--- title: "Alan Ritchson says Reacher novel adaptation was blocked after Trump re-election" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-novel-adaptation-was-blocked-after-trump-re-election" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-novel-adaptation-was-blocked-after-trump-re-election" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-novel-adaptation-was-blocked-after-trump-re-election.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-novel-adaptation-was-blocked-after-trump-re-election" category: "Media" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-20T21:46:10.328Z" source_reported: "2026-09-20T20:48:35.000Z" updated: "2026-09-20T21:46:10.328Z" trust_score: 72 critic_score: 77 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-20T21:29:58.455Z" --- # Alan Ritchson says Reacher novel adaptation was blocked after Trump re-election *Actor claims plans for 'Die Trying' were approved until 'someone got re-elected,' prompting White House response.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 72 of 100, higher is better. Trust 72 – includes named actor Ritchson, White House spokeswoman, and an official statement, plus two independent reports. - Craft 77 of 100, higher is better. Critic 77 – quotes from Ritchson and Jackson, clear facts, specific names, and coherent single-story writing. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30 – headline is lively but body matches content without exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Actor Alan Ritchson said a planned adaptation of Lee Child's novel 'Die Trying' for the 'Reacher' series was approved but later cancelled. - Ritchson attributed the cancellation to 'someone got re-elected,' a comment widely interpreted as referring to Donald Trump. - The novel 'Die Trying' features Jack Reacher confronting a white supremacist militia. - White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a statement responding to Ritchson's comment. Actor Alan Ritchson stated that plans to adapt Lee Child's novel 'Die Trying' for the Prime Video series 'Reacher' were approved but subsequently halted. Ritchson made the comment on Threads, responding to a fan who expressed a desire for a season based on the book, which involves Jack Reacher confronting a white supremacist militia. Ritchson wrote, 'I had it approved until someone got re-elected.' While Ritchson did not name the individual, his past criticisms of Donald Trump and fan interpretations suggest the comment refers to Trump's re-election. The novel 'Die Trying,' published in 1998, follows Jack Reacher and a politician's daughter who are abducted by a radical militia for political leverage. Season 4 of 'Reacher' premiered in August 2026, and the show was renewed for a fifth season prior to the fourth season's debut. ## White House response White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a public statement in response to Ritchson's comment. Jackson stated, 'Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein.' ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated, centre-rated, or right-rated reports below mention the White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson's statement that 'President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein.' ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (4) - Centre: 37% (3) - Right: 13% (1) 2 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-20T21:29:58.455Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-20T23:00:28.284Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Four left-rated reports led on Alan Ritchson's claim that a planned adaptation of 'Die Trying' was approved until 'someone got re-elected.' Variety, The Wrap, and The Hollywood Reporter all highlighted Ritchson's statement and the implication that Donald Trump's re-election was the cause. The Blast's digest directly stated the storyline was scrapped after 'Donald Trump's Re-election.' ### Centre - Three centre-rated reports focused on Ritchson's comment about the cancelled season. Just Jared and Dark Horizons noted that Ritchson blamed a Presidential re-election for the season being scrapped, with Just Jared adding that fans believe Trump is the individual referenced. FandomWire's digest highlighted that Ritchson's favourite book, 'Die Trying,' featuring a 'disturbingly racist villain,' came closer to adaptation than fans knew. ### Right - The single right-rated report, The News, stated that Alan Ritchson revealed why a 'Reacher' season was cancelled. The digest mentioned that the season was based on Lee Child's novel 'Die Trying' and was approved but ultimately nixed. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Wrap](https://thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/alan-ritchson-suggests-reached-axed-plot-trump) — Alan Ritchson Says 'Reacher' Axed Plans to Adapt Novel About Fighting White Supremacists When 'Someone Got Re-Elected' - [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/alan-ritchson-jack-reacher-novel-die-trying-1236870453) — Alan Ritchson Had Plans to Adapt the ‘Jack Reacher’ Novel ‘Die Trying’ Before ‘Someone Got Re-Elected’ - [The Hollywood Reporter](https://hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/alan-ritchson-reacher-season-canceled-someone-re-elected-1236706469) — Alan Ritchson Reveals Which ‘Reacher’ Season Got Canceled After “Someone Got Re-Elected” - [The Blast](https://theblast.com/853396/alan-ritchson-reacher-storyline-scrapped-donald-trumps-re-election) — Alan Ritchson Says 'Reacher' Storyline Was Scrapped After Donald Trump's Re-Election - [Just Jared](https://justjared.com/2026/09/20/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-season-about-fighting-white-supremacists-was-canceled-after-someone-got-re-elected) — Alan Ritchson Says 'Reacher' Season About Fighting White Supremacists Was Canceled After 'Someone Got Re-Elected' - [ScreenRant](https://screenrant.com/reacher-spinoff-neagley-streaming-success-september-2026) — Reacher Officially Dethroned By Prime Video’s Record-Breaking New Thriller - [Dark Horizons](https://darkhorizons.com/ritchson-on-which-reacher-story-was-dropped) — Ritchson On Which "Reacher" Story Was Dropped - [FandomWire](https://fandomwire.com/alan-ritchson-favorite-reacher-book-die-trying-beau-borken) — 28 Years Later, Alan Ritchson’s Favorite Reacher Book Still Has the Most Disturbingly Racist Villain - [The News](https://thenews.com.pk/latest/1416917-alan-ritchson-reveals-why-reacher-season-was-scrapped) — Alan Ritchson reveals why 'Reacher' season was cancelled - [comicbasics.com](https://comicbasics.com/alan-ritchson-reveals-why-reacher-still-wont-touch-its-own-white-supremacist-militia-story) — Alan Ritchson Reveals Why 'Reacher' Still Won't Touch Its Own White Supremacist Militia Story ## Questions **What did Alan Ritchson say about a planned Reacher season?** Alan Ritchson stated on Threads that a planned adaptation of Lee Child's novel 'Die Trying' for the 'Reacher' series was approved but later cancelled. He attributed the cancellation to 'someone got re-elected.' **Which novel was Alan Ritchson referring to?** Ritchson was referring to Lee Child's novel 'Die Trying,' which features Jack Reacher confronting a white supremacist militia. Ritchson described it as his 'favorite book.' **Who is widely understood to be the 'someone' Ritchson mentioned?** Although Ritchson did not name the individual, his past criticisms of Donald Trump and fan interpretations of his comment suggest it refers to Trump's re-election. **Did the White House respond to Ritchson's comment?** Yes, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued a public statement responding to Ritchson's comment. She stated that President Trump has said he has been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-novel-adaptation-was-blocked-after-trump-re-election. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Alan Ritchson says Reacher novel adaptation was blocked after Trump re-election", https://mediabias.news/media/alan-ritchson-says-reacher-novel-adaptation-was-blocked-after-trump-re-election