Editor's Letter

The summer of 2026 is upon us, along with the smells of grilling meat, firework smoke, and chlorine-drenched kids. There’s nothing better. America’s 250th is here, which, if we’re honest, has been a bit of a letdown so far, Milli Vanilli performances and lawn cage matches notwithstanding. The country seems to be bouncing wildly from imperial entanglements to domestic ennui to cultural decay with increasing alacrity, as grocery prices reach ever-new heights. There’s certainly a lot to look back on with pride, but the unease is palpable.

Regardless, this magazine was founded on the unshakeable belief that there’s joy, goodness, and excellence in this country that are all worth fighting for. In this issue, you’ll find stories from across the country that may challenge what you think you know, but point to a cultural resilience that is uniquely our own.

One of those stories takes on the established narrative of the saga of our 37th President, Richard Milhous Nixon. I’ve been wanting to do a reappraisal of the greatest president of the 20th century (imo) for the better part of a year, but we could never find the right person to write it. When James Rosen wrote his extraordinary article for the New York Times about the unsealed documents back in February, I feared we may have missed our chance. However, there was still a tremendous amount of cultural context to parse. Into the breach stepped Christopher Bedford, Blaze Media editor-in-chief, with a wealth of information on the subject. What started as a shorter, more restrained sketch morphed into the incredible piece of writing contained within these pages.

From the men who worked with Nixon to the reporters who covered him to the millennials making viral cuts of his speeches set to music, Chris left nothing behind in his dogged pursuit of truth. Watergate remains one of the most completely misunderstood moments in American politics.

Now, you might correctly ask: Well, this all happened 50 years ago—who cares? How does this affect anything now? It’s important to recall that President Nixon once won 49 of 50 states. Then? A cub reporter who worked in communications for Naval Intelligence reported on a story that the president had nothing to do with. The will of the electorate was completely subverted in 18 months. In many ways, it’s the Rosetta Stone of the current deep state, and the story skillfully weaves in why it matters so much to this day.

We also have stories that showcase Americana, from the free-spirited celebrations on the streets of New Orleans and MAHA’s influencers in the great state of Texas to a story about how to keep your kids away from screens by a sage O.W. Root. The amazing writer John McDermott took a train ride across most of the country to discover a nation much less divided or destitute than cable news or social media would have you believe. For the regional section, we turned our gaze to New York: from its secret clubs for dissident Zoomer intellectuals to fashion shows with the looksmaxxing likes of Clavicular, scenes which capture the raw energy of the island off America. I wrote about getting rid of my smartphone and reconnecting with my family and my sanity. And James Poulos probes the pagan powers of artificial intelligence. Plus, bourbon reviews, top Catholic churches, must watch sci-fi movies, race car renegades, and the irrepressible Gavin McInnes—all told, a slice of the Americana experience as wide as that 4th of July chunk of pie. Thank you for choosing to read it.