Dave Rubin is one of the great contemporary proponents of reasoned debate and free speech, ensuring every side of the argument, from libertarianism to the alt-right, has its day in the marketplace of ideas. On his popular YouTube show, you’ll hear topics ranging from why the Left hates free speech to why the Left hates people who protect free speech, alongside more racy issues like the virtues of nationalism, the dangers of Islamic immigration, and why Richard Spencer isn’t really a racist.

Rubin, as he never tires of reminding viewers, was once on a very different quadrant of the political spectrum. He got his break interning with Jon Stewart before transitioning to the progressive Young Turks network, where he got his own show, The Rubin Report, in 2013. Accounts differ, but according to Rubin he became disenchanted with the political left due to its emphasis on the victimization of group identities, hostility towards free speech, and unwillingness to engage in cordial debate with opponents. He left the Young Turks and had a brief stint at Ora TV before opting to run The Rubin Report independently in 2016. The venture turned out to be quite successful: Rubin’s YouTube channel now boasts over a million subscribers, and his videos have hundreds of millions of views.

Since getting started, Rubin has garnered (justifiable) criticism for granting far-right figures a forum and presenting their ideas in a charitable light. Along with right-wing figures like Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, and Dennis Prager, Rubin has hosted far-right misanthropes like Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux. He has been labeled everything from alt-right to an apologist for fascism.