As most of my readers are now aware, I am now residing in Washington, DC to pursue historical work at George Washington University through their doctoral program. As most time and energy are focused on those pursuits, it has come to mind that it may also be interesting, when possible, to report on the state of the Union from the vantage point of the nation’s capital. Accordingly, this article is the first of yet another ongoing series here at History Killers: Dispatches from the Swamp.
This ongoing series will be a hodgepodge of articles, audio, video, and whatever else that seems appropriate in the moment to speak to the experience of life in DC and, simultaneously, the status of the republic.
With this in mind, it seems appropriate that the first edition of Dispatches from the Swamp is my report from the Rescue the Republic Rally in Washington, DC, held in the space at the National Mall between the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument, and including speakers such as the rally’s founder/coordinator, Bret Weinstein, plus Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Heather Heying, journalist Lara Logan, former member of Congress and veteran Tulsi Gabbard, and many others.
I attended approximately three hours of the seven-hour event that was held on September 29th, 2024. The rally, more than anything, was one which brought disenchanted liberals and Trump-supporting conservatives together. While the Ancien Media are likely to report on the event as having been some kind of right-wing rally, or a rally by Trump supporters, there were in fact many in attendance who were interested in participating (as either an audience member or as a featured speaker) despite the fact that they will not be supporting Trump.
The fairer way of describing the rally was, if anything, a rally to celebrate the founding principles of the United States, express deep disappointment in the military/media/medical/education industrial complex(es), and to make clear that the current Vice President is not going to get votes from these people in attendance (whether they in fact vote Republican, third party, or not at all).
The Rescue the Republic Rally was thus not so much a conservative, or Republican, or Trump rally, as it was an expression of consensus of independent thinkers across the political spectrum who are finished throwing their vote to establishment figures who have simply made life worse at home, in the workplace, in the classroom, and in the public square.
I was in attendance for the speeches given by Russell Brand and Jordan Peterson (this alone should make clear that this was about far more than American politics, as neither of these men are American citizens; Peterson is Canadian and Brand is British, but both believe strongly in free speech and see the U.S. as its last, best hope).
You can check out most of what both men had to say below. The two traded off extemporaneous thoughts related to not only the need for values in one’s politics, but a spiritual core to one’s purpose.
The Rescue the Republic Rally was thus not so much a conservative, or Republican, or Trump rally, as it was an expression of consensus independent thinkers across the political spectrum who are finished throwing their vote to establishment figures who have simply made life worse at home, in the workplace, in the classroom, and in the public square.
Following Brand and Peterson’s talk were some brief words from the formidable journalist, Lara Logan, who left 60 Minutes and the legacy press some years ago due to her disappointment in the direction of so-called mainstream news. Logan introduced another fellow journalist with integrity (a dying breed, for sure), former writer for Rolling Stone and founder of Racket News, Matt Taibbi.
As much respect I hold for a number of the guests at the rally’s lineup, it was the presence and words of Taibbi that I was most interested to see and hear.
Taibbi, like many of us over the years, assumed himself to be a member of the left, almost by default. Also like many of us, though Taibbi is not likely to vote Republican or join the ranks of American conservatives, he knows that he is done with the Democratic Party establishment and, more so, the aims of any politician or tech bro (of any political stripe) who doesn’t believe strongly in the Bill of Rights.
Though Taibbi brought with him prepared remarks, their import were not lacking. If anything, Taibbi used his skills as a journalist and writer to make points that only some advanced contemplation could provide.
Listen to Matt Taibbi’s entire speech below.
Any event that includes Trump supporters receives a certain spin in the legacy press. The fact that the event was led, organized, and populated by disenchanted liberals taking the stage, and many other liberals and political independents making up much of the audience, will be ignored or dismissed.
Nevertheless, the rally provides evidence that, ultimately, the Ancien Media is losing its grip on narrative production. Many just don’t buy it anymore (and some never did). The impact of the rally should not be overstated, and only time will tell what kind of influence it will have (or if there will be more in the future).
If nothing else, the Rally to Rescue the Republic, its participants, and its intellectually and politically diverse audience are a sign of the times.
[James M. Masnov is a writer, musician, historian, and lecturer. He is the founder of History Killers and the History is Human Journal, the author of several books (including Rights Reign Supreme: An Intellectual History of Judicial Review and the Supreme Court, available here) and numerous articles, and has produced over a dozen albums of original music. He is currently a Columbian Distinguished Fellow at the History Department of George Washington University in Washington, D.C.]
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