I Was Fired by the Manhattan Institute. Here's Why.

A conversation with Tucker Carlson

Last week, I made the trip up to Maine to pay a visit to Tucker Carlson. We had a lot to discuss: the state of the university, the legacy of Malcolm X, and both of our changing perspectives on the comparative value of mainstream and independent media. I also wanted to use the opportunity to talk about something I’ve been keeping more or less to myself.

Especially keen-eyed viewers may have noticed that, some months ago, The Glenn Show stopped touting its affiliation with the Manhattan Institute. Then, a few months later, I removed my Manhattan Institute affiliation from my bylines. That’s because the Manhattan Institute and I have parted ways. They’re no longer sponsoring the show, and I’m no longer a fellow there. In this clip from my most recent appearance on Tucker’s show, I talk about why I believe this parting of ways happened. In short, I think they disapproved of my opposition to the Gaza War, my criticisms of Israel’s prosecution of that war, and my praise of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s meditations on the West Bank settlements.

Watch the full episode to get the full story, at least as I understand it. As I told Tucker, I’m not angry at the Manhattan Institute. On the contrary, I’m grateful for the support they gave me and TGS during a crucial period in our development. I do wish we could have come to an understanding that would have satisfied everyone. But a lack of “shared priorities,” as Manhattan Institute President Reihan Salam put it to me in an email, made our continuing partnership impossible.

The Manhattan Institute first signaled their dismay with my position on Gaza after I posted my conversation with Israeli historian Omer Bartov. I could have heeded the warnings and pulled back, and perhaps the relationship would have remained intact. But that wouldn’t have changed what I thought and felt about the war. I would have been censoring myself for the sake of a financially beneficial arrangement. That was not something I was willing to do. The choice between self-censorship and financial support wasn’t really a choice at all.

I’ve wrestled with how and when to make this break public, so I’m very grateful to Tucker for his understanding and hospitality. I’m also grateful for the public acknowledgement I’ve received from figures ranging from Glenn Greenwald to Mehdi Hasan to Matthew Yglesias since the episode aired on Friday. It’s too bad it took something like this to bring all of them together!

It’s also too bad that all of this occurred too late to include it in my forthcoming book, Self-Censorship. It would have made for an excellent chapter. Of course, the story isn’t over. The Glenn Show will continue—the support of our subscribers have brought it this far. You’ve allowed the show to proceed uninterrupted in the midst of all of this. You can’t know how thankful I am for that support, though you can probably see now just how necessary it’s been. So if you’re not yet a full subscriber, and you feel moved to become one, click below to sign up. You’ll get access to the full archives, monthly subscriber-only Q&A sessions with John McWhorter, early access to weekly episodes of The Glenn Show, occasional bonus content, plus commenting privileges on all posts.