The Free Press
It’s Tuesday, March 4. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Coming up: What an Oscar-winning hooker movie says about #MeToo. Andrew Tate slams conservatives. Plus, Casey Anthony joins the Substack family.
But first: Josh Shapiro is playing coy. Will he step up?
“To attack crime in a community, you need more policing.”
Readers might be surprised to learn that this quote comes from a Democrat. Specifically, it’s from Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, who Sean Patrick Cooper profiles today in The Free Press. Shapiro’s motto is “get shit done,” and he has a track record that backs up that sentiment. During his three-year tenure, he has successfully championed pro-growth farm policies, fixed 300 broken bridges in one year, and hired 1,500 new police.
Just what the Democrats needed in a vice-presidential pick, right?
Many people, including Sean, think so, and believe he could have swung the election for the Democrats. Yet he wasn’t chosen.
Why?
Some speculated his pro–school choice position was the reason; others said it was his vocal support for Israel. But the big question that still lingers is: If Harris had chosen him, would he be Vice President Shapiro today?
Shapiro dodges questions like this with charm. Of Harris, he says: “She had a deeply personal decision to make, and I had a deeply personal decision to make as well.”
As the kids on the internet say, “Go girl give us nothing.”
Ultimately, “The problem for Shapiro,” Sean writes, “is that he’s not going to be able to remain this bashful forever, not if he wants to be president.”
Read Sean’s piece, “Josh Shapiro Has the Ideas. Will He Take the Gloves Off?”
MAGA Is a Big Tent. But It’s Not Big Enough for Andrew Tate.
Yesterday, self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate appeared on right-wing commentator Patrick Bet-David’s podcast. It was the Eastern-bloc sex-cam impresario’s first media appearance since leaving Romania, where he and his brother Tristan are accused of human trafficking, among other crimes. Tate, a dual UK-U.S. citizen, longtime personal friend of Donald Trump Jr., and a supporter of the president, wouldn’t confirm or deny multiple reports that say the Trump administration pressured Romanian authorities to lift the travel restrictions against Tate and his brother. He claims he “didn’t know” if the president had anything to do with his release.
What Tate does know, however, is that the reception toward him in the States has been icy—and not just on the left. A recent (and dubious) convert to Islam who once bragged about breaking a woman’s jaw, Tate nevertheless calls himself “one of conservatism’s strongest soldiers.” But not all conservatives seem to agree.
When the private jet carrying the Tates first landed in Fort Lauderdale from Romania last Thursday, they received news that Florida governor Ron DeSantis denounced the Tate brothers and said they weren’t welcome in the state. DeSantis added that the Florida attorney general was examining whether the state has jurisdiction to prosecute Tate.
This made Tate furious. In the Bet-David interview, he said that DeSantis had “caved to [media] pressure,” and implied that Florida is a “communist” state—which, as a Floridian, is exactly how I feel every time I pay a SunPass toll.
DeSantis wasn’t the only subject of Tate’s ire. He also went after Megyn Kelly—who criticized a Tampa Young Republicans club for inviting Tate to speak to the group on X—and other conservatives who have denounced him, including Ben Shapiro, Dave Portnoy, and others. Then he went after conservatism in general.
“In the conservative world, an accusation is the same as a conviction,” Tate yelled from behind sunglasses while wearing a too-tight blazer, saying right-wing influencers who criticize him “sound like a girl. . . it’s gay,” and are secretly jealous of the attention he receives. He complained to Bet-David about American conservatives, saying: “They’re a pastor, they live in Nebraska, they married their first love, and they have a white picket fence and they go to church every Sunday. Great, good for you. Guess what? Most men in the world don’t care what you say, because there’s no light without dark, and I have enough dark to bring the light.”
Here’s my take: MAGA may be a big tent, but no tent is big enough for both Nebraska pastors and unscrupulous Eurotrash pornographers. Eventually, somebody’s going to have to move out.
Hopefully, it’ll be the guy who brags about beating women. Andrew Tate’s message might appeal to a minority of very angry and alienated young men on the internet, and some on the right might want to reflexively defend him as someone who has been vilified and censored for his beliefs. But, as I wrote last month, voters uniformly have rejected extremism on the left, and they will do the same to the GOP if it replicates the same sort of extremism on the right.
The broader public—and even the regular Trump voter—will not tolerate the valorization of a goofy metrosexual pimp. Ron DeSantis won’t tolerate it. And Trump shouldn’t either.
Michael Rapaport’s Message to His Canadian Bullies
Michael Rapaport—actor, comedian, and supporter of Israel—has seen a lot of hate since October 7, 2023, but none of it could have prepared him for what happened last week when a Canadian politician sought to deny him entry into the country.
Last Friday, he woke up and saw that Canadian member of Parliament Heather McPherson had posted on X that he should be barred from entering the country, where he is scheduled to perform a series of stand-up shows.
“Hate has no place in Canada,” McPherson wrote. “Rapaport, who has a significant criminal history, also has a long history of racist and Islamophobic speech, and of inciting violence and supporting terrorism. We are witnessing an alarming increase in Islamophobia in Canada and globally. All Canadians deserve to feel safe in our communities.”
In his op-ed for The Free Press, Michael responds to McPherson, saying: “I don’t look for trouble. I do, however, refuse to give in to bullies.”
Click here to read Michael Rapaport’s piece.
The Showdown Between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky
We’ve written a lot about last week’s diplomatic meltdown between Trump and Zelensky, but now, it’s time to talk about it.
Were Trump and Vance bullying a besieged ally in public? Or were we watching the White House finally stand up for American taxpayers? Or was it an unforced error that endangers not just America’s allies but America itself?
Today on Honestly, a crew of people are answering those questions quite differently: Free Press columnist Batya Ungar-Sargon, Democratic fundraiser and strategist Brianna Wu, and special guest Christopher Caldwell, author of multiple books, including The Age of Entitlement.
Listen below, and subscribe to Honestly on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
On Monday, Trump declared that 25 percent tariffs will be enacted today against Mexico and Canada. He said the tariffs are poised to impact our two biggest trading partners, allegedly for the unstanched flow of fentanyl across our two borders. “No room left for Mexico or for Canada,” Trump said Monday. “The tariffs, you know, they’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow.” So if you need to stock up on avocados and maple syrup, now might be the time.
At least two people were killed in Germany after a car deliberately rammed into a crowd of pedestrians in Mannheim. The assailant was a German national, and does not appear to have any political or religious motive. The attack, however, was the latest in a string of crimes that helped propel a right-wing, anti-immigration government to second-place victory in Germany last week. Fearful of more assaults, police have significantly increased their presence as Germans gather for local festivals prior to the start of Lent on Wednesday.
Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a controversial case that will decide whether Mexico can hold U.S. gun manufacturers liable for cartel violence. Arguing that “U.S. gun manufacturers have aided in the trafficking of weapons used by the cartels,” Mexico seeks $10 billion in damages. Experts say it is “nearly impossible” to legally purchase a gun in Mexico, and most firearms in the country are illicitly smuggled across the U.S. border. The case comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and Mexico, spurred by crackdowns on border crossings, drug trafficking, and yes. . . tariffs.
Egypt is set to propose a plan for a postwar Gaza that could compete with Trump’s scheme for a Riviera-style redevelopment. The country’s alternative idea—which is being presented today at an Arab League summit—suggests replacing Hamas with a coalition of Arab and Western nations guiding the region’s security and governance decisions. Egypt and its neighbors hope to avoid an influx of Palestinian refugees, which they consider a national security threat.
Trump will host his first speech to Congress tonight at 9 p.m. ET. And in case you missed that news, the president is reminding everyone on Truth Social, “TOMORROW NIGHT WILL BE BIG. I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!” [Caps his.]
Casey Anthony, a Florida woman who was controversially acquitted of child murder in 2011, recently announced that she will be offering legal advice on Substack. Anthony said she felt it was her duty to defend people who were attacked, and called herself an advocate for women and LGBT people. (Girl, we’ve suffered enough, please keep us out of this.) Seriously, welcome to the Substack family, Casey. And if you need a motto for your new publication, this one’s on me: Casey Anthony: Legal tips so good, you can get away with murder.
Oscar season might be over, but here at The Free Press, the vibes keep shifting and the hot takes never end.
The big winner Sunday night was Anora, Sean Baker’s small, independent film about a romance between a Brighton Beach prostitute and the son of a Russian billionaire. In her newest for The Free Press, Kat Rosenfield writes that the film usurps tropes about sex workers on screen. The protagonist is neither a tragic figure (Les Misérables) nor a hooker with a heart of gold (Pretty Woman). She’s something rarer—a fully fleshed-out female character.
“Just a few years ago, a film like this would have been slammed by critics for being exploitative, gross, and unforgivably male gaze-y,” Kat writes. “But the vibes, they are a-shiftin’.”
Read Kat’s piece, “Anora and the Pain and Power of Being Sexy.”
Meanwhile, the Academy may have snubbed Timothée Chalamet for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, but Suzy Weiss writes that Timmy is still coming out ahead.
During a recent speech at the SAG Awards, Chalamet admitted: “The truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats.”
While Vogue scoffed that the SAG speech was an example of “manosphere-enabled overconfidence,” and another commentator said, “That should have stayed in your journal, my friend,” Suzy has a different take on the situation: Timothée is a try-hard, and that’s a very good thing.
Read Suzy: “Timothée Chalamet and the Rise of the Try-Hards.”
Interesting that Egypt took note of Trump's plan and thought, "Hmmmm, what if we did something *realistic* with Gaza?" They'll need to explain how they'll deal with Hamas, the biggest obstacle to peace there. Interesting also that they're trying to stave off an influx of Palestinian refugees who are considered 'security threats'. I wonder why....? I thought those people were *sinless*.....
It's nice to imagine that some particular political personality can make big changes to the party but more likely he'd just do the same sorts of things the Democrats did through Joe Biden in 2021-2024. Trump excepted, it doesn't really matter who the nominee is; the party is the party. The Democrats will be the Democrats no matter what figurehead they choose as leader which means all the crazy stupid stuff they did in 2021-2024 from open borders to trans lunacy to DEI will rematerialize instantly; it's in their DNA at this point.