Michael Tracey (journalist)

Between 2017-18 Tracey worked at The Young Turks. He later employed as an independent journalist.

Tracey supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primaries, and then advocated for "conscious abstention" in the 2016 presidential election. Tracey has been critical of Bill and Hillary Clinton. In 2020, he supported Tulsi Gabbard's democratic presidential campaign.^[7]

Tracey has been critical of the Democratic Party, and of allegations of collusion between Donald Trump and Russia.^[8][9] During the first Trump administration, Tracey was a skeptic of allegations that Trump had engaged the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election.^[9] According to a 2019 Vanity Fair article, Tracey "tried to quell the mob countless times", before Robert Mueller later "found no evidence of criminal conspiracy between Donald Trump and Moscow".^[10]

In June 2017, Congresswoman Maxine Waters walked away from an interview with Tracey and pushed aside his hand and microphone.^[8] The incident was captured on video. Tracey said that Waters had "initiated unwarranted physical contact" and "shoved" him, but that it was "not a violent shove".^[8]

In 2019, Tracey criticized an article by Kevin Poulsen in The Daily Beast, which revealed the identity and criminal history of a man who had allegedly created a modified video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that made her appear drunk.^[11]

Tracey was a recurring guest who defended left wing views on the Fox News program Tucker Carlson Tonight.^[6]

In 2021, The Daily Dot reported that Tracey "has been referred to by some as a 'Left Heretic,' a term used for self-described liberals who oppose, among other things, what they deem to be 'identity politics'".^[12] In April 2022, Justin Ling wrote in Foreign Policy that Tracey had questioned the authenticity of photos relating to the Bucha massacre as potential "war propaganda".^[13] In response, Tracey described Ling's article as a "smear" that took his comments "completely out of context"; arguing that his full tweet was an expression of concern that journalists had begun repeating Ukrainian government claims as fact, before they had been independently verified.^[14]

In 2024, Tracey occasionally substituted as host for journalist and commentator Glenn Greenwald's web news show System Update.^{[citation needed]}

Prior to the 2024 presidential election (November 4th), Tracey published an article in his newsletter in which he wrote that he had not voted for a major party candidate since 2008, which was to remain unchanged for 2024.^[15] He also wrote that he does not find third parties credible.^[15]

Tracey has argued that the media reporting relating to the Epstein files has been excessively "conspiratorial".^[16] In the Wall Street Journal, Barton Swaim cited Tracey's coverage of an FBI memo in the Epstein Files, in which the bureau were unable to corroborate allegations that Epstein and Maxwell had involved other associates in their offending.^[17]

Raised in West Caldwell, New Jersey, he graduated from James Caldwell High School in 2006.^[18] He has resided in Jersey City, New Jersey.^[19]

In February 2009, Tracey was arrested while a student at The College of New Jersey after he attempted to approach Ann Coulter, who had spoken at the college's campus in Ewing. He was charged with disorderly conduct and pleaded guilty to "violating a nuisance ordinance".^[20][21]