The Free Press has appointed Adam Rubenstein, a conservative journalist, as its new associate editor. He previously claimed in an essay that he was ousted from the New York Times for his fondness for Chick-fil-A sandwiches.
Sources suggest that Rubenstein is closely tied to Free Press co-founder and CEO Bari Weiss, who appointed him editor of CBS News recently. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, acquired the Free Press for $150 million in cash and stock.
“Adam is in Bari’s close circle—she trusts him implicitly,” commented a knowledgeable source.
There are hopes that Rubenstein will capably manage the Free Press, especially since Weiss is occupied with directing editorial content for CBS’s prominent shows like “60 Minutes,” “Face The Nation,” and “CBS Sunday Morning,” as well as planning a new debate show.
While acting as a contributing editor for the Free Press, Rubenstein is characterized as a “proper Republican,” whereas Weiss is often seen as a centrist.
The Free Press has been vocal against what it calls liberal bias and has strongly supported Israel in its conflict with Hamas.
Weiss, who started the Free Press in 2022, recognized Rubenstein as a contributor in 2024, stating, “The second-best thing happened to be Adam Rubenstein.”
“From the early days of the Free Press, Adam has been my go-to person at 3 AM,” she had commented upon announcing his new role.
Weiss and Rubenstein first crossed paths at the New York Times, where he refers to her as a “grey woman” due to leftist colleagues’ reactions to a contentious op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton.
Rubenstein collaborated with Weiss on opinion pieces until his departure in 2021, explaining that he faced backlash for his views and was labeled a “heretic.”
In a piece for The Atlantic, he recounted a rather awkward moment during a job orientation. He was supposed to share his favorite sandwich as a conversation starter, and when he mentioned Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich, it didn’t go well. “I thought I had broken the ice,” he remarked, but quickly realized he had misfired.
The facilitators of the orientation started snapping their fingers, and in an effort to defuse any tension, Rubenstein said, “It’s not about politics or chicken.” But, to his dismay, it was already too late; he felt embarrassed.
Chick-fil-A, based in Atlanta, has faced significant criticism from liberals due to its donations to groups opposing gay marriage and its public stance on same-sex unions.
This strange experience of being a conservative was particularly poignant after the Cotton op-ed was published and Rubenstein’s role as an editor became known.
Cotton, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, had urged then-President Trump to call in the military to control the riots following George Floyd’s death.
Rubenstein described receiving a “surprising threat” while editing Cotton’s work, revealing that around 1,500 employees expressed outrage and called for firings and withdrawals.
He called out the leadership at the Times, including then-executive editor Dean Baquet and publisher Ag Sulzberger, for their handling of the situation.
Under staff pressure, the Times eventually saw James Bennett, who had approved Cotton’s op-ed, leave his position.
Weiss tendered her resignation about a month later, accusing her colleagues of participating in a “new McCarthyism” and claiming that Twitter had become the “ultimate editor” in her life.
Rubenstein himself resigned six months after the initial controversy.
