Dave Rubin
David Joshua Rubin (born June 26, 1976) is an American libertarian-conservative political commentator. He is the creator and host of The Rubin Report, a political talk show on YouTube and on the network BlazeTV. Launched in 2013, his show was originally part of TYT Network, until he left in 2015, in part due to widening ideological differences. Previously, Rubin hosted LGBT-themed talk shows, including The Ben and Dave Show from 2007 to 2008 and The Six Pack from 2009 to 2012, both of which he co-hosted with Ben Harvey. Rubin has written two books.
This article is about the American political commentator and Youtube personality. For the author, see David Rubin (author). For other uses, see David Rubin.
Dave Rubin
1998–present
Republican (since 2022)
2
2012–present
1.95 million[1]
745 million[1]
Rubin originally considered himself to be a progressive while part of The Young Turks. However, Rubin has written that his views began to change after witnessing progressive commentator and former colleague Cenk Uygur's criticisms of Fox News commentator David Webb, Ben Affleck's confrontation with Bill Maher and Sam Harris over their views on Islam, and the political left's response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting.[2] Rubin then described himself as a classical liberal,[3] but has since stated that he has become a conservative,[4] later embracing libertarianism. Rubin has become a staunch critic of progressivism, the political left, and the Democratic Party. In 2022, Rubin registered as a Republican in Florida.[5]
Early life[edit]
Rubin was born on June 26, 1976, in Brooklyn, New York City.[6] He grew up in a "fairly secular Jewish household on Long Island".[7] He spent his adolescence in Syosset, New York, and then he resided on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for thirteen years.[8] He attended Binghamton University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science.[9] In 1997, he also spent a semester at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, Israel.[10]
Career[edit]
Comedy[edit]
In 1998, Rubin started his career in comedy doing stand-up and attending open-mics in New York City. In 1999, he became an intern at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.[11]
In 2000, Rubin continued his career at the New York City–based Comedy Cellar.[12] Later that year he joined with other Comedy Cellar comedians to create a public-access television series, a news program parody called The Anti-Show which was secretly filmed at NBC Studios in 30 Rockefeller Plaza.[13]
In 2002, he co-founded several New York City–based comedy clubs, including Joe Franklin's Comedy Club and The Comedy Company in Times Square, where he continued to do stand-up until 2007.[8]
He was the host of two podcasts, Hot Gay Comics and The Ben and Dave Show, which were turned into a television series on the here! television network.[14] In May 2009, Rubin co-created and co-hosted the podcast The Six Pack.[15][16] From October 2011 to December 2012, The Six Pack was on Sirius XM Radio as a live talk show.[17]
Criticism[edit]
Prior to Rubin's shift to conservative politics, critics have accused Rubin of providing a platform for individuals considered political extremists, such as self-described New Right figure Paul Joseph Watson, Great Replacement theorist Lauren Southern, white nationalist Stefan Molyneux, and far-right activist Tommy Robinson.[21][82]
A 2018 report from Data & Society described Rubin as part of a network on YouTube that amplified far-right politics.[52][57][83] The report cited as an example an interview that Rubin conducted with Stefan Molyneux in which Rubin asked Molyneux to elaborate on his views that races have different average IQ test results and that these differences are genetic.[84] The report held that Rubin did not challenge Molyneux in any substantial way, concluding, "By letting him speak without providing a legitimate and robust counterargument, Rubin provides a free platform for white supremacist ideology on his channel."[83][84] In response to the report, Rubin tweeted, "wanna explain to me how gay married, pro choice, pro-pot, against death penalty, for reforming prisons/drug sentencing, is part of reactionary right?" and "(As you and rest of mainstream slide into irrelevancy you did get the 'underestimated forces' part right, though.)".[57]
According to Anthony Fisher, a journalist at The Daily Beast, Rubin has implied or stated that Paul Joseph Watson, Stefan Molyneux and Mike Cernovich are part of "a new political center" and, in a 2016 livestream, said "the alt-right as a shitposting, fun, call out the bullshit, mock-the-power thing is amazing", adding that "there's nothing funny coming out on the left now".[21]
Sam Harris, a former friend and guest on Rubin show, has criticized Rubin for not devoting enough of his show to criticizing Trumpism.[21][85] Harris claimed that Rubin had been "captured" by his audience.[85]
Personal life[edit]
Rubin publicly came out as gay in 2006, which he has referred to as his "defining moment".[86][87] In December 2014, he became engaged to producer David Janet.[88] The couple married on August 27, 2015.[89] On March 16, 2022, Rubin and Janet announced that they are expecting two babies by surrogates.[90] The first, a son named Justin Jordan, was born in August. Their second son was born in October.
He once described himself as an agnostic[91] or an atheist,[92] but he said that he was no longer an atheist in December 2019.[93]
In 2021, Rubin announced his intention to relocate from Los Angeles to Florida and moved to the greater Miami area.[94][95]
