Dear Friend,

I can almost hear a collective sigh of relief from all of you—the community of truth-seekers who look to The New Republic’s reporters, opinion writers, and critics to put it all in context. Now that we’ve officially moved on from an ideologically extremist, anti-science, hostage-to-big-business, corrupt administration, the work of a new government begins. 

And our work at TNR increases: covering a legislative branch that may actually begin to function; reporting on the economy, climate, foreign affairs, and public policy initiatives that have lain dormant and worse; holding the new administration’s feet to the fire; calling out the “loyal” opposition with its growing seditious faction; and following the impact on culture, books, film, and television.   

It has only been a week since Biden was sworn in, and as TNR’s Matt Ford reminded us, “It’s time for Republican state officials to start discussing secession once again.… Allen West, the Texas GOP chair, said after the Supreme Court refused to overturn Biden’s lawful victory that ‘law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the Constitution.… Kyle Biedermann, a Republican state lawmaker in Texas, recently claimed that he plans to introduce a bill to hold a referendum on leaving the United States.”  

How exactly would “Texit” work? The New Republic is often the go-to destination when such a crazy plan is hatched and needs background. You can read the details and try our brand of independent journalism with three months of unlimited digital access for just $5.

Ford uses Brexit as a comparison: “How have Britain’s first few weeks of ‘independence’ gone? Not great.” Consider border controls, food shortages, a potential GDP drop of 2 to 4 percent, firms moving to Europe for access to the EU financial sector. 

And as Ford warns, “the U.K. leaving the European Union is easy compared to Texas Texiting the U.S.… Everything may be bigger in Texas, but everything is ultimately better in the U.S.” 

The best way to follow the action is to read Matt Ford and try three months of unlimited access to his colleagues at TNR.  

Subscribe to The New Republic today.

Sincerely,

Kerrie Gillis, publisher

Read Matt Ford’s We Regret to Inform You That Republicans Are Talking About Secession Again