A Love Story in the Age of Misinformation: Kat Abughazaleh and Ben Collins’s Chicago Adventure
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old self-proclaimed "fascist fighter" and former employee of the Soros-funded Media Matters for America, has embarked on a congressional campaign in Illinois’s 9th district. Her bid for political office follows her relocation to Chicago with her partner, Ben Collins, the former NBC News "misinformation" expert who now helms the once-satirical Onion. This unlikely power couple’s narrative, a blend of political ambition, media controversy, and left-leaning activism, unfolded somewhat unexpectedly via a seemingly innocuous report in the Chicago Tribune.
Abughazaleh’s campaign launch video, featuring the controversial keffiyeh and fiery rhetoric directed even at her own party, underscored her aggressive, unconventional approach to politics. She criticized Democratic incumbents as spineless in the face of Trumpism and declared a need for the party to “grow a fucking spine.” This bold stance coincided with her departure from Media Matters following layoffs attributed to the organization’s financial struggles stemming from legal battles and investigations. The backdrop of these events provides a context for Abughazaleh’s decision to enter the political arena, framing her campaign as a rebellion against established political norms and a call for more assertive progressive leadership.
Adding a layer of intrigue to Abughazaleh’s story is her relationship with Ben Collins, whose own career trajectory has been marked by both accolades and controversy. Collins, a self-described expert in online misinformation, gained notoriety for his impassioned pronouncements on social media, a tendency that led to his suspension from NBC News in 2022. Despite limited journalistic output in the subsequent year, Collins earned a Washington Free Beacon "Man of the Year" award for his ability to remain employed while contributing relatively little tangible work. His tenure at NBC culminated in his resignation in January 2024, citing the detrimental effects of journalism on his mental health.
Collins’s subsequent appointment as CEO of The Onion, a publication once famed for its sharp wit and political satire, has been met with mixed reactions. Under his leadership, the publication’s satirical edge seems to have dulled, replaced by a more overtly partisan tone, echoing Abughazaleh’s own political sentiments. The Onion’s frequent jabs at Democratic leaders as feckless and cowardly raise questions about the publication’s evolving identity under Collins and its blurring lines between satire and partisan commentary. This shift aligns with Collins’s own increasingly vocal left-leaning political expressions on platforms like Bluesky.
The confluence of Abughazaleh’s political aspirations and Collins’s media endeavors raises intriguing questions about the intersection of political activism, online discourse, and the evolving landscape of satire. Abughazaleh’s fervent pronouncements, coupled with Collins’s pronouncements on misinformation and his current role at The Onion, create a compelling, if sometimes perplexing, narrative. Their shared personal and professional lives intertwine with broader discussions about the role of media, the changing nature of political satire, and the rise of online activism in shaping public discourse.
The Chicago Tribune’s inadvertent revelation of their relationship added another layer of intrigue to Abughazaleh’s campaign, linking her directly to Collins’s controversial media persona. While Collins enthusiastically promoted Abughazaleh’s campaign on Bluesky, his omission of their romantic involvement raises questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest. This entanglement of personal relationships and professional endeavors raises ethical questions and adds another layer to the ongoing conversation surrounding the couple.
The story of Abughazaleh and Collins serves as a microcosm of the broader media and political landscape. It underscores the evolving dynamics of online activism, the blurring lines between satire and partisan commentary, and the complexities of navigating personal relationships in the public eye. As Abughazaleh’s campaign progresses, the interplay between her political ambitions and Collins’s media influence will undoubtedly continue to be a topic of discussion and scrutiny, offering a fascinating case study of ambition, love, and the changing face of political and media engagement in the digital age.