Restore the Republic (Ann Vandersteel) is rated Extreme right with Very Low factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate Restore the Republic/Ann Vandersteel Extreme Right Biased and Questionable based on pro-Trump advocacy and the repeated promotion of election, QAnon-related, government, medical, and weather-control conspiracy theories. We rate it Very Low for factual reporting due to multiple failed fact checks, persistent unsupported claims, pseudoscientific content, and reliance on conspiracy-oriented sources and guests.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Conspiracy, Pseudoscience, False Claims, Failed Fact Checks, Propaganda
Bias Rating: EXTREME RIGHT (9.5)
Factual Reporting: VERY LOW (8.8)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Restore the Republic is a political newsletter published on Substack by conservative commentator and podcast host Ann Vandersteel. Vandersteel also hosts Steel News and operates AnnVandersteel.com, where she describes herself as an investigative journalist, constitutional advocate, and co-founder of the American Made Foundation.
The Substack covers elections, government, immigration, financial regulation, foreign policy, public health, and alleged government corruption. Vandersteel’s main website states that her principal areas of focus include border security, “medical freedom,” sovereignty, and election integrity.
Vandersteel has a long history in alternative right-wing media. Her homepage lists appearances on Infowars, One America News, Real America’s Voice, Newsmax, and Brighteon TV and highlights interviews with figures including Michael Flynn, Mike Lindell, Liz Crokin, Judy Mikovits, Mike Adams, Peter McCullough, and others who have promoted conspiracy theories or disputed medical and election claims.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Location: Florida
Funded by / Ownership
Ann Vandersteel publishes and controls Restore the Republic through Substack. Her broader Steel News media operation is promoted through AnnVandersteel.com.
Revenue comes from Substack subscriptions, audience support, sponsorships, and related media activities. Vandersteel’s main website lists sponsors including Steel Health, Richardson Nutritional Center, MyPillow, EMF Guard, C60 EVO, and others. The publication clearly identifies Vandersteel as its author and host, although it does not publish detailed financial statements or a formal editorial or corrections policy.
Analysis / Bias
Restore the Republic demonstrates an extreme-right political perspective through strongly pro-Trump framing, election-fraud narratives, opposition to federal institutions, hostility toward progressive policies, and repeated promotion of conspiracy theories. Vandersteel has historically promoted or amplified QAnon, Pizzagate, 9/11 conspiracy theories, sovereign-citizen ideology, and unsupported claims concerning elections and government corruption. Media Matters documented her promotion of election-denial candidates and multiple conspiracy movements.
Her current material continues this pattern. The Substack archive includes articles alleging that machine-run elections threaten the country, promoting Alex Jones commentary regarding an alleged Epstein power structure, and presenting sweeping claims about federal agencies, financial regulators, and government conspiracies.
A particularly clear recent example occurred on November 2, 2026, when Vandersteel claimed that severe flooding in Florida was deliberately engineered as “weather warfare” by DARPA, the Pentagon, and foreign forces to interfere with the midterm election. AFP Fact Check found the claim false, citing meteorologists who explained that the flooding resulted from ordinary atmospheric and geographic conditions and that there was no evidence humans created the weather event.
Vandersteel also has a documented record of spreading false election information. FactCheck.org debunked her 2022 claim that Dominion voting systems could not properly count ballots marked with Sharpie pens in Pennsylvania. Election officials and voting-system testing showed the machines were designed and certified to read such ballots.
In 2023, FactCheck.org again corrected Vandersteel after she suggested Biden administration officials were serving without valid oaths of office. FactCheck.org documented the officials’ swearing-in ceremonies and explained that Vandersteel’s interpretation of federal filing requirements did not invalidate their appointments.
Vandersteel’s broader media activity also raises significant medical and scientific reliability concerns. Her website prominently features or has hosted figures associated with vaccine misinformation and pseudoscience, including Judy Mikovits, Mike Adams, Peter McCullough, and others. Her programming frequently frames vaccination, public-health agencies, environmental issues, and alleged government technologies through a conspiratorial lens rather than relying consistently on established scientific evidence.
Failed Fact Checks
- Weather manipulation happened in Florida to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections — False (AFP Fact Check, 2026)
- Biden administration officials were serving without valid oaths of office — False/Misleading (FactCheck.org, 2023)
- Dominion voting machines could not properly count Pennsylvania ballots marked with Sharpie pens — False (FactCheck.org, 2022)
Overall, we rate Restore the Republic/Ann Vandersteel Extreme Right Biased and Questionable based on pro-Trump advocacy and the repeated promotion of election, QAnon-related, government, medical, and weather-control conspiracy theories. We rate it Very Low for factual reporting due to multiple failed fact checks, persistent unsupported claims, pseudoscientific content, and reliance on conspiracy-oriented sources and guests. (D. Van Zandt 11/06/2026)
Source: https://annvandersteel.substack.com/
Last Updated on November 6, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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