The British are still coming: Spectator celebrates print launch with party in DC

Chairman Andrew Neil and his wife Susan Nilsson welcomed a motley congregation of hacks, insiders, outsiders, and conceited limeys who think they know best

John Schindler, Tom Rogan and Madeline Fry. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Share
Text
Text Size
Small
Medium
Large
Line Spacing
Small
Normal
Large

Encore! The Spectator had its second launch party in three days last night, at the Fathom Gallery, near Logan Circle in Washington, DC.

Chairman Andrew Neil and his wife Susan Nilsson welcomed some 160 guests – a motley congregation of hacks, insiders, outsiders, and conceited limeys who think they know best.

It was a night of coming together, as it were. Trumphobes mingled amicably with MAGA enthusiasts. Hawks made peace with doves; Democrats exchanged pleasantries with Republicans; old mixed with young; wine mixed with spirits. Cockburn felt, for once, that the future might not be full partisan…

Encore! The Spectator had its second launch party in three days last night, at the Fathom Gallery, near Logan Circle in Washington, DC.

Chairman Andrew Neil and his wife Susan Nilsson welcomed some 160 guests – a motley congregation of hacks, insiders, outsiders, and conceited limeys who think they know best.

Danielle Crittenden, Susan Nilsson, Andrew Neil and David Frum. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Matt and Claire Purple. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Sery Kim. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Catherine Olsen, Freddy Gray and Matt McDonald. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Toby Harnden, Rob Crilly and Eddie Scarry. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Jamie Kirchick and Bill McMorris. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Freddy Gray and Susan Nilsson. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Avery Weisel. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Dominic Green, Zack Christenson and Andrew Neil. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Jacob Heilbrunn. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator

It was a night of coming together, as it were. Trumphobes mingled amicably with MAGA enthusiasts. Hawks made peace with doves; Democrats exchanged pleasantries with Republicans; old mixed with young; wine mixed with spirits. Cockburn felt, for once, that the future might not be full partisan loathing, but that might have been the bourbon talking.

Andrew Neil and Jon Sopel. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Kaylee McGhee. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Jerry Dunleavy, Tiana Lowe and Jason Russell. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
W. James Antle III. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Catherine Olsen. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Bill McMorris, Inez Stepman and Jared Stepman. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
spectator DC
Daniel McCarthy and Jacob Heilbrunn. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Andrew Beaujon. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Hugo Gurdon and Philip Terzian. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Harlan Hill, Amber Athey and Raheem Kassam. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Matt McDonald. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Bill McMorris and Dominic Green. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Matt McDonald, Freddy Gray, Tucker Carlson, Dominic Green and Daniel McCarthy

Spectator US editor Freddy Gray, publisher Zack Christenson, managing editor Matt McDonald and life & arts editor Dominic Green held court. Staff writer Cole Carnick managed, once again, to imprison himself in the lavatory, much to the distress of Kelly Jane Torrance. Meanwhile, other guests included Tucker Carlson, Matt Kaminski, Tara Palmeri, Jon Sopel, Christina Hoff Sommers, Anne Applebaum, Daniel McCarthy, David Frum, Janet Donovan, Christian Caryl, Hugo Gurdon, Toby Harnden, Alexandra Phillips MEP, Josef Palermo, Jamie Kirchick, Neil Grace, Nikki Schwab, Josh Glancy, Grover Norquist, John Hudson, Jacob Heilbrunn, Danielle Crittenden, John Fund, Meredith McGraw, Andrew Ferguson, Chris Caldwell, James Hohmann and Emily Purser. Alas, Raheem Kassam couldn’t stay long. Jacob Wohl was otherwise engaged.

Andrew Neil, Johnny Craig and Freddy Gray. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
James Adams. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Emily Larsen. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Jamie Kirchick. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Freddy Gray, W. James Antle III, Tucker Carlson and Matt McDonald
Danielle Crittenden and Andrew Ferguson. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Jacob Heilbrunn, Josh Glancy and Freddy Gray. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Liz Harrington, Alex Pfeiffer and J.P. Freire. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator
Staff writer Cole Carnick, publisher Zack Christenson, life & arts editor Dominic Green, US editor Freddy Gray and managing editor Matt McDonald. Picture: Katarina Price / The Spectator

Impeachment and Brexit dominated the talk. National Interest editor Jacob Heilbrunn, who looked typically dapper in a pink-checkered jacket, prognosticated he thought Trump would be ‘gone in six to eight weeks’. ‘Didn’t you say that six weeks ago?’ replied Josh Glancy. Tucker Carlson arrived after his show on flying form, and kept the party singing. He suggested that Cockburn might take his daughter’s hand in marriage; an offer that is being given some consideration.

Cockburn likes DC these days. The Spectator likes America. Please can we stay?

Got a tip for Cockburn? Email cockburn@spectator.us.