David Pakman

{{Short description|Progressive American political pundit (born 1984)}}

{{for|the internet entrepreneur and venture capitalist|David B. Pakman}}

{{Infobox YouTube personality

| name = David Pakman

| image = David Pakman 2019 (3x4 cropped).png

| caption = Pakman in 2019

| birth_name = David Pakman

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1984|2|2}}

| birth_place = Buenos Aires, Argentina

| nationality = {{hlist||United States|Argentina}}

| education = University of Massachusetts Amherst (BS)

Bentley University (MBA)

| occupation = Political media personality and media entrepreneur

| years_active = 2005–present

| website = {{URL|https://davidpakman.com}}

| genre = News
Political commentary

| subscribers = 3.19 million

| views = 2.8 billion

| silver_button = yes

| silver_year = 2014

| gold_button = yes

| gold_year = 2020

| module = {{Listen |embed= yes |filename= DavidPakmanonotherleftists.ogg |title= Pakman's voice |type= speech |description= On his relationship with his audience and other leftists }}

| stats_update = May 13, 2025

}}

David Pakman (born 2 February 1984) is an American left wing talk show host and progressive political commentator. He is the host of the talk radio program The David Pakman Show. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Early life and education

David Pakman was born to a Jewish family of Ashkenazi descent in Buenos Aires in February 1984 and immigrated to the United States at the age of five.{{cite news |url=http://www.jewishledger.com/2010/04/q-a-with-david-pakman |title=Q & A with David Pakman: Radio host becomes host of midweek politics |first=Judy |last=Polan |date=8 April 2010 |access-date=7 March 2011 |publisher=Connecticut Jewish Ledger |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713105431/http://www.jewishledger.com/2010/04/q-a-with-david-pakman/ |archive-date=13 July 2011 }} At the age of 16, he became a US citizen. He grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts, and graduated from Northampton High School. Pakman attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he majored in economics and communications. He earned an MBA degree from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.{{cite web |last1=Pakman |first1=David |title=About |url=https://davidpakman.com/about/ |website=davidpakman.com |date=31 March 2016 |publisher=David Pakman |access-date=10 August 2020 |archive-date=12 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812011152/https://davidpakman.com/about/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/david-pakman-youtube-channel/ |title=How Political Pundit David Pakman Built a Thriving YouTube Channel |last=Burch |first=Sean |date=13 December 2019 |website=The Wrap |access-date=29 July 2020 |archive-date=3 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003085418/https://www.thewrap.com/david-pakman-youtube-channel/ |url-status=live }}

Career

Pakman hosts The David Pakman Show, a television, radio, and internet political program. In 2005, Pakman began hosting a show on local radio as a "hobby", and by 2011 the show aired on 100 stations, and outlets{{cite news|last1=O'Brien|first1=George|title=David Pakman, 27|publisher=Business West|date=25 April 2011|url=https://businesswest.com/blog/david-pakman-27/|id={{ProQuest|868033984}}|access-date=28 February 2020|archive-date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228185350/https://businesswest.com/blog/david-pakman-27/|url-status=live}} including DirecTV and DISH Network through Free Speech TV, the PACIFICA Radio Network, on YouTube, LBRY, and via podcasts.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} The program first aired in August 2005 on WXOJ-LP ("Valley Free Radio"), located in Northampton, Massachusetts, as Midweek Politics with David Pakman.

Pakman has appeared on Fox News, CNN,{{cite news|date=14 April 2014|title=White supremacist suspect in Jewish Center shooting faces hate crime charges – Erin Burnett OutFront – - CNN.com Blogs|publisher=outfront.blogs.cnn.com|url=http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/14/white-supremacist-suspect-in-jewish-center-shooting/|access-date=7 May 2014|archive-date=22 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422200701/http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/14/white-supremacist-suspect-in-jewish-center-shooting/|url-status=dead}} HLN's Nancy Grace program,{{cite web|title=YouTube – David Pakman on Nancy Grace's HLN Show: KS Shooting Suspect Glenn Miller Interview| date=16 April 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mjBS8_oPnI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/7mjBS8_oPnI |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=7 May 2014|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} HLN's Dr. Drew on Call,{{cite web|title=David Pakman on HLN Dr. Drew on Call: KS Shooting Suspect Glenn Miller – YouTube| date=15 April 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjnaAJYS7IQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/GjnaAJYS7IQ |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=7 May 2014|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} the Lex Fridman Podcast,{{Cite web |title=Lex Fridman Podcast |url=https://lexfridman.com/podcast/ |access-date=20 May 2023 |website=Lex Fridman |language=en-US}}{{Citation |title=David Pakman on Hunter Biden's laptop {{!}} Lex Fridman Podcast Clips | date=13 May 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV8884ZPhF8 |access-date=20 May 2023 |language=en}} two episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience,{{cite web|title=David Pakman on JRE #1311|url=http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/david-pakman|access-date=5 June 2019|publisher=joerogan.com|archive-date=9 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609050000/http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/david-pakman|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=David Pakman on JRE #1479|url=http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/david-pakman-2|access-date=22 May 2020|publisher=joerogan.com|archive-date=16 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816062659/https://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/david-pakman-2|url-status=live}} Piers Morgan Uncensored,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWibzC_jN_o |title="This Is Stalinism!" David Pakman vs Benny Johnson on Trump |date=2024-06-06 |last=Piers Morgan Uncensored |access-date=2024-07-16 |via=YouTube}} Mother Jones,{{cite web|title=LISTEN: Alleged Kansas Gunman Frazier Glenn Miller Discusses the Tea Party, Obama, and Ron Paul | Mother Jones|url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/04/frazier-glenn-miller-interview-tea-party-ron-paul-obama-kansas|access-date=7 May 2014|publisher=Mother Jones|archive-date=10 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210195314/http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/04/frazier-glenn-miller-interview-tea-party-ron-paul-obama-kansas|url-status=live}} the Boston Herald,{{cite web|title=KC rampage suspect told UMass grad: 'I hate all Jews' | Boston Herald|date=15 April 2014|url=http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/04/kc_rampage_suspect_told_umass_grad_i_hate_all_jews|access-date=7 May 2014|publisher=bostonherald.com|archive-date=16 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416181417/http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/04/kc_rampage_suspect_told_umass_grad_i_hate_all_jews|url-status=live}} The New York Times,{{cite news|last=Hess|first=Amanda|date=17 April 2017|title=How YouTube's Shifting Algorithms Hurt Independent Media|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/arts/youtube-broadcasters-algorithm-ads.html|access-date=19 May 2017|archive-date=23 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523131550/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/arts/youtube-broadcasters-algorithm-ads.html|url-status=live}} and Wired.{{cite magazine|title=Want a Better Web? Here's an Idea: Pay for It – WIRED|url=https://www.wired.com/2017/05/want-better-web-heres-idea-pay/|magazine=Wired|last1=Alba|first1=Davey|author-link1=Davey Alba|access-date=19 May 2017|archive-date=19 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519234319/https://www.wired.com/2017/05/want-better-web-heres-idea-pay/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Group Launches #Openzilla Campaign to Combat Intolerance of 'Faith Driven Views'|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/group-launches-openzilla-campaign-to-combat-intolerance-of-faith-driven-views/?trk_source=homepage-in-the-news/|access-date=7 May 2014|publisher=Vice|archive-date=13 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155139/http://news.vice.com/articles/group-launches-openzilla-campaign-to-combat-intolerance-of-faith-driven-views?trk_source=homepage-in-the-news|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Burrows|first=Peter|date=5 April 2014|title=OK, Cupid, Where's the Line? Mozilla CEO's Exit Over Gay Rights Shows Split in Valley – Bloomberg|publisher=Bloomberg|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-04/mozilla-ceo-exit-exposes-split-in-silicon-valley-values.html|access-date=7 May 2014|archive-date=13 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113000231/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-04/mozilla-ceo-exit-exposes-split-in-silicon-valley-values.html|url-status=live}}

Pakman earns income through sales to advertisers, ads on platforms including YouTube and memberships sold through his website.{{Cite web |last=Abbruzzese |first=Jason |date=29 May 2023 |title=This lefty commentator goes calmly where others dare not. Has he bridged the internet's toxic divide? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/liberal-commentator-goes-calmly-others-dare-not-bridged-internets-toxi-rcna84628 |access-date= |website=NBC News |language=en}}

In June 2024, Pakman announced he was ending his radio and television show in August and would instead focus his efforts on digital content, such as his YouTube show.{{cite news |last= |first= |date=13 June 2024 |title=David Pakman Ending Radio and TV Show |url=https://barrettmedia.com/2024/06/13/david-pakman-ending-radio-and-tv-show/ |access-date= |work=Barrett Media |location=}}

In April 2025, Pakman's first non-fiction book, The Echo Machine, became a New York Times Bestseller.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/hardcover-nonfiction/|title=Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - The New York Times|via=NYTimes.com}}

Personal life

Pakman announced that he would be taking paternity leave in June 2022 after the birth of his first child, a daughter.{{cite tweet|number=1535371508067057665|user=dpakman|title=Thrilled for a second loaf of bread this Shabbat, my daughter! Unlike all prior baby pics I've posted, this time I…|date=10 June 2022}}

Bibliography

Think Like a Detective: A Kid's Guide to Critical Thinking (2023){{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Detective-Critical-Thinking-ebook/dp/B0C9RNW4CX/ |title=Think Like a Detective: A Kid's Guide to Critical Thinking |last=Pakman |first=David |date=8 July 2023 |website=Amazon |access-date=6 July 2023}}
Think Like a Scientist: A Kid's Guide to Scientific Thinking (2023){{Cite book |last=Pakman |first=David |url=https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Scientist-Scientific-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0CKZHXWRH |title=Think Like a Scientist: A Kid's Guide to Scientific Thinking |language=English}}
Think Like a Voter: A Kid's Guide to Shaping Our Country's Future (2024){{Cite book |last=Pakman |first=David |url=https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Voter-Countrys-Adventures/dp/B0CYHC8898 | title=Think Like a Voter: A Kid's Guide to Shaping Our Country's Future |language=English |access-date=10 April 2024}}
The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America (2025){{Cite book |last=Pakman |first=David | title=The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America |isbn=0807016535 |language=English }}