Peter Wehner, an American essayist, is a contributing Opinion writer for The New York Times and a contributing writer for The Atlantic, two of the most prestigious media journals in the world. He writes on politics and political ideas, on faith and culture, on foreign policy, sports and friendships.
Mr. Wehner served in three presidential administrations, including as deputy director of presidential speechwriting for President George W. Bush. Later, he served as the director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives.
Mr. Wehner, a graduate of the University of Washington, is editor or author of six books, including The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump, which The New York Times called “a model of conscientious political engagements.” Married and the father of three, he lives in McLean, Virginia.
Speaker’s Bureau
February 19th, 2021 | “Hope and Healing for a Hurting Culture” an Online Conversation with Peter Wehner and Jonathan Haidt
March 1st, 2018 | “A Symposium: The Future of Christian Higher Education” an Evening Conversation in Washington, DC with Peter Wehner, Shirley Hoogstra, and Michael Lindsay
March 15th, 2017 | “The Benedict Option” an Evening Conversation in Washington, DC with Peter Wehner, Rod Dreher, and Kirsten Powers
Related Trinity Forum Readings
“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell, featuring an original introduction by Peter Wehner
Recent Articles
November 13, 2024 | Don’t Give Up on the Truth, The Atlantic
September 11th, 2024 | Kamala Harris Broke Donald Trump, The Atlantic
June 16th, 2024 | The Motivational Ignorance of Trump Supporters, The Atlantic
March 3, 2024 | Where Did Evangelicals Go Wrong?, The Atlantic
February 6, 2024 | A Rare Moment Americans Could All Share, The Atlantic
November 6, 2023 | Republicans Have Chosen Nihilism, The New York Times
November 3, 2023 | “Why Does God Allow the Innocent to Suffer?”, Plough
February 11th, 2023 | “For Sports Lovers, an Event Like the Super Bowl Is Not ‘Only’ a Game”, The New York Times
February 5, 2023 | “The Institutional Arsonist Turns on His Own Party”, The Atlantic
Recent Podcasts and Conversations
June 26, 2025 | “A Thoroughly MAGA-fied Party” for Arc Magazine
March 31, 2025 | Pete Wehner on the ethical darkness that has fallen upon America on Keen On
March 25, 2025 | Trump’s Destructive Admin is Taking Wrecking Balls to Democracy on Bulwark
January 20, 2025 | Faithful Citizenship in Trump’s Second Term on Comment Magazine
November 26, 2024 | A Conversation with Former Presidential Speech Writer Peter Wehner on Crossroads from National Cathedral
November 20, 2024 | Peter Wehner on how American Self-Renewal is a Wonder of the World on Keen On
November 5, 2024 | Stand into the Storm: Thoughts on Election Day on Comment Magazine
October 16, 2024 | Trump isn’t just fascist to the core, he’s an undisguised fascist to his core on MSNBC
November 1, 2024 | He wants to burn things down: Peter Wehner on why Trump is an ‘enemy of conservatism’ on MSNBC
September 7, 2024 | How Abortion Twisted Up Trump and Evangelicals (With Peter Wehner) on Redeeming Babel
August 6, 2024 | Peter Wehner on the Fate of “His” Republican Party on KEEN ON
July 25, 2024 | Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve on The Bulletin
July 20, 2024 | Trump, Biden, and The Power of Self Reflection (with Pete Wehner) on Redeeming Babel
July 3rd, 2024 | The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story on The Faith Angle Forum
June 11th, 2024 | The Trump Era and Evangelical Politics: Insights from Peter Wehner on Faithful Politics Podcast
June 7th, 2024 | Evangelicals Rush to Trump’s Defense After Conviction on CNN News Night
June 5th, 2024 | Pete Wehner on Evangelicals’ Embrace of Trump: Moral Deformity? Blasphemy? Or the Epistemic Twilight Zone? on Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other
May 1st, 2024 | Sacrilege & the Future of the Republican Party with Peter Wehner on Holy Post
April 29th, 2024| Evangelicals Put Their Faith in Trump’s Repugnant Anger (w/Peter Wehner) on Bulwark Podcast
April 13, 2024 | “A Threat to Democracy and Christian Faith”: Inside the Far-Right Embrace of Christian Nationalism on MSNBC
March 29, 2024 | The Devil’s Bible Business on The Bulwark
March 25, 2024 | Peter Wehner as the Conscience of Both American Conservatism and Christianity on Keen On
February 26, 2024 | Bonus Episode: Should You Watch “The Chosen”? on The Russel Moore Show
January 22. 2024 | CNN NewsNight with Abby Philip—Countdown to NH on CNN
January 19, 2024 | Is Politics Killing Evangelicalism? Pt. 2 with Pete Wehner on Apollos Watered
January 13, 2024 | Is Politics Killing Evangelicalism? with Pete Wehner, Pt. 1 on Apollos Watered
December 15, 2023 | Faith and Politics: Navigating the intersection on Premier Unbelievable?
November 15, 2023 | A Polite Zealot on The Bulwark
October 7, 2023 | How to Relate to Those Who Still Support Trump on Good Faith
September 28, 2023 | Who Ya Gonna Call? Candidates debate, PEPFAR languishes, and the Hispanic church grows on Christianity Today’s The Bulletin
July 3, 2023 | Tim Keller and Michael Gerson, A Tribute with Pete Wehner and Jonathan Rauch on Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other
June 26, 2023 | Peter Wehner and Jonathan Rauch on ”Morality Is for Trump What Colors Are to the Color-Blind” on Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other
June 20, 2023 | Peter Wehner: Evangelical support for Trump raises questions about the movement, Morning Joe on MSNBC
February 11th, 2023 | “Learning to Live in Exile” a conversation with David French and Curtis Chang
July 2nd, 2022 | “How Did We Get Here?” a conversation with the Allender Center
July 1st, 2022 | “The End of Roe and Trump’s Pathology” a conversation with Ted Johnson at The Bulwark
May 12th, 2022 | “Channeling Popular Passions” a conversation with American Purpose and Braver Angels