Some of the biggest names in the legacy media will be up against new challengers in the “Ruthless” podcast‘s sixth annual Liberal Hack Tournament.
The Liberal Hack Tournament, also known as “Hack Madness,” is the NCAA-style viral contest where people on X vote for the biggest hack in the business.
Former CNN host Don Lemon landed the No. 1 seed in the Liberal Activists division, hoping to capitalize on the criminal charges brought against him for his involvement in the unrest at the Minnesota church in January. But hoping to best him in the division is newcomer Jennifer Welch, the far-left co-host of the “I’ve Had It” podcast who recently made a name of herself with inflammatory rhetoric towards Republicans while cozying up with prominent Democrats. She makes her big debut in the tournament as a No. 2 seed.
Leading the Fake News division is CNN host Abby Phillip, a rising star for her famous viral jousting sessions with conservative commentator Scott Jennings. She was recently forced to issue a correction after falsely claiming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was the intended target of the terrorist attack outside Gracie Mansion. She is facing CNN colleagues in the division, including Brian Stelter, the first-ever Hack Madness champion seeking to relive his glory as a No. 5 seed.
Sitting as the No. 1 seed in the Establishment bracket is outgoing “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, who may have some momentum going into the tournament after he accused CBS of blocking his interview with Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico of Texas from airing. Many believe the controversy helped Talarico defeat his primary rival, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.
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And in the Way Too Online division — a surprise No. 1 seed is HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte. He will have stiff competition for the division title as he will have to outperform former MSNBC hosts Joy Reid and Keith Olbermann, as well as progressive Twitch host Hasan Piker. Competing for the No. 16 seed in a play-in round are Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza in what will be an ex-lover’s quarrel for the ages.
Last year’s champion was CBS’ “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan, who had a hot streak spanning several months as the co-moderator of the vice presidential debate and fiery exchanges with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Despite being placed as only a No. 8 seed in the Establishment division, Brennan will attempt to defend her crown. She may hit the ground running after sparking backlash Thursday for an X post critics say mocked people of faith in response to a call for prayer by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
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MS NOW has the most representation in this year’s tournament with a whopping 13 competitors, including Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Jen Psaki as well as “Morning Joe” lovebirds Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who are playing in separate divisions.
CNN has a total of nine competitors, including Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper and Kara Swisher. ABC has five, including George Stephanopoulos and “The View” co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro. The #NeverTrump digital outlet The Bulwark has an impressive presence in the tournament with the same number of competitors as the Disney-owned network, while The Atlantic, The New York Times and CBS each have three.
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NBC, now officially separated from its ex-sister network MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), has a dismal showing this year with just two competitors. And The Washington Post is completely shut out— perhaps due to the unprecedented exodus of talent the embattled paper has experienced over the past year. Though several former Post staffers are in it to win it — like Ashley Parker (now at The Atlantic), Aaron Blake (now at CNN) and Philip Bump (an MS NOW contributor).
Notably, the tournament has several former members of the legacy media like Jim Acosta and Mehdi Hasan also seeking the title. But a shocking snub is Jimmy Kimmel, who was shut out of the tournament after nearly losing his job last year for comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination and unleashed his nonstop Trump hatred at the Oscars just last Sunday.
“Without a doubt the most highly anticipated tournament in media, this year’s contest pits fresh-faced talent against some of the mightiest names in the game,” a tournament spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“The losers will find a well-oiled springboard to tragedy. But the victor will be crowned in glory,” they added.
Selections for the Liberal Hack Tournament were made by a third-party Hack Madness Committee.
Ruthless listeners can fill out their own brackets here.
The listener with the winning bracket will receive a prize pack from the podcast. Brackets must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 22. Voting will begin Sunday, March 22nd on Ruthless co-host Comfortably Smug’s X page.
Catch the latest from “Ruthless” on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on YouTube and all podcast platforms.
“Ruthless” has a licensing deal with FOX News Media as part of the company’s expansion of new media.
