When you’ve watched the city you love disintegrate before your eyes, you learn to keep your expectations low.
Such is the sad state of Seattle – a once vibrant and growing tech hub whose activist class turned it into a national posterchild for wokeness gone awry. The worst part is that many of them are still blind to the damage they’ve done.
At several points in my decade-long career here, I tried to convince myself that things couldn’t possibly get worse. City Hall couldn’t possibly go lower. Downtown couldn’t possibly be less safe. The local press couldn’t possibly lose another ounce of self-awareness.
Let’s just say I am now intimately acquainted with disappointment.
From relentless attempts to tax Amazon out of the city, to endless riots and unrest, to the defunding debate, to the occupied protest zone, to a mass exodus of police officers, to rising 911 response times, to a worsening homeless crisis, to an unfettered drug market, to unsustainable levels of shoplifting and vandalism – Seattle has become an utter embarrassment to those of us who expect elected leaders to act in the best interest of the people they represent.
Enter Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Because he served on the Seattle City Council during a period of worsening crises around homelessness, drug abuse, and mental illness, I was skeptical that Bruce Harrell represented a meaningful solution to the city’s woes. But when he made it past the primary in 2021, there was zero doubt he was the better of two questionable options (the other being former City Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez, a progressive who supported police defunding, made enemies of the city’s largest employers, and stirred up unproductive public tiffs with former Mayor Jenny Durkan).
On the campaign trail, Harrell said all the right things. He pledged to hire more officers and support the ones the city still had (except for unvaccinated officers, who he supported firing even at a time of low staffing). He promised to remove dangerous homeless encampments that were allowed to proliferate out of a mistaken sense of compassion. He promised to be a bridge builder and heal fractured relationships between councilmembers, the police department, the city’s top prosecutor, and the business community.
But talk in Seattle is not only cheap, it’s unreliable.
After all, three sitting councilmembers ran for their jobs in 2019 on the promise of hiring more police officers. Then they turned around six months later and pledged to defund the agency by 50% without an ounce of shame.
Harrell would have to do more than just talk to convince this emotionally depleted political pundit that he actually meant business.
And how is he doing six months into his first term?
I’ll be damned – Bruce Harrell has it in him.
The first real clue that the new mayor intended to make good on his campaign promises came during a February 4 press conference on public safety. For the first time in a long time, someone spoke with common sense at Seattle City Hall.
“I want to be very clear – we will not tolerate crime in Seattle.”
What?
“I inherited a depleted and demoralized police department – this status quo is not acceptable.”
Come again??
“We will not look the other way while the fabric of our neighborhoods and city is destroyed.”
Swoon!
I had to calm myself down and remember what city I was in. Surely the mayor of Seattle wasn’t brave enough to state the obvious. Besides, these were just more words.
But then came the action.
Open air drug markets in the International District and near Pike Place Market were first. Officers were sent in to clear the areas and directed ne'er-do-wells to move along. Work continues to keep the areas from reverting back to criminal hotspots.
Then the sweeps started – angry activists be damned.
Downtown to Ballard. City sidewalks to public parks. Residential neighborhoods to business districts. City workers were directed to move in, clear tents, and make final attempts to connect the unhoused to services.
And the best part? Mayor Harrell hasn’t flinched.
So far, Harrell appears impervious to an Achilles' heel that has rendered even Seattle’s most formidable politicians powerless: fear of the far-left fringe. It is what paralyzed former Mayor Durkan into allowing rioters to seize six square blocks of the city in the summer of 2020, rendering an entire police precinct useless.
Luckily for Seattle, Harrell doesn’t appear to give a damn what 10 loud voices on Twitter and Leftist bloggers at The Stranger have to say about him. How refreshing.
The same is true for two other newly-elected leaders: City Attorney Ann Davison (left) and City Councilwoman Sara Nelson (right). Both promised to put an end to performative politics and get to work righting the ship. So far, both have delivered.
In fact, Councilwoman Nelson recently unveiled a plan to attract more police officers to the city through financial and other incentives. What’s more impressive is she somehow got one of the council’s most anti-police members to work with her: Lisa Herbold.
Mayor Harrell was so proud of the teamwork that his office sent out a statement.
“As my administration continues to develop a comprehensive plan to restore police staffing, this is a reminder that when we work together and unite around shared values and common purpose, we develop better ideas that put us on a path toward better results.”
I texted a member of the mayor’s staff and included a link to the press release.
“This makes me happy,” I wrote. “Love seeing cooperation and collaboration for a change.”
Does Seattle still have a long way to go? Of course. Do its newest leaders still need to prove themselves? Without a doubt. But when you’ve covered politics here for as long as I have, sometimes a little common sense is worth celebrating.
Alliance Defending Freedom sues Washington state over alleged assault of female wrestler by trans opponent. Man attacks signature gatherer, steals voter data. State lawmaker cries during ethics hearing.
Prefer to listen? https://audioboom.com/posts/8915130-lies-hurt-people-6-10-26
Your daily reminder to opt out of the teachers’ union as membership dues used to fight sane voter initiatives. Republicans try to lean into ballot harvesting as Dems surge in late counting. Failed homeless authority will live to see another day. Finally, it’s primary day in Maine.
Prefer to listen? https://audioboom.com/posts/8914575-teachers-unions-spend-big-against-parents-6-9-26
These remarks were delivered to the Snohomish County Lincoln Day Dinner on May 17, 2024.
The following remarks were delivered to the Whatcom County Lincoln Day Dinner on March 23, 2024, in Ferndale, Washington.
I struggled with what to talk to you about tonight.
Well, that’s not true. I didn't struggle with what to talk to you about – I struggled with whether I was brave enough to say what I wanted to say.
When I'm invited to speak to groups, I don't want to offend anyone or be too controversial. So, I reached out to a few of your fellow party members to ask whether any topics were off limits or wouldn't go over well with the crowd.
I got some good advice.
Then I decided to ignore that good advice entirely.
Too much is at stake to be polite.
As we sit here tonight, we are in the final battle of a war.
A war that has pit sanity against insanity.
Pragmatism against idealism.
A war that has sacrificed the public good, in favor of a twisted idea of progress.
It's a war that began long before I moved here 15 years ago. It started silently and it was mostly waged in the shadows.
Most of us didn't even realize that a war was being fought. We were too caught up in our own lives and our own problems. ...
Prosecutors have declined to file charges against a trans wrestler for sexual assault, citing issues around consent. Male teacher claims to be non-binary, gets to watch girls undress. Governor Ferguson tries to gaslight voters about the economy. Iran is coming to Seattle for the World Cup.
Reminder: Regular live shows of unDivided will resume Wednesday, June 3.
Team unDivided has now been in Idaho for four days. As we depart, we've yet to see a homeless person, a tent, a needle, graffiti, a pride flag, anyone with blue hair, or gas over $5 a gallon.
Reminder: Regular live shows of unDivided will resume Wednesday, June 3.
Team unDivided is in Idaho to debunk the claim being made by Washington state Democrats that capital flight is a myth.
This week, progressive political strategists launched an effort to undermine my support of citizen initiatives – arguing that my opinions are no longer protected by the First Amendment and should therefore be regulated by the state.
You read that correctly.
In a 24-page complaint to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, an obscure organization that styles itself as Washingtonians for Ethical Government called for an immediate investigation into my public support of two voter initiatives that will appear on the ballot in November – one to protect girls' sports, the other to restore parental rights.
Kruse is possibly the most prolific of political content creators in Washington, and her promotions of Let’s Go Washington’s initiatives do not qualify as editorial content. Kruse is not an impartial journalist or just an opinionated member of the public; she is a commercial advertiser with multiple advertisers. Although Kruse was once employed as a reporter by bonafide news outlets, she is no longer commonly considered as a journalist in Washington State and was recently denied press credentials by the Washington State Capitol Correspondents Association, a decision that was upheld by both state and federal courts.
Their argument goes something like this:
I host a podcast.
My podcast sells spots to advertisers.
I endorse products for said advertisers.
Therefore, my endorsements have value.
Therefore, my political endorsements have value.
Therefore, any political endorsements I make must be reported to the Public Disclosure Commission as “in-kind” donations.
There are several factual inaccuracies with the complaint, like the assertion that state and federal courts have determined I’m not a journalist. That is false. While a federal judge declined an emergency motion to have my press pass reinstated in the final days of the 2026 legislative session, our case is ongoing and only in the early stages. I am confident we will prevail.
There are also several legal issues with the complaint, not the least of which is a pesky little thing called the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
But don’t be fooled – the goal of the complaint isn’t for it to stick. The goal is to harm my reputation in the court of public opinion.
Still, for the sake of posterity, it’s worth noting a few things:
The government cannot assign a numerical value to my political speech. Such an act would be extraordinary and without precedent in the history of the United States.
I have never received anything of monetary value to support or oppose any political candidate, initiative, or issue. Quite the contrary. I have given untold hours, made personal donations, and driven tens of thousands of miles around the state to lend my voice to issues and people I believe in.
I have the right to charge advertisers for endorsements, or to provide endorsements free of charge if I wish. And I have. In the years following the pandemic, I featured local small businesses on my show free of charge – and gave them attention on social media, urging followers to support businesses that were struggling to recover from government-imposed lockdowns. I also did this in 2020 while still employed as a news reporter at FOX 13 in Seattle, running a weekly segment on my political show called “Small Business Sunday.”
Providing paid endorsements of products is a common practice in broadcasting and has been for decades. Many of our current advertisers were once endorsed on the radio by the late Dori Monson. Several local radio hosts who endorse products on air have also made public statements about their support of current voter initiatives. Ari Hoffman of KVI and John Curley of KIRO Radio not only endorse products but have stood alongside me in support of girls and parents.
If the Public Disclosure Commission were to rule that my speech must be regulated, it would also have to start regulating the speech of dozens of mainstream radio hosts – and perhaps even the Editorial Board of the Seattle Times.
Beyond that, this issue is settled law in Washington.
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that endorsements from talk show hosts do not constitute in-kind contributions.
At the time, radio hosts John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur were organizing and promoting Initiative 912, aimed at stopping an incremental increase in the gas tax.
'The mere fact that a broadcast has value to a campaign, or includes solicitation of funds, votes, or other support, does not convert commentary into advertising when it occurs during the content portion of a broadcast for which payment is not normally required,' Justice Barbara Madsen wrote for the court.
But again, the point of the complaint is not to upend existing law or get the government to throw the First Amendment to the wind.
The progressive political strategists behind the stunt, Powerhouse Strategic, is the firm used by opponents of the Let’s Go Washington initiatives.
Few news outlets that covered Tuesday’s press release saw fit to mention this connection. Why? It’s not as if it’s a secret. Kristin Hyde, a communications specialist with Powerhouse Strategic, sent the release out with her name and contact information on it.
Powerhouse not only brought previous PDC complaints against Let’s Go Washington, but it also represents the Washington State Democratic Party, as well as two of the largest unions bankrolling the anti-initiative campaigns: SEIU and the Washington Education Association.
Still, The Seattle Times characterized Washingtonians for Ethical Government (WFEG) only as a “campaign finance watchdog.”
Even if it were a legitimate watchdog group and not a cover for deeply partisan operatives, in the past 10 years it’s only ever questioned the “ethics” of conservatives.
In case there was any doubt, I fully intend to continue my work fighting for what I truly believe is the women’s rights issue of our generation: the erasure of girls at the hands of ideologues.
After all, I was fighting this issue long before Let’s Go Washington decided to run initiatives to change state law. In fact, it was through episodes of unDivided that LGW met two of the teen athletes – Ahnaleigh Wilson and Frances Staudt – who would go on to become important voices in the campaign to protect female athletes. I like to think our coverage of the issue is a big reason why voters will get a say in November. I am very proud of that.
I will also keep fighting for parental rights, as I was before LGW started collecting signatures for a parental bill of rights. My advocacy on this issue goes back to 2023, when I helped a rag-tag group of citizens collect signatures to try to run a referendum on Senate Bill 5599. The law allows children to be hidden from parents if they don’t think their family approves of their gender identity. I was protested, threatened, and called a transphobe. All the usual stuff. The referendum fell short, but my motivation to help parents keep their families together only grew.
As I said on my show this week: They can try to bankrupt my business. They can try to destroy my reputation. They can even try to kill me. None of it puts them on the right side of history.
So, we fight on. What other choice is there?
