The Ballad of Byron York: Meet Conservative Media’s Saddest Stenographer
The Ballad of Byron York: Meet Conservative Media’s Saddest Stenographer
One man’s journey from normie Republican apologist to MAGA evangelist—and (sort of) back.
1. Byron York
I need your indulgence because today’s topic is quite niche. We’re going to talk about Byron York and inside baseball from the world of conservative media. It’s worth your time because Byron’s career follows the evolution of conservative media in general and because the tensions in his work mirror the tensions in Republican politics.
You can learn a lot about how Trump happened and where the Republican party is headed by understanding the career of this one guy.
This is not intended to be a dunkfest. I’m only excavating Byron York’s oeuvre to illuminate those two bigger questions. Also: It’s really long. Sorry about that.
Let’s get going.
You may recall that Tim had a moment with Byron in the spin room after last Tuesday’s debate. Here’s what happened:
Just after Trump’s lame spin-room performance, I encountered Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh, a onetime establishment type I knew a little bit. He was huddled closely with one of the Washington Examiner’s MAGA content generators, Byron York. I leaned over and observed that Murtaugh had found a friendly voice. “Byron will write you something good,” I said. As Murtaugh grimaced at me, York grunted out “Fuck you.”
When Tim recounted this story on TNL, he elaborated that he gave both men a hale and hearty slap on the back as he said that York would take care of Murtaugh and that York’s grunted “Fuck you” was more like a barely restrained shout.
Anyway, I imagine that for a journalist, having a peer laugh in your face and say—out loud and in front of a source—that you’re nothing but an in-the-tank-hack might be unsettling. Might even get in your head and cause you to swerve. Out of spite. Just to prove that you’re not a hack.
Here’s the opening of the story Byron York filed after his encounter with Tim: