/06/the-tv-ad-crush-coming-to-the-early-states-784075|url-status=live}}</ref>

Uygur positioned himself as left-wing, supporting single-payer healthcare, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and overturning ''[[Citizens United v. FEC]]''. In the wake of the [[2019 Saugus High School shooting]], he supported strict gun control laws.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 13, 2020 |author=Martin Macias Jr. |title=Voters Set for Turbulent Primary in California's 25th Congressional District |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/voters-set-for-turbulent-primary-in-californias-25th-congressional-district/ |access-date=February 19, 2020 |archive-date=February 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219032906/https://www.courthousenews.com/voters-set-for-turbulent-primary-in-californias-25th-congressional-district/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He criticized his Democratic opponent, Christy Smith, for her opposition to Medicare for All.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schulberg |first=Jessica |date=December 18, 2019 |title=How Cenk Uygur Threw The Race To Replace Katie Hill Into Chaos |work=The Huffington Post |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/california-25-christy-smith-cenk-uygur-katie-hill_n_5df96d2fe4b0969b618c9cde |access-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231174934/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/california-25-christy-smith-cenk-uygur-katie-hill_n_5df96d2fe4b0969b618c9cde |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Murga|first=Tammy|date=December 12, 2019|title=Cenk Uygur on why he's running for 25th Congressional District|work=Santa Clarita Valley Signal|url=https://signalscv.com/2019/12/cenk-uygur-on-why-hes-running-for-25th-congressional-district/|access-date=January 1, 2020|archive-date=January 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101062329/https://signalscv.com/2019/12/cenk-uygur-on-why-hes-running-for-25th-congressional-district/|url-status=live}}</ref> Uygur's primary issue was to get money out of politics.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blazej |first=Adam |date=January 10, 2020 |title=Political games and names |url=https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/political-games-and-names/ |access-date=February 3, 2020 |work=Simi Valley Acorn |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116075656/https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/political-games-and-names/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He also opposed war with Iran and supported passing the Green New Deal.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ecarma |first=Caleb |date=January 9, 2020 |title=Tucker receives bipartisan praise after report Trump took Iran cues from him |url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/tucker-receives-bipartisan-praise-after-report-trump-took-iran-cues-from-him-god-bless-tucker-carlson |access-date=February 3, 2020 |publisher=Mediaite |archive-date=January 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112001346/https://www.mediaite.com/tv/tucker-receives-bipartisan-praise-after-report-trump-took-iran-cues-from-him-god-bless-tucker-carlson/ |url-status=live }}/</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Stecker |first=Tiffany |date=January 14, 2020 |title=Where green issues could matter on congressional campaign trail |url=https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/where-green-issues-could-matter-on-congressional-campaign-trail |access-date=February 3, 2020 |publisher=Bloomberg Environment |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114220724/https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/where-green-issues-could-matter-on-congressional-campaign-trail |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Ian Schwartz |date=February 8, 2019 |title=Cenk Uygur: Pelosi Will Fight "Tooth And Nail" To Kill Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/02/08/cenk_uygur_pelosi_will_fight_tooth_and_nail_to_kill_alexandria_ocasio-cortezs_green_new_deal.html |access-date=January 8, 2020 |website=Real Clear Politics |archive-date=October 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006114234/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/02/08/cenk_uygur_pelosi_will_fight_tooth_and_nail_to_kill_alexandria_ocasio-cortezs_green_new_deal.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Uygur's candidacy was initially endorsed by U.S. senator [[Bernie Sanders]], then a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, on December 12, 2019.<ref name="toidec16">{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/bernie-sanders-retracts-endorsement-for-candidate-who-demeaned-women-minorities/|title=Bernie Sanders retracts endorsement for candidate who demeaned women, minorities|work=[[The Times of Israel]]|accessdate=November 14, 2023|date=December 16, 2019|last=Jaffe|first=Alexandra|archive-date=November 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129110051/https://www.timesofisrael.com/bernie-sanders-retracts-endorsement-for-candidate-who-demeaned-women-minorities/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, on December 13, 2019, Sanders retracted his support after offensive sexual comments that Uygur had long made about women, demeaning comments that he had made about blacks (using the [[N-word]] on his show multiple times), and provocative statements that he had made about [[Fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] Muslims and Jews in years prior were brought to his attention.<ref name=nytdec13/><ref name="latimes" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author1=Ryan Nobles |author2=Dan Merica|date=December 13, 2019 |title=Sanders endorses controversial candidate in California congressional race |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/13/politics/bernie-sanders-endorse-cenk-uygur/index.html |access-date=July 19, 2020|website=CNN}}</ref><ref name="toidec16"/> The same day, Representative [[Ro Khanna]] (D-Calif.) withdrew his endorsement of Uygur, saying that Uygur's statements "were wrong and hurtful."<ref name="varietydec14"/>

At least a dozen women's, [[LGBTQ]], and Democratic organizations denounced comments he had made as sexist, racist, homophobic, anti-Islam, and antisemitic.<ref name="varietydec14"/> Mark Gonzalez, the chairman of the [[Los Angeles County]] Democratic Party, said of him: "This man has spent decades, including up until recently, attacking women, the LGBTQ community, Jews, Muslims, Asian-Americans and African Americans. His vulgarity, his hate speech and divisive rhetoric have no place in our party." Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, the chairman of California Young Democrats, said "Cenk has a history of racist and homophobic and misogynistic comments that are inconsistent with the Democratic Party."<ref name="nytdec13"/> Uygur claimed that there was a coordinated campaign against him by the media and political establishments.<ref name="latimes" /><ref name=":4" />{{Failed verification|date=January 2024}}

Uygur ultimately lost both elections, receiving 6% and 7% of the vote, respectively.<ref name="casos">{{Cite web |title=Final Official Election Results – Congressional District 25 &#124; California Secretary of State|url=https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2019-cd25/official-results-primary/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502060957/https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2019-cd25/official-results-primary/ |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |access-date=April 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name="nytmarch3">{{Cite web |date=March 3, 2020 |title=Live: California State Primary Election Results 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/03/us/elections/results-california-primary-elections.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200310162133/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/03/us/elections/results-california-primary-elections.html |archive-date=March 10, 2020|access-date=March 5, 2020 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> As no candidate earned 50 percent of the vote or more, the top two vote-earners, Christy Smith and navy officer [[Mike Garcia (politician)|Mike Garcia]], advanced to the runoff,<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 3, 2020 |title=Live: California State Primary Election Results 2020 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/03/us/elections/results-california-primary-elections.html |access-date=March 5, 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=March 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200310162133/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/03/us/elections/results-california-primary-elections.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with Garcia eventually winning the election.

=== 2024 presidential campaign ===

{{Infobox U.S. federal election campaign

|logo=[[File:Cenk for America.png|200px]]

|candidate=Cenk Uygur

|announced=October 11, 2023

|suspended=March 6, 2024

|status=Suspended

|campaign=[[2024 United States presidential election]] ([[2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic Party primaries]])

|website={{URL|cenkforamerica.com}}

}}

Uygur has said that he will run for president of the United States. As of early December 2023, he has failed in his efforts to be listed on a number of state primary ballots, because he does not meet the U.S. constitutional requirement to be a natural-born citizen in order to serve as president.<ref name=":9">{{cite news |last1=Golonka |first1=Sean |title=Progressive pundit Cenk Uygur won't appear on NV primary ballot after altering form |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/progressive-pundit-cenk-uygur-wont-appear-on-nv-primary-ballot-after-altering-form |year=2023 |access-date=3 January 2025 |work=[[The Nevada Independent]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hasen |first1=Rick |title=Federal District Court Issues Order Explaining Why South Carolina and the SC Democratic Party Did Not Violate Cenk Uygur's Rights in Keeping Him Off Presidential Primary Ballot |url=https://electionlawblog.org/?p=140882 |year=2024 |access-date=3 January 2025 |work=Election Law Blog}}</ref>

In September 2023, Uygur said that he was preparing to launch a potential challenge to President [[Joe Biden]] in the [[2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2023|first=Caleb|last= Howe|title=Cenk Uygur is So Frustrated By Biden's Lagging Poll Numbers That He's Staffing Up for a 2024 Run|url=https://www.mediaite.com/politics/cenk-uygur-is-so-frustrated-by-bidens-slagging-poll-numbers-that-hes-staffing-up-for-a-2024-run/ |access-date=October 5, 2023 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=September 29, 2023 |title=Cenk Uygur, creator of The Young Turks, drops big 2024 bombshell|first=Kaitlyn|last=Kennedy|url=https://www.tag24.com/politics/us-politics/cenk-uygur-creator-of-the-young-turks-drops-big-2024-bombshell-2968527 |access-date=October 5, 2023 |website=TAG24 |language=en}}</ref> Asserting that Biden is too old and will be unable to defeat Trump, Uygur has encouraged Biden not to seek re-election.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Uygur |first=Cenk |date=September 22, 2023 |title=Mr. President—You're Going to Lose to Trump. We're Begging You: Step Down |url=https://www.newsweek.com/mr-president-youre-going-lose-trump-were-begging-you-step-down-opinion-1829100 |access-date=October 5, 2023 |website=Newsweek |language=en |archive-date=July 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240719091610/https://www.newsweek.com/mr-president-youre-going-lose-trump-were-begging-you-step-down-opinion-1829100 |url-status=live }}</ref> Uygur said that, if no progressive challenger announced a campaign, he would start his own campaign to attempt to encourage other Democrats to challenge Biden.<ref name=":0" />

Uygur would not meet the constitutional requirements to serve as U.S. president under [[Article Two of the United States Constitution#Clause 5: Qualifications for office|Article II, Section 1]] of the U.S. Constitution. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen, that is to say he became a citizen after his birth. Not being a citizen at his birth precludes him from being considered a "[[Natural-born-citizen clause (United States)|natural-born U.S. citizen]]," which is a requisite for presidential eligibility.<ref>{{cite journal|url = https://harvardlawreview.org/forum/vol-128/on-the-meaning-of-natural-born-citizen/|title = On the Meaning of "Natural Born Citizen"|last1 = Clement|first1 = Paul|last2 = Katyal|first2 = Neal|journal = [[Harvard Law Review]]|volume = 128|issue = 5|date = March 2015|pages = 161–165|quote = All the sources routinely used to interpret the Constitution confirm that the phrase "natural born Citizen" has a specific meaning: namely, someone who was a U.S. citizen at birth with no need to go through a naturalization proceeding at some later time.}}</ref> Uygur has claimed his eligibility, citing a 2006 [[University of Illinois Chicago|UIC]] [[law review]] paper by a law school graduate on a 1964 case entitled ''[[Schneider v. Rusk]]''.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=cenkuygur|number=1712285642477216180|title=Case law is clear. Naturalized citizens can run for President: "Schneider is clear that treating natural born citizens and naturalized citizens differently is contrary to the Fifth Amendment. Forbidding naturalized citizens from being president or vice president is a form of discrimination that limits their options and treats them as secondclass citizens."|date=October 11, 2023|accessdate=November 19, 2023}}</ref><ref name=Newsweek231012>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Aleks|date=October 12, 2023|title=Cenk Uygur's Presidential Run Sparks Avalanche of Jokes, Mockery|url=https://www.newsweek.com/cenk-uygur-presidential-run-social-media-mockery-1834112|work=[[Newsweek]]|access-date=October 12, 2023|quote=Uygur cited a 2006 University of Illinois at Chicago law review paper on the topic, which discussed the 1964 Supreme Court case of Schneider v. Rusk, in which justices found that it was unconstitutional to discriminate against naturalized citizens.|archive-date=October 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012120314/https://www.newsweek.com/cenk-uygur-presidential-run-social-media-mockery-1834112|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>The article referenced is {{cite journal|last1=Clark|first1=Paul A.|title=Limiting the Presidency to Natural Born Citizens Violates Due Process|journal=[[John Marshall Law Review]]|date=2006|volume=39|page=1343|url=https://repository.law.uic.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1287&context=lawreview|access-date=October 28, 2023|archive-date=November 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129211508/https://repository.law.uic.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1287&context=lawreview|url-status=live}}</ref> He claims that he has a "slam dunk" legal case.<ref name = Weigel>{{cite news|url = https://www.semafor.com/article/10/11/2023/cenk-uygur-running-for-president-as-democrat|title = Cenk Uygur running for president as Democrat|last = Weigel|first = Dave|date = October 11, 2023|accessdate = October 11, 2023|work = [[Semafor (website)|Semafor]]|archive-date = October 11, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231011222816/https://www.semafor.com/article/10/11/2023/cenk-uygur-running-for-president-as-democrat|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4251265-young-turks-host-cenk-uygur-announces-primary-bid-against-biden/|title='Young Turks' host Cenk Uygur announces primary bid against Biden|first=Filip|last=Timotija|date=October 12, 2023|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=October 12, 2023|archive-date=October 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012025718/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4251265-young-turks-host-cenk-uygur-announces-primary-bid-against-biden/|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing in ''[[The Daily Targum]]'' in October 2023, Kiran Subramanian questioned Uygur's ability to make this case and gain popular support, concluding that "his calculations are completely absurd and put his view of the world into question."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailytargum.com/article/2023/10/subramanian-cenk-uygers-run-for-presidency-is-deeply-flawed|title=Cenk Uygur's run for presidency is deeply flawed|website=[[The Daily Targum]]|date=October 18, 2023|accessdate=November 14, 2023|first=Kiran|last=Subramanian|archive-date=November 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114052142/https://dailytargum.com/article/2023/10/subramanian-cenk-uygers-run-for-presidency-is-deeply-flawed|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 11, Uygur officially announced his presidential campaign.<ref name = Weigel/><ref>{{Cite web|first=Rebecca|last=Falconer |date=October 11, 2023 |title=Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur to run for president in 2024 as Democrat|url=https://www.axios.com/2023/10/12/young-turks-cenk-uygur-president-run-democrat-2024 |access-date=October 12, 2023 |website=Axios}}</ref> He filed for the [[Nevada]] ballot that same day, but was not allowed on it after he submitted an altered form.<ref name=":9" /> Similarly, Uygur's New Hampshire ballot application was denied by [[New Hampshire Secretary of State]] [[David Scanlan]] on October 18; Uygur said that he would file lawsuits, but did not specify any jurisdictions.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Steven |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Candidate blocked from N.H. presidential primary ballot |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/27/metro/candidate-blocked-nh-presidential-primary-ballot/ |access-date=November 3, 2023 |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080338/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/27/metro/candidate-blocked-nh-presidential-primary-ballot/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Uygur appealed the New Hampshire decision to the state's Ballot Law Commission, which unanimously rejected his appeal on November 2, noting that the [[United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire|U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire]] has held that because the natural born citizen clause has not been repealed, New Hampshire state laws requiring all presidential candidates to affirm that they are natural born citizens are constitutional."<ref>[https://www.sos.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt561/files/inline-documents/sonh/decision-cenk-uygur.pdf "STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE BALLOT LAW COMMISSION; Decision BLC2023-4; Appeal of Cenk Uygur,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115024228/https://www.sos.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt561/files/inline-documents/sonh/decision-cenk-uygur.pdf |date=November 15, 2023 }} November 2, 2023.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=November 2, 2023|title=State Ballot Law Commission upholds barring Cenk Uygur from NH Primary ballot|url=https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2023-11-02/state-ballot-law-commission-upholds-barring-cenk-uygur-from-nh-primary-ballot|access-date=November 3, 2023|website=[[New Hampshire Public Radio]]|first=Josh|last=Rogers|language=en|archive-date=November 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106180038/https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2023-11-02/state-ballot-law-commission-upholds-barring-cenk-uygur-from-nh-primary-ballot|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, Uygur filed, but was not certified, for the [[South Carolina]] Democratic Party presidential primary ballot, given that he does not meet constitutional requirements to hold the office of president of the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://scdp.org/scdp-news/press-releases/official-list-of-candidates-for-2024-south-carolina-democratic-party-presidential-primary/|title=Official List of Candidates for 2024 South Carolina Democratic Party Presidential Primary|date=November 13, 2023|website=South Carolina Democratic Party|access-date=November 15, 2023|archive-date=November 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115024235/https://scdp.org/scdp-news/press-releases/official-list-of-candidates-for-2024-south-carolina-democratic-party-presidential-primary/|url-status=live}}</ref> Uygur unsuccessfully sued the South Carolina Election Commission and the South Carolina Democratic Party over his exclusion from the ballot.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Alexander |title=Turkey-born pundit sues SC Democrats over 'natural-born citizen' primary exclusion |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/turkey-born-pundit-sues-sc-democrats-over-natural-born-citizen-primary-exclusion/article_c53f45a8-a504-11ee-a096-ffb5651146e4.html |work=[[The Post and Courier]] |date=December 29, 2023 |access-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229195604/https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/turkey-born-pundit-sues-sc-democrats-over-natural-born-citizen-primary-exclusion/article_c53f45a8-a504-11ee-a096-ffb5651146e4.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Alexander |title=Federal judge rejects Turkey-born pundit's bid to get on SC presidential ballot |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/federal-judge-rejects-turkey-born-pundits-bid-to-get-on-sc-presidential-ballot/article_ad65d0c2-afdc-11ee-898d-bf2e3b7e0b98.html |work=[[The Post and Courier]] |date=January 10, 2024 |access-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110222115/https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/federal-judge-rejects-turkey-born-pundits-bid-to-get-on-sc-presidential-ballot/article_ad65d0c2-afdc-11ee-898d-bf2e3b7e0b98.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After Uygur had submitted his paperwork to Arkansas and the [[Arkansas Democratic Party]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ballotpedia.org/2023/11/16/seven-candidates-have-filed-to-appear-on-arkansas-democratic-presidential-primary-ballot/|title=Seven candidates have filed to appear on Arkansas' Democratic presidential primary ballot|first=Ellen|last=Morrissey|work=Ballotpedia|date=November 16, 2023|accessdate=November 16, 2023|archive-date=November 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116235300/https://news.ballotpedia.org/2023/11/16/seven-candidates-have-filed-to-appear-on-arkansas-democratic-presidential-primary-ballot/|url-status=live}}</ref> the state's election officials denied him ballot access on December 4.<ref name=ABC231205>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/arkansas-rules-online-news-personality-cenk-uygur-qualify-105374100|title=Arkansas rules online news personality Cenk Uygur won't qualify for Democratic presidential primary|first=Andrew|last=Demillo|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=December 5, 2023|access-date=December 5, 2023|quote=Arkansas election officials on Monday said online news personality Cenk Uygur, who was born in Turkey, can't appear on the state's Democratic presidential primary ballot next year.|archive-date=December 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205012800/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/arkansas-rules-online-news-personality-cenk-uygur-qualify-105374100|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 18, 2023, Uygur's campaign issued a press release<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cenk for America|url=https://cenkforamerica.com/press_release/four-states-accept-cenk-uygur-on-upcoming-democratic-presidential-primary-ballots/|access-date=January 7, 2024|website=cenkforamerica.com|archive-date=January 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107142246/https://cenkforamerica.com/press_release/four-states-accept-cenk-uygur-on-upcoming-democratic-presidential-primary-ballots/|url-status=live}}</ref> indicating that he was on primary ballots for the following states: [[2024 Minnesota Democratic presidential primary|Minnesota]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dfl.org/press-release/dfl-submits-candidates-for-inclusion-on-presidential-primary-ballot/|title=DFL Submits Candidates for Inclusion on Presidential Primary Ballot|work=Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party|date=December 13, 2023|accessdate=January 13, 2024|archive-date=January 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114033705/https://dfl.org/press-release/dfl-submits-candidates-for-inclusion-on-presidential-primary-ballot/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[2024 Oklahoma Democratic presidential primary|Oklahoma]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://filings.okelections.us/ViewCandidates/2023120420231206/99/all|title=OK Candidate Filing|work=Oklahoma State Election Board|date=January 13, 2024|accessdate=January 13, 2024|archive-date=January 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114033705/https://filings.okelections.us/ViewCandidates/2023120420231206/99/all|url-status=live}}</ref> [[2024 Texas Democratic presidential primary|Texas]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Candidate Information|url=https://candidate.texas-election.com/Elections/getQualifiedCandidatesInfo.do|website=Texas-election.com – Texas Secretary of State|access-date=January 13, 2024|archive-date=November 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106183431/https://candidate.texas-election.com/Elections/getQualifiedCandidatesInfo.do|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[2024 Vermont Democratic presidential primary|Vermont]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qualified Candidates for the Vermont Presidential Primary, March 5, 2024|url=https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/sos/Elections%20Division/election%20info%20and%20resources/candidates/presidential%20candidates/2024%20Prez%20Primary%20Qualified%20Candidates.xlsx|website=2024 Vermont Presidential Candidate Information, Vermont Secretary of State|access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref> It was confirmed in January that Uygur was placed on the ballot in [[2024 Connecticut Democratic presidential primary|Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Putterman|first=Alex|url=https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/politics/article/presidential-primary-ballot-ct-trump-haley-18616717.php|title=Who is on CT's presidential primary ballot? Four Dems and four Republicans qualify|work=[[Stamford Advocate]]|date=January 19, 2024|accessdate=January 19, 2024|archive-date=January 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119234626/https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/politics/article/presidential-primary-ballot-ct-trump-haley-18616717.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Uygur indicated to ''[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]'' in late November 2023 that his campaign had raised more than $250,000 since it started.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4327418-democratic-presidential-candidate-cenk-uygur-raises-250k/|title=Democratic presidential candidate Cenk Uygur raises more than $250K since campaign launch|first=Filip|last=Timotija|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=November 25, 2023|accessdate=November 27, 2023}}</ref>

On March 6, 2024, Uygur ended his presidential campaign.<ref name=":10">{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/4514263-cenk-uygur-drops-long-shot-presidential-bid/|title=Cenk Uygur drops long-shot presidential bid|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|first1=Filip|last1=Timotija|first2=Nick|last2=Robertson|date=March 6, 2024|access-date=December 6, 2024}}</ref>

==Political views==

{{Progressivism sidebar|commentators}}

=== Ideology ===

Once a Republican, Uygur says that he has "enormous disdain for the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]."<ref name="pgsept1"/> At the same time, he said of [[Barack Obama]]: "He’s conservative in his bones, so I’ve got no love for Obama whatsoever."<ref name="tdbnov21"/> Uygur is critical of the [[New Democrats (United States)|New Democrats]] wing of the Democratic Party, which he regards as the incumbent political establishment.<ref name="Marmura105">{{cite book|last=Marmura|first=Stephen M. E.|title=The WikiLeaks Paradigm: Paradoxes and Revelations|year=2018|publisher=Springer|isbn=9783319971391|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iE1tDwAAQBAJ&q=The+WikiLeaks+Paradigm:+Paradoxes+and+Revelations&pg=PP5|pages=105|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905081006/https://books.google.com/books?id=iE1tDwAAQBAJ&q=The+WikiLeaks+Paradigm:+Paradoxes+and+Revelations&pg=PP5#v=snippet&q=The%20WikiLeaks%20Paradigm%3A%20Paradoxes%20and%20Revelations&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> He has called for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] to undergo a revitalization process.<ref name="Marmura100">{{harvnb|Marmura|2018|p=100.}}</ref>

Uygur slowly transitioned away from the Republican Party and [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] politics. He has cited the decision to [[Iraq War|invade Iraq]] as a "seminal moment" in that transition.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bryce|last=Rudow|url=http://thedailybanter.com/2014/01/10-questions-with-cenk-uygur/|title=Cenk Uygur Finally Opens Up About Keith Olbermann: "He's Clearly Got Clinical Issues"|website=The Daily Banter|date=January 30, 2014|access-date=December 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161214082535/http://thedailybanter.com/2014/01/10-questions-with-cenk-uygur/|archive-date=December 14, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Campaign finance ===

Uygur has supported the removal of corporate donations from the political system, and he said that "campaign finance reform" is the "only one issue" in the United States.<ref name="Lessig5">{{cite book |last=Lessig |first=Lawrence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQo5AQAAQBAJ&q=cenk+Uygur+&pg=PT298 |title=Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress-and a Plan to Stop It |publisher=Hachette UK |year=2011 |isbn=9780446576420 |pages=5 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080333/https://books.google.com/books?id=SQo5AQAAQBAJ&q=cenk+Uygur+&pg=PT298 |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Solaimanxxi">{{cite thesis |last=Solaiman |first=Barry |title=Evaluating Lobbying in the United Kingdom: Moving from a Corruption Framework to 'Institutional Diversion' |date=2017 |access-date=February 24, 2020 |type=Ph.D. |publisher=University of Cambridge |url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/269394/Solaiman-2017-PhD.pdf?sequence=1 |pages=xxi}}</ref> He is known for criticizing both Democratic and Republican politicians, accusing many of them for being influenced by donors.<ref name=":11" /><ref name="Hellinger109" /><ref name="Kolehmainen22">{{cite journal |last=Kolehmainen |first=Pekka |year=2017 |title=Social media narratives as political fan fiction in the 2016 US presidential election |journal=European Journal of American Studies |volume=12 |issue=12–2 |doi=10.4000/ejas.12147 |doi-access=free}} para. 22.</ref>

=== Israel ===

Uygur is highly critical of [[Israel]]. In 2006, he suggested that someone should "bulldoze" [[Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berkowitz |first=Adam Eliyahu |date=2019-12-17 |title=Democratic Congressional Candidate and Bestiality Advocate Caught on Tape Saying "Bulldoze Jerusalem" |url=https://israel365news.com/335044/democratic-congressional-candidate-and-progressive-pundit-caught-on-tape-saying-bulldoze-jerusalem/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=Israel365 News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2011, he criticized the [[Israel Defense Forces]] for the [[2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla]], which resulted in the IDF killing multiple civilians.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-06-02 |title=Israel Must Release the Full Raid Tapes |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israel-must-release-the-f_b_598116 |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref>

He has strongly opposed the [[Gaza war]], repeatedly citing the high number of civilian deaths and has accused Israel of committing a [[Palestinian genocide accusation|genocide against the Palestinians]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-10 |title=Cenk Uygur says 'unfortunately' both Trump & Harris agree they 'should serve Israel' |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/webtv/programs/gnt/clips/2024/09/10/cenk-uygur-says-unfortunately-both-trump-harris-agree-they-should-serve-israel- |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Isaacson |first=Gila |date=2025-06-26 |title=Cenk Uygur Loses The Plot {{!}} WATCH |url=https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/cenk-uygur-zionist-rants |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=JFeed |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2025 |first=Tim |last=Hains |title=Cenk Uygur: You Guys Are Way Too Polite To Israel, This Is A Genocidal Terrorist State That Thinks It Owns America |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/07/16/cenk_uygur_you_guys_are_way_too_polite_to_israel_this_is_a_genocidal_terrorist_state.html |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=www.realclearpolitics.com}}</ref> He has also expressed opposition to [[Hamas]] and condemned the [[October 7 attacks]].<ref name="Gilmour">{{Cite web |last=Gilmour |first=David |date=2023-10-24 |title='End It Today!': Cenk Uygur's Fiery Plea To Israel |url=https://www.mediaite.com/uk/cenk-uygur-calls-israel-to-stop-brutalising-gaza-in-piers-morgan-interview/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref> Uygur has supported the implementation of a [[two-state solution]] with the 1967 borders.<ref name="Gilmour" />

=== Presidential elections ===

In 2000, Uygur voted for [[John McCain]] in the Republican primaries; however he did not vote for McCain in the [[2008 United States presidential election]] due to his perceived proximity to the [[Christian right]] and his views on taxes and [[waterboarding]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Uygur |first=Cenk |date=March 12, 2008 |title=Not the candidate he used to be |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2008/03/not-the-candidate-he-used-to-be-009000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030232354/https://www.politico.com/story/2008/03/not-the-candidate-he-used-to-be-009000 |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=Politico |language=en}}</ref> Uygur supported the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders in [[Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign|2016]] and [[Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign|2020]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bee |first=Vanessa A. |date=December 20, 2019 |title=I Like Cenk Uygur, but Bernie Was Right to Retract His Endorsement |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2019/12/20/opinion-cenk-uygur-bernie-sanders-endorsement-strategy-088566 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030232354/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2019/12/20/opinion-cenk-uygur-bernie-sanders-endorsement-strategy-088566 |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hellinger |first=Daniel C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3hvDwAAQBAJ&q=Conspiracies+and+Conspiracy+Theories+in+the+Age+of+Trump |title=Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump |date=September 20, 2018 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-98158-1 |language=en |access-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905080336/https://books.google.com/books?id=U3hvDwAAQBAJ&q=Conspiracies+and+Conspiracy+Theories+in+the+Age+of+Trump#v=snippet&q=Conspiracies%20and%20Conspiracy%20Theories%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Trump&f=false |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kolehmainen22" />

Following the [[2024 United States presidential election]], Uygur has expressed disdain with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], believing that they have strayed from populist ideals and become more elitist than the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], specifically citing [[Elon Musk]]'s reception to criticism.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Uygur |first1=Cenk |title="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!!"" |url=https://x.com/cenkuygur/status/1858896978618511748 |website=Twitter |access-date=20 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Uygur |first1=Cenk |title="I asked @elonmusk 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." |url=https://x.com/cenkuygur/status/1858913763140800988 |website=Twitter |access-date=20 November 2024}}</ref>

==Awards==

In 2010, along with [[Ayaan Hirsi Ali]], Uygur accepted the "Emperor Has No Clothes Award" from the [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]]<ref name="FFRF Award">{{cite news|url=http://www.ffrf.org/news/releases/truth-tellers-hirsi-ali-uygur-are-ffrfs-emperor-awardees/ |title=Truth-tellers Hirsi Ali, Uygur are FFRF's 'Emperor' awardees |date=September 21, 2010 |publisher=Freedom From Religion Foundation |access-date=September 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113170217/http://www.ffrf.org/news/releases/truth-tellers-hirsi-ali-uygur-are-ffrfs-emperor-awardees/ |archive-date=January 13, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> and later the Humanist Media Award from the [[American Humanist Association]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehumanist.com/magazine/november-december-2012/features/it-cant-all-be-true |title=It Can't All Be True |date=October 18, 2012 |work=The Humanist |publisher=[[American Humanist Association]] |access-date=January 13, 2020 |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413145949/https://thehumanist.com/magazine/november-december-2012/features/it-cant-all-be-true |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Controversies ==

{{Controversy section|date=August 2025}}

=== Comments about women ===

In the early 2000s, Uygur posted a series of blog posts which were described as sexist. One post said, "I had one of the best nights of my life at [[Mardi Gras]]. I kissed over 23 different women, saw and felt countless breasts, and was in a wonderful drunken stupor thanks to my friend John Daniels." Another post said, "It seems like there is a sea of tits here, and I am drinking in tiny droplets. I want to dive into the whole god damn ocean." Uygur would delete and later apologize for his comments.<ref name=":1" />

In a 2011 episode of ''The Young Turks'', Uygur and his cohost Ana Kasparian dismissed actress [[Olivia Munn]]'s sexual harassment allegations against director [[Brett Ratner]], and Uygur defended Ratner bragging about having sex with Munn, saying that she likely "drove him crazy". Uygur would later apologize for his comments.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lawrence |last=Bonk |date=November 1, 2017 |title=Young Turks Dismissed 'Classless' Olivia Munn's 2010 Harassment Allegation Against Brett Ratner |url=https://www.mediaite.com/entertainment/young-turks-dismissed-classless-olivia-munns-2010-harassment-allegation-against-brett-ratner/ |access-date=July 2, 2022 |website=[[Mediaite]] |language=en |archive-date=December 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207051659/https://www.mediaite.com/entertainment/young-turks-dismissed-classless-olivia-munns-2010-harassment-allegation-against-brett-ratner/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Aidan |last=McLaughlin |date=November 2, 2017 |title=The Young Turks Responds to 'Classless' Olivia Munn Comments: 'We Had The Wrong Facts'|url=https://www.mediaite.com/uncategorized/the-young-turks-responds-to-classless-olivia-munn-comments-we-had-the-wrong-facts/ |access-date=July 2, 2022 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref> In one episode in 2013, Uygur ranked women on a scale of 1-to-10 on how likely men would be to let them perform [[oral sex]] on them.<ref name="ktladec13">{{Cite web |date=December 13, 2019 |title=Sen. Sanders Endorses 'Young Turks' Founder Who Defends Crude Sex Rating of Women to Fill Rep. Katie Hill's Seat |url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/sen-sanders-endorses-young-turks-founder-who-defends-crude-sex-rating-of-women-to-fill-rep-katie-hills-seat/ |website=KTLA |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112011930/https://ktla.com/news/local-news/sen-sanders-endorses-young-turks-founder-who-defends-crude-sex-rating-of-women-to-fill-rep-katie-hills-seat/ |url-status=live }}</ref> That same year, Uygur said a model looked “like she’d just come out of a [concentration] camp.”<ref name="varietydec14" />

In 2013, Uygur made lewd remarks about women's physical appearances in Miami, saying "the women on this island are outrageously, almost unacceptably, hot."<ref name="Villiers">{{Cite web |last=Villiers |first=James de |title=Bernie Sanders endorsed a congressional candidate who once regularly used the N-word and repeatedly made crude comments about women |url=https://www.insider.com/bernie-sanders-endorses-california-congressional-candidate-cenk-uygur-2019-12 |date=December 13, 2019 |access-date=July 2, 2022 |website=[[Insider.com|Insider]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905081009/https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-endorses-california-congressional-candidate-cenk-uygur-2019-12 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=@cenkuygur |url=https://twitter.com/cenkuygur/status/351195985592066051 |access-date=April 26, 2023 |website=Twitter |language=en |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408074933/https://twitter.com/cenkuygur/status/351195985592066051 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, an unnamed TYT employee told ''[[TheWrap]]'' that Uygur spoke inappropriately about women.<ref name="Villiers"/><ref name=":1" />

In 2016, Uygur defended the Harvard University men's soccer team for ranking the sexual appeal of female students on a scale of 1-to-10 on a widely shared “scouting report”, including explicit descriptions of potential [[sex act]]s with the women.<ref name="ktladec13" /><ref name="Villiers" /> Uygur defended his comments, telling ''The Los Angeles Times'' that he should not be criticized for having "frank conversations about sex."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Axelrod |first=Tal |date=December 13, 2019 |title=Sanders revokes congressional endorsement for Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/474511-sanders-revokes-congressional-endorsement-for-young-turks-founder-cenk/ |newspaper=The Hill |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112011930/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/474511-sanders-revokes-congressional-endorsement-for-young-turks-founder-cenk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Armenian Genocide denialism and TYT name controversy ===

The show's name ''Young Turks'' has been criticized and called for change<ref name=":7" /> due to the original [[Young Turks]] political movement in the Ottoman Empire being responsible for committing the [[Armenian genocide]], the [[Assyrian genocide]], and the [[Greek genocide]].<ref name="vice2020">{{Cite news |last=Zoledziowski |first=Anya |date=October 21, 2020 |title=The Young Turks Led the Armenian Genocide. But the Progressive Show 'The Young Turks' Won't Change Name |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-young-turks-led-the-armenian-genocide-but-the-progressive-show-the-young-turks-wont-change-name/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116000052/https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkde5n/the-young-turks-led-the-armenian-genocide-but-the-progressive-show-the-young-turks-wont-change-name |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |access-date= |work=Vice |language=en}}</ref><ref name="pastemagazine"/> Alex Galitsky, who works for the [[Armenian National Committee of America]], stated "If a group decided to call themselves ‘the Young Nazis’, and pitched themselves as a disruptor or anti-establishment news outlet, people would be rightly outraged".<ref name="vice2020" />

In 1991, Cenk Uygur wrote an article in ''[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]]'', the [[student newspaper]] of the [[University of Pennsylvania]], in which he promoted [[Armenian genocide denial]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Uygur |first=Cenk |date=Nov 20, 1991 |title=Column: Historical Fact or Falsehood? |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/1991/11/column_historical_fact_or_falsehood |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]] |language=en-us}}</ref> In 2016, Cenk Uygur posted a statement on TYT's website in which he rescinded his Armenian Genocide denial statements, arguing: "My mistake at the time was confusing myself for a scholar of history, which I most certainly am not. I don’t want to make the same mistake again, so I am going to refrain from commenting on the topic of the Armenian Genocide, which I do not know nearly enough about."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Uygur |first1=Cenk |title=Rescinding Daily Pennsylvanian Article |url=https://legacy.tyt.com/2016/04/22/rescinding-daily-pennsylvanian-article/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=TYT Network |date=April 22, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626085246/https://legacy.tyt.com/2016/04/22/rescinding-daily-pennsylvanian-article/ |archivedate=2019-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cenk Uygur recognizing Armenian Genocide | date=May 17, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xib49Opls0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/-Xib49Opls0 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |publisher=Haypress News}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In response to the criticism he has explained that the name of the show was chosen because it is a popular colloquialism traditionally meaning a young radical who fights the status quo.<ref name="pastemagazine" />

=== Response to unionization of TYT staff ===

In February 2020, when the [[International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees]] sought to unionize ''The Young Turks,'' Uygur controversially urged his employees not to do so.<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web |first=Dave |last=Jamieson |date=February 24, 2020 |title=The Young Turks' Progressive Founder Urged His Staff Not To Unionize |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-young-turks-progressive-founder-urged-his-staff-not-to-unionize_n_5e540686c5b6ad3de3823a32 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=[[Huffington Post]] |language=en |archive-date=March 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301081346/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-young-turks-progressive-founder-urged-his-staff-not-to-unionize_n_5e540686c5b6ad3de3823a32 |url-status=live }}</ref> Uygur allegedly fired employee Jacorey Palmer for his pro-union activities, and, according to an anonymous TYT employee, Uygur allegedly withheld bonuses and increases from employees who were involved in the union drive. Uygur denied the charges. Uygur's position toward the union was criticized as hypocritical by ''[[The New Republic]]'' due to his claims of support for unions and progressive causes.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Hamilton |last=Nolan |title=The Young Turks Union Fight Gets Nastier With Charges of Retaliatory Firing, Withholding Raises |url=https://inthesetimes.com/article/the-young-turks-union-cenk-uygur-labor-organizing |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=[[In These Times (publication)|In These Times]] |date=March 5, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327034606/https://inthesetimes.com/article/the-young-turks-union-cenk-uygur-labor-organizing |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/156757/myth-progressive-boss|title=The Myth of the Progressive Boss|first=Kim|last=Kelly|date=March 5, 2020|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=October 12, 2023|archive-date=October 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014011411/https://newrepublic.com/article/156757/myth-progressive-boss|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Electoral history==

{{Election box begin no change

| title=2020 California's 25th congressional district special election<ref name="casos" />

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = [[Christy Smith (politician)|Christy Smith]]

|votes = 58,563

|percentage = 36.2%

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = [[Mike Garcia (politician)|Mike Garcia]]

|votes = 41,169

|percentage = 25.4%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = [[Steve Knight (politician)|Steve Knight]]

|votes = 27,799

|percentage = 17.2%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Cenk Uygur

|votes = 10,609

|percentage = 6.6%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Aníbal Valdez-Ortega

|votes = 7,368

|percentage = 4.6%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Courtney Lackey

|votes = 3,072

|percentage = 1.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Robert Cooper III

|votes = 2,962

|percentage = 1.8%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = David Lozano

|votes = 2,758

|percentage = 1.7%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Daniel Mercuri

|votes = 2,533

|percentage = 1.6%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Kenneth Jenks

|votes = 2,528

|percentage = 1.6%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Getro F. Elize

|votes = 1,414

|percentage = 0.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = David Rudnick

|votes = 1,085

|percentage = 0.7%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 161,860

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box open primary begin no change|title = 2020 California's 25th congressional district election<ref name=SoSPrimary>{{Cite web|url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2020-primary/complete-sov.pdf|title=STATEMENT OF VOTE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 3, 2020|access-date=May 3, 2020|publisher=[[California Secretary of State]] [[Alex Padilla]]|archive-date=May 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517221055/https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2020-primary/complete-sov.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="CAgenr">{{cite web|title=U.S. House of Representatives Results of All Districts|url=https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/returns/us-rep/district/all|website=California Secretary of State|access-date=December 5, 2020|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905081048/https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = [[Christy Smith (politician)|Christy Smith]]

|votes = 49,679

|percentage = 31.7%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = [[Mike Garcia (politician)|Mike Garcia]]

|votes = 37,381

|percentage = 23.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = [[Steve Knight (politician)|Steve Knight]]

|votes = 29,645

|percentage = 18.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Cenk Uygur

|votes = 9,246

|percentage = 5.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Getro Franck Elize

|votes = 6,317

|percentage = 4.0%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = David Lozano

|votes = 6,272

|percentage = 4.0%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Anibal Valdéz-Ortega

|votes = 4,920

|percentage = 3.1%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Robert Cooper III

|votes = 4,474

|percentage = 2.9%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = [[George Papadopoulos]]

|votes = 2,749

|percentage = 1.8%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = No party preference

|candidate = Otis Lee Cooper

|votes = 2,183

|percentage = 1.4%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Christopher C. Smith <small>(withdrawn)</small>

|votes = 2,089

|percentage = 1.3%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Daniel Mercuri

|votes = 913

|percentage = 0.6%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Kenneth Jenks

|votes = 682

|percentage = 0.4%

}}

{{Election box total no change

|votes = 156,550

|percentage = 100.0%

}}

{{Election box end}}

==Personal life==

Uygur is [[Turkish-American]] and is fluent both in Turkish, his native language, and in English.<ref name="mdcjan13"/> He is married to Wendy Lang—a marriage and family therapist who is the founder of [[Beverly Hills]] Child and Family Counseling—and they have two children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bhcfcounseling.com/staff/wendy-lang/|title=Wendy Lang &#124; Child & Family Counseling &#124; Beverly Hills, CA|website=Wendy Lang|access-date=November 14, 2023|archive-date=November 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114052142/https://bhcfcounseling.com/staff/wendy-lang/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Congratulations to Cenk and family on the birth of their new daughter, Joy – but TYT crew still keeping it real|url=http://current.com/shows/the-young-turks/videos/congratulations-to-cenk-family-on-the-birth-of-his-new-daughter-joy-but-tyt-crew-are-still-keeping-it-real|access-date=April 14, 2015|publisher=The Young Turks|date=October 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313103946/http://current.com/shows/the-young-turks/videos/congratulations-to-cenk-family-on-the-birth-of-his-new-daughter-joy-but-tyt-crew-are-still-keeping-it-real|archive-date=March 13, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==Further reading==

* {{cite journal | last1 = Rashawn | first1 = Ray | author-link1 = Rashawn Ray | s2cid = 209054587 | title = Interview with Cenk Uygur From the Young Turks (TYT) | journal =[[Contexts]] | volume = 18 | issue = 4 | date = November 15, 2019 | pages=8–9 | doi = 10.1177/1536504219883846 | eissn = 1537-6052 | issn = 1536-5042 | lccn = 2001215451 | oclc = 48247109 | doi-access = free }}

==External links==

{{Sister project links |d=Q19658|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no |commons=Category:Cenk Uygur |b=no |n=no |q=Cenk Uygur |s=no |v=no |species=no}}

* {{IMDb name}}

* {{Twitter}}

* {{C-SPAN|1025212}}

* [https://ballotpedia.org/Cenk_Uygur Cenk Uygur] on [[Ballotpedia]]

* [https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/188662/cenk-uygur Cenk Uygur's Issue Positions (2020 Political Courage Test)] on [[Vote Smart]]

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{{s-media}}

{{S-bef|before=[[Keith Olbermann]]}}

{{S-ttl|title=Chief News Officer of [[Current TV]]|years=2012–2013}}

{{S-non|reason=Position abolished}}

{{S-end}}

{{TYT Network}}

{{2024 United States presidential election}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uygur, Cenk}}

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