TYT's 2025 Turk of the Year: Roana Wins Community Vote

Turk of the Year Nominees and Discussion

• 🏆 The show "Turks and Jerks 2025" discusses the "Turk of the Year" and "Jerk of the Year" awards, inviting audience participation via voting on tyt.com.
• 💡 Nominees for Turk of the Year included Zoran Mandani, Roana, Tom Massie, and Miss Rachel, representing a range of political figures and advocates.
• 🧐 Jerk of the Year nominees featured Donald Trump, Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin, and Benjamin Netanyahu.

John's Turk of the Year: Miss Rachel Accurso

• 🌟 John selected Miss Rachel Accurso for her advocacy, particularly for the children of Gaza, highlighting her bravery and moral clarity.
• 💖 He compared her to figures like Mr. Rogers, emphasizing her ability to instill empathy and good qualities, even amidst online toxicity and threats.
• 👏 Miss Rachel is praised for her consistent focus on humanitarian issues and her refusal to back down from criticism.

Cenk's Turk of the Year: Palestinian Journalists and American Allies

• 🕊️ Cenk honored the Palestinian journalists murdered in Gaza (over 253 killed) as his Turk of the Year.
• 🇺🇸 He also included American journalists Trey Yinst (Fox News), Jeremy Diamond (CNN), and Robert Greenwald (Brave New Films) for their reporting on the conflict.
• 💔 The selection acknowledges the extraordinary courage of journalists risking their lives to report on what he describes as a genocide, noting the high number of journalist fatalities compared to other global conflicts.

Brett's Turk of the Year: Citizen Journalists Filming ICE

• 📱 Brett's choice is all the people who filmed ICE officers behaving badly, highlighting citizen journalists and their use of smartphones.
• 🚨 These videos exposed injustices, such as the abduction of individuals at courthouses and Walgreens, and misconduct like agents entering women's bathrooms.
• ⚖️ He emphasized that these recordings were crucial in shining a light on government overreach and hypocrisy, leading to investigations and accountability.

J.R.'s Turk of the Year: Reporters Challenging Donald Trump

• 🎤 J.R. nominated reporters who directly challenged Donald Trump, including Rachel Scott, Katherine Lucy, Caitlyn Collins, Mary Bruce, and Yamiche Alcindor.
• 🗣️ He noted Trump's tendency to insult and belittle reporters who ask critical questions, highlighting the pressure faced by the press.
• 📰 These journalists are recognized for their persistence in asking tough questions and holding powerful figures accountable, despite facing personal attacks and pressure on their employers.

Community Choice: Roana

• 🗳️ The TYT community overwhelmingly voted for Roana as Turk of the Year.
• 🤝 Roana is recognized for his bipartisan work, particularly with Thomas Massie, leading to the release of the Epstein files and advocating for issues like lowering drug prices and recognizing Palestine as a state.
• 🌟 He is praised for his consistent bravery, refusal of corporate money, and dedication to economic populism, making him a standout representative.
• 📺 The show concludes by thanking the community for their participation and emphasizing TYT's commitment to amplifying their voices.