A reporter for the far-left Seattle outlet The Stranger has been reinstated after a suspension for lamenting that the would-be assassin in Butler, Pennsylvania, failed to kill former President Donald Trump. Her latest article, titled “Slog AM: Brady Walkinshaw Joins The Stranger, DoorDash Leans on Seattle City Council, ‘White Dudes’ Organize for Harris,” was published on July 30.
Ashley Nerbovig, a staff writer at The Stranger covering “policing, incarceration, and courts,” posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Make America aim again,” following news that the former president had survived a shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania last month. Although Nerbovig deleted the post, screenshots went viral, leading her to shut down her account.
In response, The Stranger, which had supported the BLM riots in the Seattle area in 2020, posted on X, “The Stranger condemns political violence in the strongest possible terms. Period.” Shortly thereafter, Nerbovig’s profile was removed from the outlet’s website.
Scott Greenstone, a reporter for KUOW, posted on social media that the editor of The Stranger informed him via email that “Ashley was suspended yesterday and reiterated that The Stranger stands against political violence.”
Recently, Nerbovig became active on X again. Her first post since the suspension was a retweet from her colleague Hanna Kreig, who wrote, “Rich Smith is the best editor in the world. No contest.” Smith is the editor of The Stranger.
Social media pundits speculated that the outlet was waiting for the controversy to subside before reinstating Nerbovig.
This incident is not Nerbovig’s first time in trouble. In 2022, she was arrested on a felony burglary charge after breaking into her ex-boyfriend’s house to steal a dog they had previously shared. The charges were eventually dismissed.
Nerbovig wasn’t alone in expressing ill wishes toward the former president. Kreig criticized Seattle’s Democratic mayor for praising the Secret Service and wishing Trump well. Following the news of the failed assassination, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel posted on X, “This act of political violence is disturbing and unacceptable in our country. Thank you to the Secret Service and all the first responders who quickly secured the scene. Our thoughts are with the former president and all the people who attended today’s rally.”
Kreig retweeted the post, writing, “Mayor Bruce Harrel swiftly comes to the defense of Trump, a failed insurrectionist touted by mainstream Democrats as an existential threat to Democracy.” She deleted the post and locked her account after facing backlash. Kreig resumed posting shortly after the controversy dissipated.
Nerbovig and Kreig have been at the forefront of promoting the far-left outlet’s radical agenda. Both are listed on The Stranger’s “Election Control Board,” which has endorsed a slate of radical candidates.
Nerbovig and Kreig have also been supporting and covering anti-Israel and anti-American rallies in the Seattle area since the October 7 massacre. In January, both were seen on the I-5 freeway when pro-Hamas activists blockaded the highway for six hours. Washington State Patrol had previously considered charging them for breaking the law by being on the freeway.
While Nerbovig was suspended, The Stranger was acquired by Brady Walkinshaw, a former Washington State lawmaker who is the chairman, publisher, and largest shareholder of Noisy Creek. The company also purchased The Portland Mercury, events site EverOut, and ticketing business Bold Type Tickets, all previously owned together with The Stranger by Index Media.
According to KUOW, Walkinshaw, who was also the CEO of the environmental media nonprofit Grist for six years, stated that he does not plan on being part of The Stranger’s Election Control Board.