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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 12, 2024
Walter Shapiro
Joe Biden’s Historically Selfish Decision to Run for Reelection
The president knew the risks of running again at 81. He did it anyway.
January 24, 2024
Walter Shapiro
Nikki Haley Just Lost Her Best Chance to Beat Trump
The former South Carolina governor did just well enough to hang on. But the 2024 race gets much harder from here.
January 22, 2024
Walter Shapiro
What Have We Learned in the Republican Presidential Race? Almost Nothing.
The media’s horse-race coverage of a nomination fight dominated by Trump was ultimately pointless—and often embarrassingly wrong.
December 11, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Five Ways Biden Can Win in 2024
Yes, the polls look bad. But there’s plenty of time for the president to turn it around.
December 1, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Why “Bidenomics” Failed
President Biden wanted to convince voters it was “Morning in America” again. But the economy has changed significantly since the Reagan years.
November 27, 2023
MagazineWalter Shapiro
Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley Have One Chance to Stop Trump
New Hampshire is tailor-made for Trump’s opponents—but they’re blowing their best chance to stop him.
November 20, 2023
Walter Shapiro
The Real Reason Why Biden Shouldn’t Drop Out
A contested Democratic primary with less than a year before the 2024 election would be a mess.
November 9, 2023
Walter Shapiro
After Wednesday’s Debate, the GOP Primary Is a Three-Horse Race
For all the critiques of the GOP debates, they have done an effective job of narrowing the Republican field.
November 7, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Forget Jimmy Carter. The President That Biden Most Resembles Is Harry Truman.
As Biden wallows in the polls, his presidency looks even more like Truman’s.
October 9, 2023
Walter Shapiro
It’s the Democracy, Stupid
President Biden has struggled to convince voters that the economy is doing well. But Donald Trump’s continued threat to the Constitution remains his best reelection message.
October 9, 2023
Walter Shapiro
The Stop Trump Summit: The Brave Never-Trump Republicans
Stuart Stevens, George Conway, and Tara Setmayer decided that principle trumped partisanship.
September 28, 2023
Walter Shapiro
The Case for Being Skeptical of Trump’s Huge Lead
The media declared Trump a winner of the second GOP debate he didn’t even show up for. But an early primary loss could hurt his campaign.
September 25, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Yes, the Polls Are Bad for Biden. But Republicans Still Have It Much Worse.
A looming shutdown, four upcoming Trump trials, and a general air of dysfunction—things are about to get very bad for the GOP.
September 19, 2023
Walter Shapiro
The Real Worry About a Second Biden Term Isn’t His Age
Franklin Foer’s new book makes a compelling argument that while the president has done a remarkable job, there’s trouble ahead.
September 11, 2023
Walter Shapiro
The Next Republican Nominee for Vice President Probably Isn’t on the Debate Stage
Forget the media narrative: Presidential nominees rarely select former rivals for the job.
September 4, 2023
MagazineWalter Shapiro
The Wall Street Journal’s Desperate Search for the Perfect Anti-Trump Candidate
The newspaper’s editorial board is the voice of the Republican establishment. No one is listening.
August 31, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Why Nikki Haley Scares the Biden Campaign
She almost certainly won’t be the Republican nominee. But she’s showing where Biden is vulnerable.
August 2, 2023
Walter Shapiro
The Latest Trump Indictment Is Damning. Will It Change Anything?
Political parties used to change their ways after defeat. Electoral losses and indictments have only brought Republicans closer to Donald Trump.
July 28, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Why Biden May Never Get Credit for a Booming Economy
Gratitude is an overrated commodity in American politics—and it’s not just Republicans who are pessimistic about the economy.
July 19, 2023
Walter Shapiro
Sonia Sotomayor’s Book Scandal Is Banal and Troubling
The Supreme Court justice’s buckraking hardly compares to that of her conservative colleagues. But it still says a lot about how much Washington has changed.

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