Posting Through It 054: Who the Hell is Matt Taibbi? feat. Eoin Higgins
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Nov 17, 2025 
Join writer and journalist Eoin Higgins as he unravels the intriguing transformation of Matt Taibbi, once a celebrated critic of Wall Street. They dive deep into Taibbi's early years in Russia and the controversial Exile magazine, touching on his rise at Rolling Stone amid the financial crisis. Eoin discusses Taibbi's pivots towards reactionary politics post-Russiagate, his embrace of anti-vax sentiments during COVID, and the fallout from the Twitter files. This conversation is a revealing look at the complexities of modern journalism and Taibbi's unique place within it.
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Russiagate Rejection As Turning Point
- Taibbi rejected Russiagate narratives and lost mainstream liberal access, accelerating his estrangement from the left.
- He positioned himself against media hysteria while still opposing Trump, complicating his public identity.
Self-Publishing Changed His Output
- Substack freed Taibbi from editors but also amplified unvetted arguments like 'both-sides' media equivalence.
- Self-publishing reduced editorial checks and accelerated his drift toward contrarian, platform-focused narratives.
Pandemic Fueled Anti-Moderation Turn
- COVID-era moderation debates pushed Taibbi toward anti-vax and anti-censorship positions.
- He reframed platform content moderation as political persecution, fueling his rightward audience appeal.
