John Harwood

Award-Winning Political Journalist & White House Correspondent
John Harwood
  • Award-winning journalist who has provided political analysis for CNN, CNBC, The New York Times, NBC, MSNBC, NPR, and PBS
  • Covered each of the last ten presidential elections and moderated two presidential debates
  • Emmy-nominated for live CNBC town hall with President Barack Obama
  • Has finger on the pulse of the latest in the White House and on Capitol Hill, offering an insightful and nonpartisan look at today’s political landscape

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A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, John Harwood is a widely respected expert in presidential politics and an admired voice in American homes renowned for his compelling explorations into headline-grabbing events in Washington, as well as his must-see interviews with some of the most influential leaders shaping the future of our nation. A household name on screen and in print for several decades, Harwood has served as White House correspondent for CNN and chief Washington correspondent for CNBC, and has offered political analysis for The New York Times, NBC, MSNBC, NPR, and PBS.

Harwood has his finger on the pulse of the latest in the White House and on Capitol Hill, offering an insightful and nonpartisan look at today’s political landscape. Having covered each of the last nine presidential elections, he breaks down the Washington political scene as a whole, drawing on decades of journalistic experience to provide hard-hitting analysis of the current state of Beltway politics and how factors such as elections, current events, and congressional culture will impact the current presidential administration as well as the American public. In addition to sought-after political analysis, Harwood is a masterful moderator who is skilled at asking the questions that matter most to the audience, can draw out never-before-heard answers and insights from panel participants, and keeps sessions flowing seamlessly from one segment to the next.

A trusted name in political news, Harwood covered the ins and outs of Washington as White House correspondent for CNN, as well as editor at large for CNBC. During his tenure with CNBC, he sat down with some of the biggest names in politics as host of their digital original video series, Speakeasy with John Harwood. Among many journalistic accomplishments, he received an Emmy nomination for his live CNBC town hall with President Barack Obama. He also moderated the Republican presidential debates on CNBC in 2011 and 2015, as well as broke the news that Republican nominee John McCain had selected Sarah Palin as his running mate during the 2008 campaign. He is the co-author, with Gerald F. Seib, of the book, Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power, taking readers inside Washington to show how the government functions and the insiders who make things happen.

Prior to CNBC, he joined The Wall Street Journal as a White House correspondent, covering the presidency of George H. W. Bush and later reporting on Congress before becoming The Wall Street Journal's political editor and chief political correspondent. He contributed to Journal coverage of terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, for which the newspaper's staff received the Pulitzer Prize.

Before joining The Wall Street Journal, Harwood reported on local government and politics at The St. Petersburg Times and later became state capital correspondent in Tallahassee, Washington correspondent, and political editor. While covering national politics, he traveled extensively in South Africa to cover deepening unrest against the apartheid regime. In and around journalism all his life, Harwood’s first trip on a presidential campaign plane came when he accompanied his father, then a political reporter for The Washington Post, at age 11.

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Speaker Video

John Harwood: Fundamental Issues for the Next Decade of Politics

John Harwood: The Past, Present, and Future of Politics

Politics: John Harwood Interviews President Obama

The Current Political Moment. This is hardly the first time American politics have been bitterly divided. But it’s the first time it’s been bitterly divided in this way. Fundamental changes in economic opportunity are coinciding with accelerating shifts in the nation’s demography and culture; one party embraces those shifts, the other resists them. With insight, humor, and rich personal stories, John Harwood draws on decades of work for the most prestigious outlets on the media landscape to describe the unpredictable electoral outlook that collision of forces has produced.

The Inner Workings of Pennsylvania Avenue. Award-winning journalist John Harwood takes audiences inside America’s center of influence to show how our government functions, how today’s Washington power game works, and shares stories of people who are making a difference behind-the-scenes in the world’s most powerful residence. With unprecedented access to Washington insiders, and with deep insight into the unspoken rules of the road in the capital, Harwood takes a nonpartisan approach to explain why progress is so difficult and illuminates what it takes to succeed in the high stakes game of politics.

The Politics Evolution: Then and Now. John Harwood’s long, cross-generational experience with politics and journalism since childhood gives him the unique vantage to discuss the evolution he’s observed in the political landscape. In this talk, he dissects the governmental conditions and trends he’s witnessed over the years, explaining to audiences where we once were, where we now are, and how we got here.

Washington and the Economy. America’s $17-trillion economy moves in rhythms all its own. But what happens in Washington taxes, spending, regulations, interest rates - helps shape which businesses prosper, what workers earn, and whether jobs are plentiful. John Harwood, who has spent decades covering those issues in print for the Wall Street Journal and on television for CNBC, takes audiences through choices facing the White House, Congress and the Federal Reserve and how they matter for their pocketbooks.  

Journalism's Role in Modernizing Democracy. That 21st century American journalism and democracy both find themselves in crisis is no coincidence. Economic and cultural changes have shredded the pool of commonly-accepted information, and with it the  credibility of media organizations among other institutions. As Jan. 6 demonstrated, a vast swath of the country angrily rejects plainly-visible facts about the nation’s elections. That creates a wrenching dilemma for the financially-fragile business of journalism - more bluntness, or more solicitousness toward its skeptics? In print and on television, conducting interviews and moderating presidential debates, John Harwood has been on the firing line and can help audiences understand the escalating challenges ahead.              

Moderating Your Panel with Energy, Humor, and Insight. From conducting a live town hall with the sitting President to moderating campaign debates of those seeking the office, John Harwood has faced the brightest of American spotlights. Over the last three decades, he has been in conversation with a broad range of national leaders, from the White House to Wall Street, from Congress to Cabinet agencies. That’s ideal preparation for delivering lively and interesting on-stage events touching on politics, the economy, and the state of democracy. Instantly recognizable from his years on television, he asks the questions and draws out the insights that interest your audience — and he does it with energy and humor. 

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