One year of Public Notice

Here's what's coming in year two.

Dear readers,

One year ago this week, I launched Public Notice with a zoom out on “the big picture.” Leaving Vox to go independent wasn’t an easy choice, but I wanted to ensure I could continue writing with the voice I honed over years of immersion in the Trump White House and right-wing media. While some outlets were eager to be done with Trump, Trumpism clearly wasn’t done with us. Going solo meant I could tell that story in all of its forms on my own terms, and I was confident I had the audience to have success.

Looking back, I’m glad I took the plunge. From scratch, Public Notice now has over 25,000 subscribers (mash the button below if you’re not one of them). This note is both to thank you for reading and loop everyone in on my plans for year two as an independent journalist unbeholden to newsroom higher ups and advertisers.

First, let me touch upon a few highlights from year one. I wrote and published expert Q&As, hard-hitting media analysis, and went deep on right-wing media, MAGA rallies, conservative conferences, the January 6 hearings, and much, much more. My most popular post was an irreverent explainer about Trump’s ridiculous fundraising emails. I shared about my life and the techniques I’ve mastered for video clipping and Twitter threads.

There will be much more of all that, but I also have some new things in store. This summer I started publishing pieces from freelancers covering everything from the perils of “both sides” journalism to the errors of left-wing Putin apologists. This journalism is entirely funded by readers like you, and as the newsletter grows, I plan to expand my stable of contributors with even more smart voices and diverse perspectives. Hit me up (atrupar@gmail.com) if you have pitches.

I’m also debuting a new feature called Aaron’s Clip Room. At the end of each newsletter, I’ll embed significant politics and media clips and explain why they’re worth watching. This feature will paywalled for paid subscribers, so if you’d like access and aren’t yet one, hit the button below.

Let me also remind annual subscribers who signed up last October and want to renew to make sure your Substack payment info is up to date.

As we begin year two of Public Notice, I’m looking forward to covering the home stretch of the midterms and beginnings of the 2024 presidential campaigns, the new Congress, Putin’s tragic folly in Ukraine, and how the media handles (or mishandles) all of this. I’ll hold Biden accountable when warranted while also staying focused on the unique threat posed by the Trumpified GOP.

While I’m grateful for free subscribers, Public Notice wouldn’t be possible without paid ones. It takes a lot of time and money to metabolize as much news media as I do so you don’t have to. These costs were partially subsidized by Substack for my first year on the platform, but now I’m entirely reader funded. So if you’ve been considering going paid but haven’t yet, now is a great time to sign up and get full access to the site, including paid subscriber-only Q&As with me and commenting privileges (I read all of them and reply to many, so fire away!).

Finally, I want to again thank all of my readers. The more than six years I’ve now spent covering Trump and the American right haven’t been easy, but I feel blessed beyond measure to have such a passionate audience and engaged online community. This newsletter is the proudest accomplishment of my career, and I hope you’ll join me as we build on the success of year one.

Cheers,

Aaron

PS — I’ll be back with a full newsletter Wednesday, including the first installment of Aaron’s Clip Room for paid subscribers.