Opinion writer David Marcus argues that political conformity in Hollywood and the arts during the Obama era led conservatives and independents to create Friends of Abe, a private networking group. He presents the group as evidence that people with conservative views feared professional and social consequences for expressing them, and says its existence illustrates what he regards as a wider intolerance in entertainment culture.

The article cites actress Patricia Heaton’s recent description of Friends of Abe, which grew from a small group including Gary Sinise and Kelsey Grammer into an organisation with thousands of members and a New York chapter. Marcus also refers to cases including Gina Carano’s departure from a Disney series, while linking the issue to debates over patriotism, transgender rights and criticism of Donald Trump; these are the author’s interpretations and claims rather than independently established conclusions.