Jonathan Alter is one of America’s most respected journalists and presidential historians. He has interviewed nine of the last ten American presidents and is a 3x New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning political analyst offering deeply researched coverage of the political game and its players. On stage, Alter’s presentations are simultaneously as fresh as the day’s headlines and infused with historical context. Using the past to provide clarity about the present and future, he leaves audiences with the knowledge and confidence to filter out distractions and focus on the real issues shaping our country.

American Reckoning: Inside Trump's Trial - And My Own is Alter’s latest in his series of contemporary presidential histories. With a level of access afforded to only a small number of journalists, Alter brings readers into the courtroom of this historic and highly consequential trial, passionately appealing for the preservation of democracy. Alter’s previous books include His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life and the bestsellers The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, and The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope—also one of New York Times’ “Notable Books” of the year.

Alter spent 28 years at Newsweek as a columnist and senior editor. He wrote more than fifty cover stories, including Bill Clinton’s first interview after leaving the presidency, Barack Obama’s first-ever magazine cover, and Alter’s personal story of living with cancer. Beyond politics, he has written extensively about foreign policy, education, fiscal policy, terrorism, antisemitism, and at-risk children, among other issues. He has been a contributing correspondent and political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC for nearly 30 years. Expanding his media influence, Alter also executive produced Alpha House, a political comedy on Amazon. His insights have appeared in numerous prestigious publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The New Yorker, Bloomberg Opinion, and The Daily Beast. He continues to shape public discourse through his Substack, OLD GOATS, featuring original columns and conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience.

Alter’s contributions to journalism and historical documentation have earned him many awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary for his HBO documentary Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists. He is also the recipient of two National Headliner Awards, two New York State Bar Association Media Awards, the John Bartlow Martin Award, the Lowell Mellett Award, and the Gerald Loeb Award. He was also three times a member of the Newsweek teams awarded the prestigious National Magazine Award for General Excellence. He has the distinction of being one of the inaugural inductees into the New Jersey Journalism Hall of Fame.