Why I Lost Thousands Of Subscribers This Week

And how, as usual, I'm doubling down on my human rights advocacy to build a stronger community committed to absolute justice

This week, Let’s Address This hit a milestone with our 700th published article. I am truly grateful to each of you for making that happen. Meanwhile, we also lost thousands of subscribers across platforms, including here on Substack. The below graph is my actual analytics of people leaving our platform. And the emails, DMs, and messages I’ve received have made clear why thousands unsubscribed this week. Rather than hide that reason, I want to share it with you as part of my commitment to remain fully transparent in my writing and advocacy. Let’s Address This.

My Substack analytics this week, as subscribers are cancelling their subscriptions to Let’s Address This

This is not easy to write. My work is part of my livelihood, and I do not take lightly the reality that people—many of them paid subscribers—chose to leave after I published several articles criticizing Democratic Party leadership.

I hold no ill will towards those who unsubscribed. After all it is their prerogative and I understand the discomfort. We are living under the very real threat of fascism and it can seem counterintuitive to be critical of the Democratic Party when MAGA fascists are sending ICE goons to terrorize our neighbors.

But here is the distinction I refuse to blur.

The modern Republican Party is no longer a good-faith governing party. It is an extension of Donald Trump—an avowed fascist who has shown open contempt for democracy, the rule of law, and basic human rights. I do not expect decency or courage from fascists.

But I do expect integrity, courage, and moral clarity from Democratic officials who claim to be elected to oppose fascism. And when they fail in that duty and instead align with MAGA fascists—especially at moments that demand unity, resolve, and principle—I will hold them accountable.

That is not betrayal. That is responsibility. That matters far more than metrics or growth curves or paid subscribers. I am not willing to remain silent on injustice simply because it is committed by a political party I generally support.

So at the risk of losing more subscribers, let me stand firm and re-share the three articles that upset thousands of my readers this week.

The Articles That Cost Me Subscribers

This week, I published three pieces focused on how Democrats are failing to meet this moment. Each addressed a different facet of the same core problem: political timidity dressed up as pragmatism, and moral compromise justified as inevitability.

1. After ICE fascists killed Renee Good, I pointed out how ICE disinformation killed her, and how Democrats joined Republicans in spreading that harmful disinformation.

2. In my second article, I document that even as ICE killed a record number of people in their custody last year, 75 Democrats joined Republicans to praise ICE and called for even more involvement of ICE in local policing.

3. Third, I outlined the dangers of H.R. 7006—a bill that only passed due to Democrat support. This horrid bill further restricts reproductive health access, guts humanitarian aid, funds Netanyahu to perpetuate genocide, eliminates Palestinian autonomy, and does nothing to protect our healthcare. Had Democrats stood united against H.R. 7006, the bill would have failed. 22 Republicans voted against it. Democratic defections are what allowed it to pass.

At a moment where we need fearless action, Democrats are failing to act collectively against legislation that advances authoritarianism, strips rights, and enables mass atrocity. They are not merely “falling short.” They are actively enabling harm.

And I will not excuse that.

And lest anyone claim I’ve only been critical of Democrats—over the last weeks I’ve written even more articles critical of Trump’s mass immigration raids, his illegal attack on Venezuela, the January 6 insurrection, and commended Democrats like NY Governor Hochul, Washington Congresswoman Jayapal, and NYC Mayor Mamdani for working with resiliency to uphold human rights.

A Moral Line I Will Not Cross

We cannot be content with “at least we’re not fascists” as our response to fascism.

That is not leadership. That is abdication. Because history does not judge movements by whether they were slightly better than the worst possible alternative. It judges whether they rose to defend human dignity when it mattered most. Opposition parties do not defeat authoritarianism with strongly worded letters. They defeat it by drawing clear moral lines—and holding them by any means necessary.

I am reminded, in moments like this, of a verse from the Qur’an that has long guided my moral compass:

“O ye who believe! Be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for God, even though it be against yourselves or against parents and kindred. Whether he be rich or poor, God is more regardful of them both than you are. Therefore follow not low desires, so that you may be able to act equitably. And if you conceal the truth or evade it, then remember that God is well aware of what you do.”
— Qur’an 4:136

I share this not to evangelize, but because it reflects the ethical framework that defines my work. Justice is not justice if it is conditional on convenience. Truth is not truth if it is softened to preserve access or approval. I did not become a human rights lawyer to not use my scholarship when it matters most. I did not dedicate my career to studying U.S. and international human rights law to tell people soothing half-truths or politically convenient lies. I am here to speak relentlessly and honestly about injustice—no matter who commits it, and no matter the cost.

So here’s the bottom line—if you are looking for a human rights lawyer who will toe the party line, he’s not here. But, if you are looking for careful, fact-based, principled analysis of the human rights issues that shape our lives—and a willingness to confront power even when it is uncomfortable—I promise you will always find that here.

In Conclusion—We’re Just Getting Started

Yes, it stings to see people unsubscribe. I would be lying if I said otherwise. But we’re not slowing down. We have big plans for Let’s Address This in 2026 and beyond. I cannot wait to share them with you. And this I can tell you now—those plans begin with the firm promise that we will always uphold justice above all else, even in the face of backlash from those made uncomfortable by our human rights advocacy. As the old saying goes, none of us are free until all of us are free. Therefore, I am not willing to stay silent—no matter the personal cost—while injustice is normalized, excused, or waved through in the name of political expediency.

So my ask of you is straight forward: if the values I’ve laid out here resonate with you—if justice matters more than comfort, and truth matters more than party loyalty—I ask you to stand with this work. Subscribe. And if it is within your budget, consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue to build an independent platform rooted in justice, humanity, and accountability.

My gratitude is with those who remain committed to that fight. Together, unapologetically, we will continue to demand better.