This story isn’t about tawdry sex lives of broken people… it’s about how things are done in DC now. This is a glimpse into Trump White House, and the the guy who isn’t going to stop until he wipes out the entire planet… thank god he’s in his seventies…
That too. Damage control of actual events… I don’t believe any of 47’s administration gained their positions through honorable means… this is just the first story to come out.
Honorable? I grew up in CA and live here now after 25 years in NYC. When Nixon was president he asked my father to become head of the IRS with the stipulation that he use it to punish Nixon's enemies list. My dad turned it down. I became a Democrat and they've been far worse. At least Olivia had enough taste not to sext Gavin. And speaking of utterly corrupt leaders, Justin Trudeau is spending time in my beloved little coastal CA city now that he's dating Katy. Her Caravelle yacht was roaring along our channel the other day. Hi Justin! Have you told Katy you're gay? Just kidding of course.
Something "really really crazy" from the guy who eats roadkill and spreads communicable diseases like he's giving out Halloween candy? I can't wait to hear this next twist.
She sounds like AI but apparently that is really her voice? Most listeners complain that her voice sounds "choppy." Maybe something to do with her emotional and psychological trauma?
Ryan, I’ve known you for a long time. We’ve even been “friends” in a kind of Washington way that is both sincere and maybe fleeting. This series does not help you. You have started to sound exactly like the deranged and spurned ex lover you make fun of. You need to stop this and move on. You used to be a good reporter. Stop acting like this is your only story.
Hilary, I don’t come to your workplace and tell you what corporate clients to represent and I don’t appreciate you coming here and telling me what to write about. I’ve been covering politics here since April and you only subscribed on Nov. 22, after this series started. So you are free to unsubscribe and stop reading at anytime.
Hilary is not just a reader. She is a well-connected Washington consultant with direct ties to many of the people in this series, including Olivia, several of whom do not come out looking ethical or honest. Her role and proximity are not incidental. They are part of the very network that protects Washington insiders and punishes anyone who threatens the status quo.
This is the exact reason people despise the so-called “Washington elite.” There is a culture that shields its own and makes sure wrongdoing never sees daylight.
The smear campaign Ryan described is not a rare occurrence. It is the go-to tactic for Washington insiders who fear accountability and will do anything to silence those who dare disrupt it, which is what is happening here.
Ryan’s story in all of its details is at times difficult to read and feels like reading his personal diaries, but it is important because the characters involved and what they did expose a corrupt system that depends on his silence. Calling this out is not vindictive. It is necessary. If Washington is ever going to break its addiction to secrecy, protection, and quiet backroom retaliation, then stories like this need to be told plainly and without apology.
The irony of Rosen showing up here can't be deeper. SKDK and the now defunct TIMES UP were partners in using the media as a way of amplifying certain "story telling" through the media some of which was not proven as fact. The assertion of CAA's involvement is also telling given the connection to Alyssa Milano. That Ryan has now turned their well-worn tactics on it's head by amplifying his own story is what they do every day.
"The smear campaign Ryan described is not a rare occurrence," is an understatement.
Eh, I think this article just another piece of the Narcissists in Washington pie.
Some questions I’ve been asking myself throughout this saga:
- why now?
- how much can I trust a journalist to tell an unbiased story about himself?
-who am I to determine which first person account of this ordeal is factual and which is a lie?
It doesn’t matter who Hilary is, I believe a substack subscription includes the inherent privilege to hate read and respond (and to be responded to). What is unusual is to see the author himself taking on a commenter to defend his journalistic work about himself and his relationships, it’s like doubling down on his bias and further discrediting him as a reporter on this whole ordeal.
Which is sad. Because while we all gravitate towards the drama like moths to a flame, we tolerate the journalistic misgivings that degrade a compelling story into tabloid he-said-she-said fodder, destroying Olivia but lacking the journalistic integrity necessary to hold Kennedy accountable.
This should have been reported on last year, and in an alternative manner.
Are you kidding me? *RYAN* sounds like a jilted lover? What kind of bullshit is this? Have you read all 5 parts? I’m no fan of Ryan whatsoever; I believe him to be a self-centered, self serving man, but that’s journalism in politics. He has every right to protect his reputation against this administration and the likes of ON. Are you protecting a friend/woman out of some kind of tribal protective “concern”?
ON made her bed, slept in it, and now must put everything back together. Shes hitting rock bottom, and no i dont believe for one minute she’s at the bottom.
Ryan is dealing w threats and corruption from some very powerful ppl, and you want him to stop? ON damaged his reputation w the help of someone like RFK, Jr, this isn’t some juvenile high school breakup!! This is down right criminal, vindictive, mean-spirited and scary! How dare you Ms Rosen? Put yourself in his shoes!
I’m shocked you would even write something like this! I’ve been a HUGE fan of yours for years, especially your lgbtq+ & women’s rights. Reading your comments is really disappointing!
Ma’am….are you drunk or high? My response is to Hilary Rosen! I don’t know whether to laugh, shake my head or continue ur to roll my eyes! But I have a headache, so I’ll just laugh….i guess!
I agree with you, Jeanine. I am more upset with the fact that this was under wraps until after the election. I don’t know if it would have changed the results, but we all had a right to know. RFKJr never should have been confirmed. These people are public servants for Pete’s sake. This is freaking disgusting because no one reported on it until it was too late. ON is just one reporter. Washington is full of people like her in the DC press pool. MSM sold us all out. We need to figure out how not to let this crap happen. Is that even possible?
This is an absolute page turner. Everyone knows the story from various news reports. To know one perspective of the insanity that went on behind it, is impossible to not read and even worse than one could imagine. Are there more important stories? Yes and there are an unprecedented number of stories being told about the administration, its policies and repercussions. That doesn’t mean this story doesn’t have merit and should not be told. Your criticism feels personal.
Easy for someone to say that does not have a reputational arsonist plotting and scheming 24 seven to destroy someone over their own delusional paranoia.
I would be interested if he was having an affair with a politician running for President. That’s what makes it a story. Then, assuming all the skullduggery is true, it’s a crazy look into reputational management, journalism ethics and instant karma.
It may be his only story. I have never heard of him until now. Outside of your "world" no one really cares about him or her in the real working/middle class world. This is entertainment. But only because RFK. Unfortunately, people are interested in the Kennedy family. RFK is a piece. She is just a child. And the writer and RFK should have never had a relationship with her. They wanted a "blonde beauty" lol. Two fully grown men taking advantage of a young woman....what did they think would happen?
The story seems real, is engaging, and we have all stayed to part 5. An insight into a world very few of us will ever experience, whether that's good or bad, it's fun to look around. Thanks
I was only vaguely aware of ON before all of this went down. When I did see her on TV my, this person isn't for real, radar went into overdrive. Little did I know how deeply disturbed she is and how destructive she could be to the people around her. I had my own experience with an ex-roommate who was very smart and went to great lengths to harass me and threaten me because after too much craziness I asked him to leave and stopped being his friend.
So, IMO Ryan who I was also only vaguely aware of when this story broke, has not only every right to tell his story, he has an obligation to set the record straight. But I do care about the landscape of this country's media, which in my view is in terrible shape. ON has no business being a reporter, because at its core, it's a position that requires dedication and honesty and ON posses neither.
Agree. and Trump set the stage - Lying, making shit up, threatening the media, groveling for power is ok. In the U.S. we now have loud propaganda. This will only lead to full-blown autocracy.
I’d also like to know what role Jessica Reed Krause has in this gross political soap opera! What a very vindictive woman she seems to be. When ON drive West, JRK was with her!
Oh what a terrible web we weave when at first we try to deceive!
This sentence seems to me to be a self-deception on Lizza’s part:
“Instead, she pulled that jealous, possessive routine I described in Part 4 while I was at dinner, showed up at my hotel, and remained with me at The Standard on the West Side for five nights.”
Nuzzi didn’t “pull” anything on Lizza. He allowed her to stay at his hotel for five nights. That was his choice, not something she did to him. And this seems to me to characterize much of their relationship, in which both blame the other for things they themselves did or allowed the other to do—because that’s what they wanted.
And I still do not understand why Lizza did not cause Nuzzi’s relationship with RFK, and the horrid things she knew about RFK, to be revealed back when those revelations might have prevented RFK from gaining a position in which both Nuzzi and Lizza knew RFK would do immense harm—even death—to millions of people for years to come. Lizza needs to give a more responsible account of his conduct.
I believe both him and Olbermann when they describe their relationships with her.
In my view, they saw themselves, at various points, as (1) wildly lucky -- but deserving! -- to have the love of someone so young, gifted, and beautiful, (2) responsible, mature men who were ready to marry her, (3) stupidly reluctant to give up either of those postures, (4) trapped by her demons and fragility, and finally (5) unwilling participants/scapegoats in the drama.
KO has said as much recently, for anyone who cares to listen, and his experience and understanding mirror that of RL. Was he making choices that seem self-serving? Of course. That was the mix of items 1-4 at work. Neither of them is saying anything different.
As far as the reason to hold back while trump won and RFK was handed the means to crush the infrastructure of HHS to bits ... I am here for that. So far, RL has given me some confidence that I'll get it.
Lizza’s series has described much damning information about RFK that Nuzzi relayed to Lizza months before the 2024 election.
Why did Lizza not reveal this info to the public back when it could have prevented Trump’s election and spared the country from great harm?
Because Lizza knew the danger RFK posed to the health and lives of millions of people and knew RFK’s support could help Trump back into the White House, Lizza had a moral obligation to try to bring that information to light for the public good.
The fact that revealing that information would embroil Lizza himself in controversy is not an excuse for remaining silent when the future of the country and the lives of millions of innocent people were at risk. Now—finally—Lizza has chosen to reveal what he knew, not when it could’ve helped the country, but only when it is useful to defend himself. That seems like selfish cowardice.
Lizza was not an innocent witness or an innocent bystander. His own weakness and bad judgment is what caught him up in this mess in the first place. And even in his current account, he reveals some things about his own behavior that display what seems to be a cruel vindictiveness.
For example, after he had lost all affection for Nuzzi and decided to permanently split from her, instead of making a clean break and cutting off all unnecessary contact, Lizza continued to interact with her, spending nights with her and having long, detailed, intimate conversations. Lizza described their interactions this way:
“I’m often asked how I could stomach listening to the details of their affair, but I hadn’t had any feelings for Olivia in a very long time. The relationship with Bobby and the breadth of her con had revealed to me a dark part of her character that I had only glimpsed before, but which now seemed to define her. I didn’t know her anymore, and maybe I never did. So I listened to her with a kind of anthropological detachment and fascination—essentially as a reporter—as she shared what she learned about him.”
Listening to Nuzzi with “anthropological detachment” for all those months after he had lost all feelings for her, when he knew she was desperate for his companionship, strikes me as cruel.
Simply put, he was toying with her.
If he was only listening to her “essentially as a reporter,” he was obliged to do what reporters do. He was obliged to report what he learned. But instead he withheld what he knew, and watched silently while RFK’s political manipulations helped Trump regain the presidency and helped RFK become HHS Secretary.
Lizza heaps blames on Nuzzi for helping RFK and never outing him before the election when she had a moral obligation to do so. Yet Lizza remained silent, too, and his silence also helped RFK and Trump bring us to this dangerous time. I don’t think Lizza has confronted his own responsibility for the national disaster his silence allowed to occur.
What a surprise that SKDK alum Hilary Rosen is here to say "Ryan shutup." Ah so when people have their own platforms to amplify their side of events that's a problem. When CAA or SKDK does it with no care for actual facts it's just another day at the office. Fascinating stuff.
Hard to read for several reasons. After working in politics and media and crisis-managing two situations featuring brazen liars this is familiar. We’re in the golden age of defamation, where platforms that move lies on social apps are protected by Section 230 and legacy media boosts traffic by amplifying them under the shield of Times v. Sullivan. If you're a public figure there is no legal protection whatsoever. Truth is being replaced by the rush to publish. Few journalists carefully factcheck. When lies are debunked no one is accountable. The coordination among major players—CAA, SKDK, and others—is undeniable. Don’t let anyone tell you to stay quiet Ryan. It absolutely does not work. Keep putting facts on the table. I’ve been waiting for a detailed response from those you have mentioned and their silence is glaring.
It's crazy no-one leaked-(couldn't someone have leaked anonymously?) the information that Nuzzi was helping slime bag RFKjr. after the reveal of their affair- A reporter secretly helping two corrupt men get elected. All these people knew, including Ryan. I understand wanting to just stay low and not respond to crazy - but this is an ethics violation. Why don't journalists do their job anymore? (of course , not all)
The more I read this the more all the events of the past year are making sense. In a pretty devastating way. I started off the news about Olivia Nuzzi and RFK Jr feeling bad for Olivia. Based on the way she has conducted herself since and the way Ryan Lizza has (+ Ryan’s writing), I am convinced that we are getting waaay truer picture from Ryan than we will ever get from Olivia. She does not appear to be capable of accountability. Also I just remembered today that Olivia was kicked out of Trump’s hush money trial for bringing a phone in. I don’t think she feels like rules of any sort apply to her. Anyone else remembers that?
I appreciate the writing in this installment, and something that really struck me is how both you and Olivia seem, in different ways, to be swept up and used as fodder inside a much larger power structure. The chaos you describe feels bigger than either of you as individuals.
One other thing I wanted to note: the recurring “telephone” impressions of Olivia’s mental and emotional state read to me as a storytelling device that heightens the noir atmosphere of this chapter. It works narratively, but it also left me hoping that, in real life, the people around her (and around you) were able to express concern directly and offer support rather than only speaking to each other in whispers. Anyone under this much pressure—politically, professionally, emotionally—deserves real care and intervention, not just commentary.
Regardless of the larger story, I hope both you and Olivia were able to find grounding and help outside the machinery described here. The piece made me feel for everyone involved.
Thank you Hilary Rosen for your message. I know Ryan to be a good reporter and although I don't pay for many subs here on Substack, I did become a paid subscriber to Telos News very early on. But I didn't pay for all of this trivial nonsense. I'm not interested in this story -- never was, never will be. Our country is in deep trouble, our democracy is on life support, and that's why I subscribed to Telos. Ryan, listen to Hilary. You have much to add to our public discourse in this time of crisis. Please get off this train.
"Trivial nonsense?" Hardly. It could be argued that this story began as a "lover's spat," but it's taken on some very serious implications for how corrupt men seeking power in our political system, use people - particularly women - to satisfy all their lusts - especially the lust for political power.
This will one day be an opera.
This story isn’t about tawdry sex lives of broken people… it’s about how things are done in DC now. This is a glimpse into Trump White House, and the the guy who isn’t going to stop until he wipes out the entire planet… thank god he’s in his seventies…
I don't find this a glimpse into the White House, I find it yet another example of what a PR spin machine mainstream journalism has become.
That too. Damage control of actual events… I don’t believe any of 47’s administration gained their positions through honorable means… this is just the first story to come out.
Honorable? I grew up in CA and live here now after 25 years in NYC. When Nixon was president he asked my father to become head of the IRS with the stipulation that he use it to punish Nixon's enemies list. My dad turned it down. I became a Democrat and they've been far worse. At least Olivia had enough taste not to sext Gavin. And speaking of utterly corrupt leaders, Justin Trudeau is spending time in my beloved little coastal CA city now that he's dating Katy. Her Caravelle yacht was roaring along our channel the other day. Hi Justin! Have you told Katy you're gay? Just kidding of course.
Oy vey😞
That's what I say every time I have to pay CA taxes so Gavin can go have a $1200 lunch at French Laundry.
Something "really really crazy" from the guy who eats roadkill and spreads communicable diseases like he's giving out Halloween candy? I can't wait to hear this next twist.
Nuzzi audiobook preview in her own voice https://youtu.be/hRloNRe4r1k
She sounds like AI but apparently that is really her voice? Most listeners complain that her voice sounds "choppy." Maybe something to do with her emotional and psychological trauma?
Ryan, I’ve known you for a long time. We’ve even been “friends” in a kind of Washington way that is both sincere and maybe fleeting. This series does not help you. You have started to sound exactly like the deranged and spurned ex lover you make fun of. You need to stop this and move on. You used to be a good reporter. Stop acting like this is your only story.
Hilary, I don’t come to your workplace and tell you what corporate clients to represent and I don’t appreciate you coming here and telling me what to write about. I’ve been covering politics here since April and you only subscribed on Nov. 22, after this series started. So you are free to unsubscribe and stop reading at anytime.
2025, the age of journalists reporting on themselves and sparring with their readers in real time!
Hilary is not just a reader. She is a well-connected Washington consultant with direct ties to many of the people in this series, including Olivia, several of whom do not come out looking ethical or honest. Her role and proximity are not incidental. They are part of the very network that protects Washington insiders and punishes anyone who threatens the status quo.
This is the exact reason people despise the so-called “Washington elite.” There is a culture that shields its own and makes sure wrongdoing never sees daylight.
The smear campaign Ryan described is not a rare occurrence. It is the go-to tactic for Washington insiders who fear accountability and will do anything to silence those who dare disrupt it, which is what is happening here.
Ryan’s story in all of its details is at times difficult to read and feels like reading his personal diaries, but it is important because the characters involved and what they did expose a corrupt system that depends on his silence. Calling this out is not vindictive. It is necessary. If Washington is ever going to break its addiction to secrecy, protection, and quiet backroom retaliation, then stories like this need to be told plainly and without apology.
The irony of Rosen showing up here can't be deeper. SKDK and the now defunct TIMES UP were partners in using the media as a way of amplifying certain "story telling" through the media some of which was not proven as fact. The assertion of CAA's involvement is also telling given the connection to Alyssa Milano. That Ryan has now turned their well-worn tactics on it's head by amplifying his own story is what they do every day.
"The smear campaign Ryan described is not a rare occurrence," is an understatement.
Eh, I think this article just another piece of the Narcissists in Washington pie.
Some questions I’ve been asking myself throughout this saga:
- why now?
- how much can I trust a journalist to tell an unbiased story about himself?
-who am I to determine which first person account of this ordeal is factual and which is a lie?
It doesn’t matter who Hilary is, I believe a substack subscription includes the inherent privilege to hate read and respond (and to be responded to). What is unusual is to see the author himself taking on a commenter to defend his journalistic work about himself and his relationships, it’s like doubling down on his bias and further discrediting him as a reporter on this whole ordeal.
Which is sad. Because while we all gravitate towards the drama like moths to a flame, we tolerate the journalistic misgivings that degrade a compelling story into tabloid he-said-she-said fodder, destroying Olivia but lacking the journalistic integrity necessary to hold Kennedy accountable.
This should have been reported on last year, and in an alternative manner.
Are you kidding me? *RYAN* sounds like a jilted lover? What kind of bullshit is this? Have you read all 5 parts? I’m no fan of Ryan whatsoever; I believe him to be a self-centered, self serving man, but that’s journalism in politics. He has every right to protect his reputation against this administration and the likes of ON. Are you protecting a friend/woman out of some kind of tribal protective “concern”?
ON made her bed, slept in it, and now must put everything back together. Shes hitting rock bottom, and no i dont believe for one minute she’s at the bottom.
Ryan is dealing w threats and corruption from some very powerful ppl, and you want him to stop? ON damaged his reputation w the help of someone like RFK, Jr, this isn’t some juvenile high school breakup!! This is down right criminal, vindictive, mean-spirited and scary! How dare you Ms Rosen? Put yourself in his shoes!
I’m shocked you would even write something like this! I’ve been a HUGE fan of yours for years, especially your lgbtq+ & women’s rights. Reading your comments is really disappointing!
Well said! I applaud your response!
Gavin de Becker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_de_Becker
I’ve known abt this guy for years. YEARS! He’s not someone you want to get on the wrong side of, so what I’ve heard.
"I’ve been a HUGE fan of yours for years, especially your lgbtq+ & women’s rights."
so sorry to have to tell you this but ryan is neither queer* nor a woman so i don't know why you'd be disappointed on that front
*pretty sure i'm not doing a bisexual erasure, maybe that's in part 6
Ma’am….are you drunk or high? My response is to Hilary Rosen! I don’t know whether to laugh, shake my head or continue ur to roll my eyes! But I have a headache, so I’ll just laugh….i guess!
I agree with you, Jeanine. I am more upset with the fact that this was under wraps until after the election. I don’t know if it would have changed the results, but we all had a right to know. RFKJr never should have been confirmed. These people are public servants for Pete’s sake. This is freaking disgusting because no one reported on it until it was too late. ON is just one reporter. Washington is full of people like her in the DC press pool. MSM sold us all out. We need to figure out how not to let this crap happen. Is that even possible?
I wholeheartedly agree! More so, this should - but won’t - be grounds for impeaching RFK Jr!
yes, and i think your response was stupid, hope this helps.
Do you have a reading comprehension issue, dear?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I don't think this is good advice.
Lizza was the target of a smear campaign waged against him just behind the scenes, and with the willing cooperation of the current Sec of HHS.
It's a shame that the story can't be told without the details, eh? I don't see how else to do it, and I'm glad he is.
This is an absolute page turner. Everyone knows the story from various news reports. To know one perspective of the insanity that went on behind it, is impossible to not read and even worse than one could imagine. Are there more important stories? Yes and there are an unprecedented number of stories being told about the administration, its policies and repercussions. That doesn’t mean this story doesn’t have merit and should not be told. Your criticism feels personal.
Easy for someone to say that does not have a reputational arsonist plotting and scheming 24 seven to destroy someone over their own delusional paranoia.
Queen, you’re not wrong but please let us have this!
If Olivia was writing this about Ryan would you say the same thing?
I would be interested if he was having an affair with a politician running for President. That’s what makes it a story. Then, assuming all the skullduggery is true, it’s a crazy look into reputational management, journalism ethics and instant karma.
It may be his only story. I have never heard of him until now. Outside of your "world" no one really cares about him or her in the real working/middle class world. This is entertainment. But only because RFK. Unfortunately, people are interested in the Kennedy family. RFK is a piece. She is just a child. And the writer and RFK should have never had a relationship with her. They wanted a "blonde beauty" lol. Two fully grown men taking advantage of a young woman....what did they think would happen?
Well he’s sold about a million bucks in subscriptions here and a fraction of them won’t cancel after part 6 drops, so there’s that.
She has sold 1200-1500 copies of her book.
Oh that’s hella cringe from someone like yourself. Yikes.
The story seems real, is engaging, and we have all stayed to part 5. An insight into a world very few of us will ever experience, whether that's good or bad, it's fun to look around. Thanks
yeah, that's good! lol
Wow. I don't know what to say. While I'm thinking about it, I'm just going to say "very on brand Tucker Carlson."
I was only vaguely aware of ON before all of this went down. When I did see her on TV my, this person isn't for real, radar went into overdrive. Little did I know how deeply disturbed she is and how destructive she could be to the people around her. I had my own experience with an ex-roommate who was very smart and went to great lengths to harass me and threaten me because after too much craziness I asked him to leave and stopped being his friend.
So, IMO Ryan who I was also only vaguely aware of when this story broke, has not only every right to tell his story, he has an obligation to set the record straight. But I do care about the landscape of this country's media, which in my view is in terrible shape. ON has no business being a reporter, because at its core, it's a position that requires dedication and honesty and ON posses neither.
Agree. and Trump set the stage - Lying, making shit up, threatening the media, groveling for power is ok. In the U.S. we now have loud propaganda. This will only lead to full-blown autocracy.
I’d also like to know what role Jessica Reed Krause has in this gross political soap opera! What a very vindictive woman she seems to be. When ON drive West, JRK was with her!
Oh what a terrible web we weave when at first we try to deceive!
This sentence seems to me to be a self-deception on Lizza’s part:
“Instead, she pulled that jealous, possessive routine I described in Part 4 while I was at dinner, showed up at my hotel, and remained with me at The Standard on the West Side for five nights.”
Nuzzi didn’t “pull” anything on Lizza. He allowed her to stay at his hotel for five nights. That was his choice, not something she did to him. And this seems to me to characterize much of their relationship, in which both blame the other for things they themselves did or allowed the other to do—because that’s what they wanted.
And I still do not understand why Lizza did not cause Nuzzi’s relationship with RFK, and the horrid things she knew about RFK, to be revealed back when those revelations might have prevented RFK from gaining a position in which both Nuzzi and Lizza knew RFK would do immense harm—even death—to millions of people for years to come. Lizza needs to give a more responsible account of his conduct.
I believe both him and Olbermann when they describe their relationships with her.
In my view, they saw themselves, at various points, as (1) wildly lucky -- but deserving! -- to have the love of someone so young, gifted, and beautiful, (2) responsible, mature men who were ready to marry her, (3) stupidly reluctant to give up either of those postures, (4) trapped by her demons and fragility, and finally (5) unwilling participants/scapegoats in the drama.
KO has said as much recently, for anyone who cares to listen, and his experience and understanding mirror that of RL. Was he making choices that seem self-serving? Of course. That was the mix of items 1-4 at work. Neither of them is saying anything different.
As far as the reason to hold back while trump won and RFK was handed the means to crush the infrastructure of HHS to bits ... I am here for that. So far, RL has given me some confidence that I'll get it.
You will.
Lizza’s series has described much damning information about RFK that Nuzzi relayed to Lizza months before the 2024 election.
Why did Lizza not reveal this info to the public back when it could have prevented Trump’s election and spared the country from great harm?
Because Lizza knew the danger RFK posed to the health and lives of millions of people and knew RFK’s support could help Trump back into the White House, Lizza had a moral obligation to try to bring that information to light for the public good.
The fact that revealing that information would embroil Lizza himself in controversy is not an excuse for remaining silent when the future of the country and the lives of millions of innocent people were at risk. Now—finally—Lizza has chosen to reveal what he knew, not when it could’ve helped the country, but only when it is useful to defend himself. That seems like selfish cowardice.
Lizza was not an innocent witness or an innocent bystander. His own weakness and bad judgment is what caught him up in this mess in the first place. And even in his current account, he reveals some things about his own behavior that display what seems to be a cruel vindictiveness.
For example, after he had lost all affection for Nuzzi and decided to permanently split from her, instead of making a clean break and cutting off all unnecessary contact, Lizza continued to interact with her, spending nights with her and having long, detailed, intimate conversations. Lizza described their interactions this way:
“I’m often asked how I could stomach listening to the details of their affair, but I hadn’t had any feelings for Olivia in a very long time. The relationship with Bobby and the breadth of her con had revealed to me a dark part of her character that I had only glimpsed before, but which now seemed to define her. I didn’t know her anymore, and maybe I never did. So I listened to her with a kind of anthropological detachment and fascination—essentially as a reporter—as she shared what she learned about him.”
Listening to Nuzzi with “anthropological detachment” for all those months after he had lost all feelings for her, when he knew she was desperate for his companionship, strikes me as cruel.
Simply put, he was toying with her.
If he was only listening to her “essentially as a reporter,” he was obliged to do what reporters do. He was obliged to report what he learned. But instead he withheld what he knew, and watched silently while RFK’s political manipulations helped Trump regain the presidency and helped RFK become HHS Secretary.
Lizza heaps blames on Nuzzi for helping RFK and never outing him before the election when she had a moral obligation to do so. Yet Lizza remained silent, too, and his silence also helped RFK and Trump bring us to this dangerous time. I don’t think Lizza has confronted his own responsibility for the national disaster his silence allowed to occur.
Olbermann discuss Nuzzi relationship
https://youtu.be/vtTOlkVG2qU
What a surprise that SKDK alum Hilary Rosen is here to say "Ryan shutup." Ah so when people have their own platforms to amplify their side of events that's a problem. When CAA or SKDK does it with no care for actual facts it's just another day at the office. Fascinating stuff.
I dont know what SKDK is - but I cant believe how many “journalists” just make shit up now.
fyi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKDK
Hard to read for several reasons. After working in politics and media and crisis-managing two situations featuring brazen liars this is familiar. We’re in the golden age of defamation, where platforms that move lies on social apps are protected by Section 230 and legacy media boosts traffic by amplifying them under the shield of Times v. Sullivan. If you're a public figure there is no legal protection whatsoever. Truth is being replaced by the rush to publish. Few journalists carefully factcheck. When lies are debunked no one is accountable. The coordination among major players—CAA, SKDK, and others—is undeniable. Don’t let anyone tell you to stay quiet Ryan. It absolutely does not work. Keep putting facts on the table. I’ve been waiting for a detailed response from those you have mentioned and their silence is glaring.
Word is Amber Heard and Johnny Depp will be starring in the biopic.
Omg☺️😆😂
It's crazy no-one leaked-(couldn't someone have leaked anonymously?) the information that Nuzzi was helping slime bag RFKjr. after the reveal of their affair- A reporter secretly helping two corrupt men get elected. All these people knew, including Ryan. I understand wanting to just stay low and not respond to crazy - but this is an ethics violation. Why don't journalists do their job anymore? (of course , not all)
The more I read this the more all the events of the past year are making sense. In a pretty devastating way. I started off the news about Olivia Nuzzi and RFK Jr feeling bad for Olivia. Based on the way she has conducted herself since and the way Ryan Lizza has (+ Ryan’s writing), I am convinced that we are getting waaay truer picture from Ryan than we will ever get from Olivia. She does not appear to be capable of accountability. Also I just remembered today that Olivia was kicked out of Trump’s hush money trial for bringing a phone in. I don’t think she feels like rules of any sort apply to her. Anyone else remembers that?
Agreed
I appreciate the writing in this installment, and something that really struck me is how both you and Olivia seem, in different ways, to be swept up and used as fodder inside a much larger power structure. The chaos you describe feels bigger than either of you as individuals.
One other thing I wanted to note: the recurring “telephone” impressions of Olivia’s mental and emotional state read to me as a storytelling device that heightens the noir atmosphere of this chapter. It works narratively, but it also left me hoping that, in real life, the people around her (and around you) were able to express concern directly and offer support rather than only speaking to each other in whispers. Anyone under this much pressure—politically, professionally, emotionally—deserves real care and intervention, not just commentary.
Regardless of the larger story, I hope both you and Olivia were able to find grounding and help outside the machinery described here. The piece made me feel for everyone involved.
Thank you Hilary Rosen for your message. I know Ryan to be a good reporter and although I don't pay for many subs here on Substack, I did become a paid subscriber to Telos News very early on. But I didn't pay for all of this trivial nonsense. I'm not interested in this story -- never was, never will be. Our country is in deep trouble, our democracy is on life support, and that's why I subscribed to Telos. Ryan, listen to Hilary. You have much to add to our public discourse in this time of crisis. Please get off this train.
"Trivial nonsense?" Hardly. It could be argued that this story began as a "lover's spat," but it's taken on some very serious implications for how corrupt men seeking power in our political system, use people - particularly women - to satisfy all their lusts - especially the lust for political power.
agreed. this is a huge political story.