Skip Navigation
Author

Walter Shapiro

Walter Shapiro is a staff writer at The New Republic and a lecturer in political science at Yale. He has been a columnist for USA Today and Esquire and has covered politics for Time, Newsweek, and The Washington Post. He has published two books, performed standup comedy in New York, and was a White House speechwriter for Jimmy Carter.

All Articles
August 12, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Democrats Might Have Something New for the Midterms: Optimism
Between Republican overreach on abortion and Congress finally passing bills, there's newfound confidence. But it's still the fundamentals that will matter most.
August 3, 2022
MagazineWalter Shapiro
The Rapid Rise of Elaine Luria, the Boldest Moderate in Congress
The Democrat from the swingiest district in the country is basing her reelection campaign on investigating January 6 and taking on Trump.
August 1, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The Democrat Who Thinks He Can Win Back Missouri With Populism
Lucas Kunce, a candidate in Tuesday’s Senate primary, is running an anti-corporate campaign.
July 22, 2022
Walter Shapiro
We Finally Saw a True Glimpse of How Trump Reacted to the Insurrection
The January 6 committee wraps up its summer hearings by airing unseen video outtakes of Trump flubbing his response to the Capitol attack.
June 28, 2022
Walter Shapiro
President Trump Was a Violent Maniac Behind Closed Doors
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified Tuesday that Trump threw dishes, wanted to allow armed supporters at his January 6 rally, and tried to strangle a Secret Service agent.
June 27, 2022
MagazineWalter Shapiro
1989-2001: America’s Long Lost Weekend
From the fall of the Berlin Wall to 9/11, we had relative peace and prosperity. It was an opportunity to salve some festering national wounds. We squandered it completely—and helped give rise to the crises we’re dealing with today.
Audio playback is available for this article
June 24, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The Ghost of Watergate Is Haunting Capitol Hill
Colorful language, a president’s toady, and a standoff with the Justice Department: Echoes of the scandal that brought down Nixon could be heard throughout the January 6 committee’s Thursday hearing.
June 21, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The Three Republicans Who Rebuked Trump and Defended the Constitution
The January 6 committee highlighted how a few normally die-hard conservatives were willing to stand up to the former president.
June 17, 2022
Walter Shapiro
A Conservative Judge Tells the January 6 Committee How to Trump-Proof the 2024 Election
Despite the attempted coup, Congress hasn’t acted with urgency to fix the broken law that Trump tried to exploit.
June 13, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The January 6 Committee Needs to Take a Deep Breath and Not Rush Things
They’ve accumulated mountains of evidence. So why are they in such a hurry?
June 10, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The January 6 Committee Might Have the Goods to Be Watergate 2.0
An explosive first hearing promised a string of revelations that could match the last time Congress checked a presidential threat to democracy.
June 3, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Biden Is Doing Everything He Can to Keep Hope Alive for Gun Legislation
The president is walking a fine line between pushing meaningful legislation and alienating Republican senators.
June 2, 2022
Walter Shapiro
How Much Is Biden to Blame for His Poor Approval Ratings?
Plenty has been out of his control. But the president has bungled a few things along the way.
May 26, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Democrats Need to Start Talking About Repealing the Second Amendment
It’d likely be a decades-long campaign, but it’s long past time to take disarming America seriously.
May 24, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The Dethroned King Is Losing His Midas Touch
Donald Trump’s endorsees have struggled to get a majority in GOP primaries so far this year.
April 22, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The U.S. Needs an Endgame in the Russia-Ukraine War
So far, Biden and the public are fully behind sending arms to fight Russia. But will the time come for a Putin-appeasing peace treaty?
April 15, 2022
Walter Shapiro
Dianne Feinstein Can Resign Now With Dignity, or...
A San Francisco Chronicle report on her mental state is devastating and undeniable. DiFi, don’t be the Democrats’ Strom Thurmond.
April 11, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The Democrats Are Not Dead Yet
Despite conventional wisdom, the party is not doomed in November’s midterm elections. The economy, Covid-19, the invasion of Ukraine, and the January 6 insurrection are all wild cards.
March 28, 2022
Walter Shapiro
The DNC Thankfully Wants to Change the Primary Calendar. But It Shouldn’t Leave Small States Behind.
It’s long past time for Iowa to be displaced, just so long as presidential aspirants still have to talk to voters.
March 24, 2022
Walter Shapiro
How My Great-Uncle Swindled Hitler Out of Precious Canadian Nickel Before WWII
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a global nickel shortage. Here’s what happened when the Führer tried to buy extra nickel right before the last time a major war broke out in Europe.

Our Writers

Kate AronoffClimate & Energy
Matt FordLaw & The Courts
Melissa Gira GrantLGBTQ Rights
Jason LinkinsPower & Plutocracy
Timothy NoahPolitics & Economy
Ellie Quinlan HoughtalingBreaking News
Edith OlmstedBreaking News
Hafiz RashidBreaking News
Greg SargentPolitics & Democracy
Grace SegersCongress & Elections
Alex ShephardPolitics & Media
Heather Souvaine HornClimate Change
Michael TomaskyPolitics & Ideas
About The New Republic’s history