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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
February 11, 2021
Walter Shapiro
The Entire Republican Party Is on Trial
During the impeachment proceedings, the GOP is revealing just how soulless and spineless it really is.
February 8, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Democrats Are Screwing Up Trump’s Impeachment Trial
They have one final chance to prove his guilt in inciting the Capitol riot—and they’re squandering it.
February 2, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Biden Is Wise to Negotiate With Senate Republicans
With the pandemic raging and millions still out of work, there is a case for moving swiftly to pass an imperfect stimulus bill.
January 20, 2021
Walter Shapiro
The Uncertain Promise of Biden’s Presidency
His message of unity has broad appeal in a shattered country. But does Mitch McConnell care?
January 14, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Impeaching Trump Is a Pyrrhic Victory
Even if the Senate votes to convict the president, it would come at a cost.
January 11, 2021
MagazineWalter Shapiro
The Democrats Keep Recycling Tired Rhetoric
Too many politicians mimic JFK and Obama. Can Joe Biden break the mold?
January 7, 2021
Walter Shapiro
A Sickening Day in American History
The MAGA mob and Republican rebellion on Capitol Hill marked a turning point in this nation’s history—but in which direction?
January 6, 2021
Walter Shapiro
Moderate Democrats Rule Washington Now
Centrist senators like Joe Manchin and Jon Tester will decide the fate of the party’s more ambitious legislative goals.
December 31, 2020
Walter Shapiro
The Importance of Brutal Honesty in This Pandemic Winter
Public-health leaders made messaging mistakes as Covid-19 hit America. Biden has promised not to obscure the truth.
December 28, 2020
Walter Shapiro
The Case for Biden to Muddle Through America’s Political Crisis
How the president-elect should deal with Trump’s Republican enablers
December 17, 2020
Walter Shapiro
Give Joe Biden a Break
Sure, some of his Cabinet choices have been puzzling. But what’s most important right now is that Biden feels comfortable with the people in his administration.
December 14, 2020
Walter Shapiro
How Biden Distributes the Vaccine Will Define His Presidency
He needs to prove that he is serious about breaking the policies of inequity and favoritism that flourished under Trump.
November 24, 2020
Walter Shapiro
Here Come the Adults
Biden’s Cabinet is shaping up to be everything that Trump’s was not.
November 19, 2020
MagazineWalter Shapiro
What Now?
How President-elect Joe Biden can start the hard work of rebuilding a fractured country
November 7, 2020
Walter Shapiro
America’s Unlikely Savior
After nearly a half-century in politics, President-elect Joe Biden found his voice when the country needed it most.
November 4, 2020
Walter Shapiro
There Will Be No Emphatic Rejection of Trump
Even in the rosiest projections, Biden will only win narrowly—and the next four years will be a brutal slog.
November 2, 2020
Walter Shapiro
Why Ohio Is the State to Watch on Election Night
No Republican president has ever won the White House without carrying the Buckeye state.
October 23, 2020
Walter Shapiro
The Righteous Anger of Joe Biden
Next to a babbling, often incomprehensible president, Biden did what he needed to do in the final debate.
October 20, 2020
Walter Shapiro
The Overblown Alarmism About a Trump Coup
Liberals seem to love reading about the president refusing to concede to Joe Biden. But these stories distract from the real issues at hand.
October 16, 2020
Walter Shapiro
The Whiplash of Watching Two Town Halls From Different Planets
I watched both Joe Biden and Donald Trump on Thursday night. It was like channel surfing between sanity and chaos.

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