Michael Tracey (journalist)

For the academic who researches journalism, see Michael Tracey (academic).

Michael Tracey (born August 8, 1988)^[1] is an American journalist and political commentator.

Michael Tracey
Born	(1988-08-08) August 8, 1988 (age 37)[1]
Nationality	American
Other names	M. Tracey
Education	James Caldwell High School
Alma mater	The College of New Jersey[2]
Occupation	Journalist
Employer	The Young Turks (2017–18)
Political party	Democratic[a]
Website	mtracey.net

Career

In June 2017, Congresswoman Maxine Waters walked away from an interview with Tracey and pushed aside his hand and microphone.^[4] 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".^[4]

Tracey was a recurring guest on the Fox News program Tucker Carlson Tonight.^[5]

In 2024, Tracey has occasionally substituted as host for journalist and commentator Glenn Greenwald's web news show System Update.

Political views

Tracey supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primaries and advocated for "conscious abstention" in the 2016 presidential election. He has been highly critical of Bill and Hillary Clinton. In 2020, he supported Tulsi Gabbard's presidential campaign.^[6]

Tracey has been critical of the Democratic Party and of allegations of collusion between Donald Trump and Russia.^[4]

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.^[7]

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'".^[8]

In April 2022, Tracey described photos of the Bucha massacre as "war propaganda" and questioned their authenticity.^[9][10]

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.^[11] He also wrote that he does not find third parties credible.^[11]

Personal life

Raised in West Caldwell, New Jersey he graduated from James Caldwell High School in 2006.^[12] He has resided in Jersey City, New Jersey.^[13]

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".^[14][15]

Notes

1. Tracey has stated that he has been a registered Democrat his entire life^[3] and supported Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders in presidential primaries and/or presidential elections.