Liz Truss, Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson? A Look Inside the Ex- PM's Audition for Make America Great Again

Liz Truss, began the premiere of her online program with a promise to expose "malicious actors" working to bring down the UK, United States and European nations. She explained she would uncover how an "international network of progressives work to weaken democracy and the will of the people."

"We're going to look at the political movement of Donald Trump and understand how this can be achieved in Britain," Truss declared. "Our guests will include the prominent voices of the Trumpist political sphere."

Before the program's debut, there was one particularly enthusiastic supporter. "This is the beginning of a type of transformation," said veteran reporter John Solomon. The right-leaning Just the News will carry the former prime minister's new broadcasts.

Forging Alliances in the Maga Media Ecosystem

Compatriot supporters, such as a pro-Reform adviser, have also helped her establish the Truss's program. The setup is adequate, if basic. She has gathered 10,000 subscribers in her debut week and her debut garnered tens of thousands of views during that week.

It is a small opening, but in partnering with John Solomon, she is being pushed into a well-developed right-wing media network creating and spreading Maga talking points. Its obsessions encompass claims of media suppression by the mainstream media and a desire to remove a so-called administrative state – which the ex-PM holds responsible for the rapid conclusion of her disastrous time in office.

"Just the News is not well-known beyond the Maga world, but it does have credibility there, largely because of its founder, who provides analysis on pro-Trump shows like Steve Bannon's War Room and has even interviewed Trump," said Alex Hinton, who has extensively researched the Make America Great Again phenomenon.

A Controversial Partner

Her effort to transplant Maga media to the United Kingdom has aligned her more closely to controversial figures such as Solomon.

He established Just the News following backlash after he was accused of pushing misleading narratives about Biden's anti-corruption work in the Ukraine, as well as disputed reports about one-time diplomat to that country.

His claims were amplified across the pro-Trump media, with the journalist appearing as a regular guest on the prominent Fox News show. The former president personally endorsed his stories.

The journalist published the allegations regarding Ukraine in a number of opinion pieces for the outlet the Hill, where he had already been moved to a columnist role when staffers raised concerns over his articles. These reports were central in the then-president's request for the Ukrainians to probe the Biden family in 2019. Those demands led to articles of impeachment against Trump. The Senate later acquitted the commander-in-chief.

Not long after the journalist departed the Hill in late 2019, the news organization revealed it was performing a assessment of his reporting about Ukraine. It concluded he had relied on untrustworthy contacts and stated he "failed to identify important details about main Ukrainian informants, such as the detail that they had been charged or were being probed."

Becoming Part of the Sphere

His TV and radio guest spots are a indication of the political media environment the former prime minister is joining. He discussed his backing of her new show on a show he co-hosts on the conservative cable network, a conservative television outlet that is the base for the Maga influencer ex-Trump strategist Bannon and on which commentator Tucker Carlson also is seen. Truss has already interviewed the political operative on one of her first podcasts.

Through her association with the journalist and his outlet, the former leader has become a niche participant in a much wider network of conservative media outlets that frequently amplify each other's content.

His personal podcast and Real America's Voice show have repeatedly hosted figures such as Mike Benz, a rightwing influencer whose arguments against the US Agency for International Development was used by the X owner as justification for dismantling the international development organization.

An International Strategy

While the former PM's unnatural presentation and career difficulties have been mocked within the UK, a number of stateside commentators are taking seriously her attempts to reinvent herself as a British branch of the pro-Trump media ecosystem.

"One must regard folks like that with seriousness, even if you may not want to interpret them word-for-word," commented a Democratic strategist, who was employed in the Biden administration.

"It was evident how in the recent campaign President Trump used that media network to spread his narrative. Undoubtedly that sphere spreads and shapes conversation overseas. It looks relatively clear to me that the circumstances in the UK are similar to what permitted this non-mainstream media network to prosper in the US."

Professor Alan Finlayson, said the online conservative ecosystem was already having an impact in the United Kingdom.

"Digital media knows no borders," he stated. "There's a kind milieu within which content circulates – on occasion manifesting in radical ways and occasionally in softer tones – but which is networked."

Hinton said the growth of the online right in the UK in recent times meant the "chance to have a growing impact is substantial."

Global Goals

"Both Truss and Nigel Farage in the recent past appeared at the the major conservative conference, where I observed they deployed Maga talking points ahead of the {king of Maga|

Tammy Perez
Tammy Perez

A passionate wellness coach and nutritionist dedicated to helping others live healthier, happier lives through practical advice and inspiration.