R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr.

R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. is the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator and a New York Times best-selling author. He makes frequent appearances on national television and is a nationally syndicated columnist, whose articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, The Washington Times, National Review, Harper's, Commentary, The (London) Spectator, Le Figaro (Paris) and elsewhere.

Articles by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr.

The Ruination of Womens Sports Illustration by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Introduce a new category for transgender athletes

Some time ago, I wrote that there was an easy and suave way to solve transgender people's yearning for an opportunity to compete with female athletes. Published June 6, 2023

Bad Music and America's sick culture Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

What’s playing at the Kennedy Center? Our sick culture

Last week, in this space, I wrote about culture and how essential it is to the politics of a nation. If the culture of a country is upbeat, the country will be fine. If the culture of a country is in decline, its politics will follow. Published May 30, 2023

Illustration Hollywood Violence by Linas Garsys for The Washington Times

America has become a ‘vast wasteland’ of sex and violence

Do you know that this country was once derided as being the most prudish of all the major countries on Earth, even more prudish than the U.K.! For decades, we were laughed at for our prudish ways. Published May 23, 2023

Tucker Carlson attends the final round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., July 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

I did not like Tucker Carlson very much until Rupert Murdoch fired him

Tucker Carlson's recent travails with the media remind me of the great M. Stanton Evans' Solomonic judgment regarding President Richard Nixon. Published May 9, 2023

Milton Friedman Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Milton Friedman’s school choice victory

Who's buried in Grant's tomb? Actually, President Ulysses S. Grant is buried in Grant's tomb, which comes as a surprise to young Americans educated in our modern educational factories. Published May 2, 2023

Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll walks into Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in New York. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in a trial over Carroll's claim that former President Donald Trump raped her nearly three decades ago in a department store dressing room. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)

E. Jean Carroll and me

I am about to put the finishing touches on my memoirs. The book will be about 400 pages in length, but I had a lot to reveal. Published April 25, 2023

From left, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai listen as President Joe Biden holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Jan. 5, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Harris, Mayorkas and Buttigieg: Biden’s three stooges typify least distinguished Cabinet in history

Sergey Lavrov, Russia's suave minister of foreign affairs, was recently asked by one of Russia's ubiquitous billionaires: Whom does President Vladimir Putin seek advice from on the Ukraine war? Published April 18, 2023

Illustration on banning alcohol through a new prohibition by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Prohibitionists are at it again

The busybodies of the world health organizations are at it again. They are now renewing their assault on demon rum and related beverages. Published April 11, 2023

Inflation Crisis for Biden Illustration by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Biden is responsible for inflation, but so are his voters

In President Biden's first year in office, people who believed in Milton Friedman's free-market economics watched the him heave trillions and trillions of dollars at the problems facing the country and were aghast. Published April 4, 2023

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Texas and Florida are being led by tough-talking Republican governors weighing presidential runs as their state lawmakers debate especially strict legislation on border security. (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)

Floundering Ron DeSantis has no sense of ambiguity

In the course of my lifelong study of political science, I have noted that many political leaders of high achievement have an extraordinary aptitude for ambiguity, not to say dishonesty. Published March 21, 2023

Illustration on removing Confederate statues and monuments by Mark Weber/Tribune Content Agency

Tearing down statues honoring our great American history is balderdash

With all the talk about the discovery of mass graves in faraway Ukraine, there is little thought of such graves being discovered here in America. Published March 14, 2023

FILE - In this Aug. 19, 1970, file photo, Linda Kasabian speaks at a news conference she held at end of her 18 days on stand as a prosecution witness in the Manson Family murder trials in Los Angeles. Attorneys are Roland Goldman at her left, and Gary Fleischman at her right. Kasabian, the trial's key prosecution witness, was granted immunity from prosecution. She drove the killers to the Tate and LaBianca houses but didn't take part in the killings. Kasabian later changed her name and has for the most part lived out of sight for the past 50 years. (AP Photo/David F. Smith, File)

From the dying left to the dead left: Adventures in obits

This past week, my matutinal readings of the obituaries in the morning newspapers were particularly rewarding. Published March 7, 2023

Illustration on the 1619 Project by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Two birds, one stone: ‘1619 Project’ vindicates capitalism

I have long held that when the left gains control of an entity -- be it be a city, a university, or even a simple educational project -- it loses all awareness of what the initial purpose of that entity might have been. Published February 28, 2023

Cleaning Up Government Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

Gingrich’s protest movement to clean up government

Today we have few politicians who can even read a book. One who can both read and write books is Newt Gingrich, and he also writes newspaper columns, which I commend to you. Published February 21, 2023

Illustration on national partisan polarization (Republicans and Democrats) by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Republicans are flocking to like-minded locales

There is a phenomenon that has been creeping across America for at least 30 years that I have yet to comment on. Social scientists, however, have been writing about it for a long time. Published February 14, 2023

Illustration on anti-woke efforts in Florida by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

There is hope for freedom of thought in Florida

I have long held the belief that the most conformist institutions in America are its universities. Published February 7, 2023

Illustration on sending tanks to Ukraine by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Bring on the tanks: Glory to Ukraine

I have been following the pledging of combat tanks to Ukraine by the European allies. It is impressive. Published January 31, 2023

Illustration on transgendering by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Transgender movement may be peaking in America

Are you a boy, or are you a girl? Published January 24, 2023

President Joe Biden pauses as he meets with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Biden’s document debacle exposes American presidents’ sloppy work habits

When did Washington become the scene of misplaced documents, slipshod work, runaway budgets, and legislation that had to be passed, "so you can find out what's in it." Published January 17, 2023

John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Oswald Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

JFK’s assassination still remains prone to conspiracy theories

I am engaged in reading a very fine book by a colleague, Paul Kengor. It was written six years ago, so do not feel bad if you missed it. You still have time. Published January 10, 2023