The seven-figure contract for two books from former Vice President Mike Pence is seen as the first indication that publishing’s door is opening to Team Trump.
Several former Trump aides noted, for example, that when it agreed to an estimated $3 million deal for the Pence books, Simon & Schuster said that Donald Trump’s was “one of the most consequential presidencies in American history.”
In her new blog, former Regnery Publishing boss Marji Ross suggested that the pressure is on Pence to produce books that do not face a pushback from the industry.
“How long will it take for the Left to rally the mob and protest the Pence book, I wonder?” she asked.
Or the “cancel culture.”
Now a publishing consultant, she wrote, “There is nothing wrong with a large, diverse publisher working with authors from across the political spectrum. In fact, it’s proof that they honor their professed commitment to diversity. But that’s not the path the Big 5 have taken recently. Instead, they have caved to pressure from an uninformed, immature, and intolerant mob demanding that conservative voices be silenced.”
Yet, she added, “I will add one note of hope: as the militant Left beats their drum louder and louder, conservatives outside the D.C. Beltway are beginning to wake up.”
- Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has moved into the WABC New York slot that the late Rush Limbaugh had. The AM station helped launch the talk radio careers of Limbaugh and Mark Levin. Kirk helped to lead the expansion of conservative voices on college campuses. The conservative whiz kid’s Charlie Kirk Show, a regular with the Salem Radio Network, is already syndicated across 85 other stations. …
- CNN’s Jake Tapper says news judgment goes beyond what to tell viewers. It also includes who to give a voice to, and Republican supporters of Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement aren’t included. He said during an online book event, “Do you put this person on-air knowing that he signed his name to a lawsuit that would have overturned the results of the election based on lies? And I see too many people in our business not grappling with that question.” …
- Despite easing of coronavirus rules and expanded vaccinations, Capitol Hill offices are still ghostly quiet. We hear that Senate offices were allotted 12 vaccines for staffers, so they should be open. But a quickie tour found few accepting visitors, especially those of Democrats. Some, such as Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, had a sign on the door that read, “Our office is currently not taking in-person meetings.”
