Famous Pundits

Rush Limbaugh, born in 1951, became a major figure in American media. He built his name on conservative political commentary on The Rush Limbaugh Show, a talk radio program with huge listenership in the United States. Limbaugh grew up in a family of lawyers in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He found his interest in radio early. He started as a disc jockey in high school, a path he kept after leaving Southeast Missouri State University. Limbaugh's radio career started small, but it grew huge in the 1980s. His show premiered in 198

Glenn Beck, an influential American media personality, political commentator, and author, made a unique mark in entertainment. He was born February 10, 1964, in Everett, Washington. Early struggles with drug and alcohol addiction as a self-proclaimed "borderline schizophrenic" shaped his later career. Beck's toughness and drive helped him overcome personal issues to succeed. He moved from a Top-40 radio disc jockey role to becoming one of the most r

Bill O'Reilly is a famous American author, journalist, and former television host. He was born September 10, 1949, in New York City. O'Reilly earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Marist College. He got a Master's in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University. He earned another Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. O'Reilly's journalism career began at local news stations in Dallas, Denver, Portland, and Boston. His career took off at the nation

Sean Hannity, an influential figure in American media, established himself as a leading conservative political commentator. He was born December 30, 1961, in New York City. Hannity moved from a local radio host to one of the most recognized faces on cable news. Hannity studied at New York University, UC Santa Barbara, and Adelphi University. These studies prepared him for political discussion. Hannity started broadcasting in the late 1980s, hosting his first talk radio show in Santa Barbara, California. However, it

Keith Olbermann is a famous figure in journalism and broadcasting, known for his sharp style and witty remarks. Born January 27, 1959, in New York City, Olbermann started broadcasting early. He became a sports journalist, first working for CNN and local radio stations. He joined ESPN where he co-hosted Sports Center. Olbermann shifted to political commentary in 2003 when he joined MSNBC. There, he hosted 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann'—a program that changed his career direction.

Karl Christian Rove, born December 25, 1950, is an American Republican political consultant and policy advisor. He served as Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on August 31, 2007. Rove headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives. After leaving the White House, Rove worked as a political analyst and contributor for Fox News, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal. Rove is credited with the 1994 and 1998 Texas g [sic].

Arianna Huffington, born Ariadne Anna Stassinopoulos in Athens, Greece on July 15, 1950, is an influential figure in global media. She studied economics at the University of Cambridge in England. She became the first foreign and the third female President of the Cambridge Union Society. Huffington's career spans journalism, politics, and entrepreneurship. She moved to the United States after this.

Chris Matthews, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an American political commentator, talk show host, and author. He is known for hosting Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC, a nightly talk show. Matthews began his journalism career after graduating from the College of the Holy Cross and completing graduate studies in Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Matthews first entered politics, serving for several years in various capacities.

Rachel Maddow, born April 1, 1973, in Castro Valley, California, is a major voice in political commentary and journalism. Maddow earned a spot at Stanford University after graduating in public policy. She won a Rhodes Scholarship, which led her to earn a Doctorate in political science from Oxford University, making her the first openly gay Rhodes Scholar.

Al Franken was born May 21, 1951, in New York City. He became a comedian, writer, and political commentator, then moved into politics. Franken graduated from Harvard University. He first became famous as an original writer for the show Saturday Night Live. He worked on SNL from its start in 1975 to 1980, and again from 1985 to 1995. Franken won several Emmy Awards for his writing on television. These awards built his standing in the entertainment world.

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson, born May 16, 1969, is an American conservative political commentator. He hosted the nightly political talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News starting in 2016. Carlson wrote for the magazine The Weekly Standard in the 1990s and became a print journalist then. He commented on CNN from 2000 to 2005 and co-hosted Crossfire. Carlson hosted Tucker on MSNBC nightly from 2005 to 2008. Fox News has employed him as a political analyst since 2009. In 2010, Carlson co-founded and served as the first editor-in-chief of the conservative n

Christopher Hitchens, a British-born journalist, essayist, and critic, gained recognition for his sharp wit and controversial commentary. He was born in 1949. Hitchens spent early life in Portsmouth, England, developing a passion for politics and literature there. After earning a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Balliol College, Oxford University, Hitchens started a publishing career spanning over forty years. Hitchens moved to the United States in 1981, reaching across the Atlantic. His harsh writing found a large audience through h

Michael Alan Weiner, born March 31, 1942, operates as Michael Savage. He is an American radio host, author, activist, nutritionist, and conservative political commentator. Michael Savage hosts The Savage Nation, a talk show syndicated nationally on Talk Radio Network across the U.S. until 2012. In 2009, the show became the second most listened-to radio talk show in the country, drawing over 20 million listeners on 400 stations nationwide. Cumulus Media Networks has syndicated Michael Savage since October 23, 2012. He holds a master

Edward Andrew Schultz (January 27, 1954 – July 5, 2018) worked as an American television and radio host, political commentator, news anchor, and sports broadcaster. Schultz hosted The Ed Show, a weekday news talk program on MSNBC from 2009 to 2015. He also hosted The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio program syndicated by Dial Global from 2004 to 2014. The radio show ended May 23, 2014. A one-hour podcast, Ed Schultz News and Commentary, replaced it from 2015 until his 2018 death. Schultz most recently hosted a daily primetime weekday show, News with Ed Schultz, on RT America T

Patrick Joseph Buchanan, born November 2, 1938, is an American paleoconservative political commentator, columnist, politician, and broadcaster. Buchanan served as an assistant and special consultant to U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. Buchanan sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1992 and 1996. He ran on the Reform Party ticket in the 2000 presidential election. Buchanan co-founded The American Conservative magazine and launched The American Cause foundation. He has been published in Human Events, National Review, Th

Thomas Loren Friedman, born July 20, 1953, is an American political commentator and author. He won the Pulitzer Prize three times. He writes a weekly column for The New York Times. Friedman writes about foreign affairs, global trade, the Middle East, globalization, and environmental issues. Critics attacked his strong support for the Iraq War and unregulated trade. They also pointed to his early backing of Saudi Royal Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Paul Robin Krugman (born February 28, 1953) is an American economist. He is a Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a columnist for The New York Times. In 2008, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences went to Krugman for his work on New Trade Theory and New Economic Geography. The Prize Committee cited Krugman's work explaining international trade patterns and where economic activity occurs, by looking at how economies of scale and consumer preferences affect these things.

Maureen Brigid Dowd (born January 14, 1952) is an American columnist for The New York Times and an author. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dowd worked for Time magazine and the Washington Star. There, she covered news and sports and wrote feature articles. Dowd joined The New York Times in 1983 as a Metropolitan Reporter and became an op-ed writer for the newspaper in 1995. In 1999, Dowd received a Pulitzer Prize for her columns on the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Clinton administration.

Charles Krauthammer (March 13, 1950 – June 21, 2018) was an American political columnist. Krauthammer was a conservative political pundit. In 1987, Krauthammer won the Pulitzer Prize for his column in The Washington Post. His weekly column appeared in over 400 publications globally. While studying medicine at Harvard Medical School, Krauthammer became permanently paralyzed from the waist down after a diving board accident severed his spinal cord at cervical spinal nerve 5. He spent 14 months recovering in a hospital before returning to medical school and graduating.

Matthew Nathan "Matt" Drudge (born October 27, 1966) is an American political commentator. He created and edited the Drudge Report, an American news aggregator. Drudge also writes books. He hosted a radio show and a television show.

Stephen James "Steve" Doocy (born October 19, 1956) hosts Fox & Friends on Fox News. Doocy is also an author.

Mark Reed Levin, born September 21, 1957, is an American lawyer, author, and radio personality. He hosts The Mark Levin Show and Life, Liberty & Levin on Fox News. Levin served in the administration of President Ronald Reagan and acted as chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese. He chairs the Landmark Legal Foundation, wrote seven books, and writes for outlets like National Review Online. Since 2015, Levin has been editor-in-chief of the Conservative Review and offers sharp commentary.

Fareed Zakaria interviewed powerful and important political figures. As a media commentator, he wrote several New York Times bestsellers, one covering the future of the Western world. Zakaria's polish, background, and intellect gave him views that both fascinated and informed. Esquire called him "the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation."

Andrew Michael Sullivan, born August 10, 1963, is a British-born American author, editor, and blogger. Sullivan comments on politics as a conservative. He edited The New Republic and wrote or edited six books. Sullivan began a political blog in 2000, moving it to platforms like Time, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and an independent subscription format. He retired from blogging in 2015. Sullivan has been a writer-at-large at New York since 2016. Sullivan claims his conservatism stems from his Roman Catholic faith.

Dan Savage is an actor and writer. He gained fame for his role in "Do I Sound Gay?." Savage received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2012 for "It Gets Better."

George Frederick Will, born May 4, 1941, is an American conservative political commentator. He writes columns for The Washington Post and comments for NBC News and MSNBC. In 1986, The Wall Street Journal called him "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America," alongside Walter Lippmann (1889–1974). Will won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977.

Louis Carl Dobbs (September 24, 1945 – July 18, 2024) was an American conservative political commentator, author, and television host. He presented Lou Dobbs Tonight from 2003 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2021. From 2021 until his death, he hosted The Great America Show on iHeartRadio and loudobbs.com. Dobbs promoted the Barack Obama birtherism conspiracy theory, which claims Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen. Donald Trump also promoted this theory before his 2016 election. Dobbs held anti-immigration views and promoted various deep state conspiracies.

Neal A Boortz Jr., born April 6, 1945, is an American author, former attorney, and former conservative radio host. His nationally syndicated talk show, The Neal Boortz Show, ran until 2013 across the United States. Listeners reached seven in overall numbers, averaging over 4.25 million weekly. The show covered politics, current events, social issues, and topics of interest that Boortz discussed with callers, correspondents, and guests. Boortz addressed many controversial subjects. Boortz began his radio career in the 1960s.

Margaret Ellen "Peggy" Noonan, born September 7, 1950, writes for The Wall Street Journal weekly, contributes to NBC News and ABC News, and acts as a speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan from 1984 to 1986. Since leaving the Reagan administration, Noonan's writings show a center-right lean. Five of her books became New York Times bestsellers. She received an Emmy nomination for her work on America: A Tribute to Heroes. ABC's This Week and NBC's Meet the Press featured her widely.

Richard Samuel "Dick" Morris, born November 28, 1946, is an American political author and commentator. Morris previously worked as a pollster, political campaign consultant, and general political consultant. He served as a friend and advisor to Bill Clinton during his time as Governor of Arkansas, starting with his 1978 run. Morris became a White House political adviser after Clinton won the presidency in 1992. Morris urged Clinton to adopt third way policies, combining traditional Republican and Democratic proposals, rhetoric, and issues for maximum political gain.

William Frank Buckley Jr., born William Francis Buckley, November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008, was an American public intellectual, conservative author, and commentator. In 1955, Buckley founded National Review, a magazine that spurred the conservative movement in the late-20th-century United States. Buckley hosted 1,429 episodes of the public affairs television show Firing Line (1966–1999), which became the longest-running public affairs show in US television history with one host. Buckley gained recognition for his distinct speech and wide vocabulary. Buckley wrote God and Man at Yale in 1951.

Dennis Mark Prager, born August 2, 1948, is an American conservative radio talk show host and writer. Prager grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family. His early political work focused on Soviet Jews unable to emigrate. He later began offering broader commentary on politics. His views generally match social conservatism. Prager founded PragerU, an American non-profit organization that produces videos on various political, economic, and philosophical topics from a conservative viewpoint.

William Kristol, born December 23, 1952, is an American neoconservative political analyst. He commented often on various networks. Kristol founded and edited the defunct political magazine The Weekly Standard. A Republican, he played a leading part in stopping President Bill Clinton's health care plan. He also pushed for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Kristol now criticizes President Donald Trump. Kristol worked with many conservative think tanks. He chaired the New Citizenship Project from 1997 to 2005.

Michael Saul Medved, born October 3, 1948, hosts a radio show, writes books, comments on politics, and criticizes films. His talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs from his Seattle station, KTTH. Salem Radio Network syndicated this show, but on November 8, 2018, they announced it would be replaced. Medved replied he would continue the show in January on a new network.

Glenn Edward Greenwald, born March 6, 1967, is an American journalist and author. The Guardian newspaper published a series of reports in June 2013 detailing U.S. and British global surveillance programs, based on documents revealed by Edward Snowden. Greenwald and his team earned a George Polk Award and a Pulitzer Prize for those reports. He wrote several best-selling books, including No Place to Hide. Before the Snowden file disclosures, Greenwald was seen as one of the most influential opinion columnists.

Walter Lippmann, who lived from September 23, 1889, to December 14, 1974, was an American writer, reporter, and political commentator. Lippmann introduced the Cold War concept. He coined the modern psychological meaning of "stereotype." Lippmann critiqued media and democracy in his newspaper column and several books, especially his 1922 book Public Opinion. Lippmann also wrote for the Council on Foreign Relations. He had an affair with editor Hamilton Fish Armstrong's wife, which caused a split between the two men.

Jonah Jacob Goldberg, born March 21, 1969, is an American conservative syndicated columnist, author, political analyst, and commentator. Goldberg was a senior editor at National Review from 1998 to May 2019. He writes a weekly column about politics and culture for the Los Angeles Times. During the summer of 2019, Goldberg received a fellowship at the National Review Institute. Goldberg is set to become the founding editor of a competing online opinion and news entity. Goldberg wrote Liberal Fascism, which became a #1 New York Times bestseller after its January 2008 release. The Tyranny o

Michael Kinsley, born March 9, 1951, is an American political journalist and commentator. He wrote and edited for print media. Television audiences also saw him as a co-host on Crossfire. Kinsley helped mainstream media develop online content.

Daniel Pipes, born September 9, 1949, is an American historian, writer, and commentator. He presides over the Middle East Forum and publishes its Middle East Quarterly journal. Pipes writes about American foreign policy and the Middle East. After earning a PhD from Harvard in 1978 and studying abroad, Pipes taught at universities like Harvard, Chicago, Pepperdine, and the U.S. Naval War College part-time; he never held a permanent academic job. He directed the Foreign Policy Research Institute before founding the Middl

David Brooks, born August 11, 1961, is a Canadian-born American political and cultural commentator who writes for The New York Times. Brooks worked as a film critic for The Washington Times. He reported and later edited the op-ed section for The Wall Street Journal. Brooks served as a senior editor at The Weekly Standard since its start, contributed to Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, and commented on NPR and PBS NewsHour.

David Brock, born July 23, 1962, is an American liberal political consultant, author, and commentator. He founded the media watchdog group Media Matters for America. Time called him "one of the most influential operatives in the Democratic Party." Brock started his career as a right-wing investigative reporter during the 1990s. He wrote the book The Real Anita Hill and the Troopergate story. This work caused Paula Jones to file a lawsuit against Bill Clinton. Later, in the late-1990s, he switched sides, joining the Democratic Party, specifically aligning with Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Michael or Mike Gallagher may refer to:

Jim Ross is an American actor, announcer, producer, and writer. He appeared in "Beyond the Mat" and "The 5th Quarter."

Jani Allan, born September 11, 1952, is a South African journalist, columnist, writer, and broadcaster. She is one of the country's best-known and most-read columnists. In 1980, Allan became a columnist for the centrist newspaper, the Sunday Times, the country's largest weekly paper. She was the newspaper's best-read columnist for ten years, publishing columns like Just Jani, Jani Allan's Week, and Face to Face. At her peak fame, her newspaper ran a Gallup poll in 1987 to find "the most admired person in South Africa," and she came first. In 2015, Mar

Mark Steyn, born December 8, 1959, is a Canadian author and cultural commentator. He wrote books like the New York Times bestsellers America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It and After America: Get Ready for Armageddon. Magazines and newspapers worldwide published Steyn. Steyn hosts the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show. He also guest hosts Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, appearing there regularly.

Nicholas Donabet Kristof, born April 27, 1959, is an American journalist and political commentator. He won two Pulitzer Prizes. Kristof contributes to CNN regularly. He wrote a New York Times op-ed column starting in November 2001. Kristof calls himself progressive. The Washington Post reports Kristof "rewrote opinion journalism" by focusing on human rights abuses and social injustices, including human trafficking and the Darfur conflict. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa called Kristof an "honorary African" for highlighting neglected conflict.

Gail Collins, born November 25, 1945, is an American journalist, op-ed columnist, and author. Her work with the New York Times is most recognized. Collins joined the Times in 1995 on the editorial board. From 2001 to 2007, she served as the paper's Editorial Page Editor, becoming the first woman in that role. Collins writes a semi-weekly op-ed column for the Times from her liberal view, published Thursdays and Saturdays. In 2014, she co-authored a blog with conservative journalist David Brooks called "The Conversation" at NYTimes.com, featuring bi-partisan political commentary.

Frank Rich acts, writes, and produces. Rich played Chief Justice in "Veep." Rich won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2017 for that project.

Arnold Beichman wrote, studied, and criticized communism. At his death, Beichman was a Hoover Institution research fellow and a columnist for The Washington Times. Beichman spent much of his life fighting communism. Beichman was born in Manhattan's Lower East Side, New York City, to Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. He earned a BA from Columbia University in 1934. After that, Beichman replaced his friend, Arthur Lelyveld, as editor-in-chief of the Columbia Daily Spectator. Beichman worked in journalism for many years, including the New York Herald Tribune, PM, and News.

Angela McGlowan, born March 2, 1970, is an American political commentator, bestselling author, and CEO of Political Strategies & Insights (PSI). PSI is a consulting firm focused on government affairs, political strategy, public relations, and advocacy, based in Oxford, Mississippi, with an office in Washington, D.C. In 2010, McGlowan placed third in the Republican primary for a Congressional seat in Mississippi.