21 Comments
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Jane Rabbit's avatar

I am so out of disposable income, but this is too important not to support. Thanks, Ryan, for your courage. I hope your comrades join you. Best of luck.

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

That means a lot. Thank you 🙏

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mary angela perna's avatar

I’m now proudly a paid subscriber. This essay moved me tremendously.

I’ve been monitoring the radical right—for years, I study the far right in political science and U.S. History. I’ve watched in real time the extremist musings of Bannon, Navarro, all around the Bannon wing of the Republican Party for years—daily. Including Bannon’s show and the shows of all in that faction, like Charlie Kirk, Posobiec.

I’ve been highly frustrated with D.C. media for the very reasons you articulated. The constant need to “both-sides”. Downplay the dangers of the creeping—now galloping—authoritarian tendencies that have overtaken the GOP via Trump/Bannon. After all, it was Bannon that not only took over Breitbart, he shaped it into a much more sinister project than Andrew Breitbart probably intended. Moved the operation to Washington, the center of political power, slowly and methodically made it the trade publication of the Tea Party. Trump regularly read Breitbart during the Obama years.

Bannon also, with the help of a Tea Party activist, quite successfully remade the GOP, down to the county level by encouraging people to join their local republican parties. He has done pressure campaigns over elected GOP officials, threatening primaries as his weapon to get them to comply to his illiberal agenda.

As I’ve watched all of this, both in politics and in academia, my deepest fear of a return of Trump, that Bannon—who was at the forefront of getting the public and especially GOP members of Congress to repeat the lie that Trump won the 2020 election. When Biden was inaugurated, Bannon said his main objective was what he called the “Biden Nullification Project”.

We need a press that meets the moment. There is no “both-sides” to lies, hate, far-right conspiracy theories.

I’m looking forward to this work!

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

Thank you for reading and for your thoughtful comments! We have some eye-opening pieces on deck in the weeks to come.

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mary angela perna's avatar

Looking forward to it—we need fierce truth-tellers in D.C.

It’s imperative.

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Brian McBride's avatar

Ryan was the star of Politico. Their loss. Good luck in the new format.

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Patti Larsen's avatar

I am now a proud, paid subscriber. Less than a week ago, I decided my budget would no longer accommodate annual subscriptions. Then, I read this essay (thank you to Oliver Darcy for directing us!) and immediately subscribed. Thank you!!!

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

Patti, that means a lot to me. We will work hard over here to keep earning that support.

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Bill Shields's avatar

Liked Lizza at The New Yorker. Liked him at POLITICO, even as I liked the publication less. Will probably like him here the most. Good luck!

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Deborah Raftery's avatar

I subscribed after listening to you with Steve Schmidt on Substack/The Warning. Thank you for upholding the true mission of journalism and wielding the power of the Fourth Estate.

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

THANK YOU!

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Elizabeth Cab's avatar

I have been following you ever since you started writing for The New Yorker and always found your articles to be thorough and thought provoking. It hurt when you were let go. I understood the circumstances but still a great loss to those who appreciated your writing. I am so glad to find you again and know your writing is well worth being a paid subscriber. I know I can trust what you write.

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

Thank you! We are going to build the Telos News Community together and I really appreciate your longtime support of my writing!

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Tim's avatar

OK, Ryan. Bring it!

Good luck!

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

👊

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retrofocus80's avatar

Ryan,

Thank you for your words. I’m glad you are on Substack and are free to write. I watched you with Don Lemon today a very good conversation. I decided after that I needed to become a subscriber, as I don’t want to miss out on your writing.

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Ryan Lizza's avatar

That means a lot to me Thank you!

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Violet Hunter's avatar

Fine! I’m sold! 🥳 Decided to invest into Telos a small portion of what I’m saving by boycotting the evil behemoth known as Amazon😈

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Linda Lorelle's avatar

Paid subscriber and fellow journalist. Just restacked urging others to support your work. Thank you, Ryan, for your courage and conviction to bring us mission-driven journalism.

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Nicole Hemenway's avatar

This is the first Substack I’ve ever paid to subscribe to. Thank you for doing this important work.

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Sam Urdank's avatar

Politico? Fuck'm!

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