Mehdi Hasan and Daily Wire Host Throw Down in Fiery Jan. 6 Debate: ‘3 Times He Hasn’t Answered!’

Zeteo editor-in-chief Mehdi Hasan threw down with Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles at a debate this week, with things getting particularly fiery when Hasan pressed Knowles to condemn President Donald Trump over pardoning Capitol rioters who assaulted police.

Hasan and Knowles took the stage at a debate event presented by the Dartmouth Political Union.

“I may have asked the Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles this question six or seven times at our debate on Trump at Dartmouth but… he refused to answer,” Hasan wrote on X, sharing a clip of him pressing Knowles on the January 6 Capitol riot.

“Do you know who said, bar none, [January 6] was the most horrifying day in American politics in my lifetime?” Hasan asked Knowles at one point.

Knowles joked and guessed former Vice President Mike Pence, only for Hasan to inform him it was a quote from his Daily Wire boss, Ben Shapiro.

The day after the Capitol riot, Shapiro called it “the worst thing to happen to America since 9/11.”

“I always disagreed with that,” Knowles said.

Hasan noted several people who were pardoned by Trump over January 6, including Daniel Rodriguez, who was convicted of assaulting Capitol officer Michael Fanone. He also referenced Andrew Paul Johnson, another rioter who was pardoned. Johnson was recently sentenced to life in prison for child sex abuse.

“These are the people Trump pardoned. Michael has never condemned Trump for that. Harry Sisson asked Michael on his show earlier this year, would you condemn Donald Trump for doing that? And he wouldn’t answer the question. He said, I’ll never condemn Donald. Do you condemn Trump for pardoning neo-Nazis, domestic abusers, pedophiles?” Hasan asked Knowles.

Knowles asked a “clarifying question” instead of answering.

“Was he one of the neo-Nazis who was getting 3 million bucks from the SPLC or was he a different neo-Nazi?” Knowles asked, referring to an indictment accusing the Southern Poverty Law Center of wire fraud, money laundering, and more.

“Nice diversion. I’m not Harry Sisson, I’ll use up my time. Do you condemn Donald Trump for pardoning neo-Nazis, violent criminals, people who assaulted 140 police officers on January the 7th?” Hasan asked again.

“One last real clarifier,” Knowles said.

“He won’t answer!” Hasan told the audience. “I’ll ask again. No, it’s a simple question. Do you support pardoning the 600 people who were charged with assaulting police officers?”

The moderator began trying to reel the two in as they got more heated.

“Did he pardon them for pedophilia and Nazism?” Knowles asked.

“He pardoned them for assaulting the police,” Hasan fired back. “Do you support that? Three times he hasn’t answered!”

“I oppose assaulting police and Nazism and pedophilia,” Knowles said.

“Do you condemn Donald Trump for pardoning 600 people who assaulted police officers, fourth time, can you do it?” Hasan asked again.

“I’m happy to. I condemn pedophilia, neo-Nazism,” Knowles said.

“Do you condemn Donald Trump for pardoning January 6th rioters? He won’t do it! He will not do it!” Hasan declared.

Watch above via Dartmouth Political Union.

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