top of page
Terry Szuplat
Speaker
Trainer
Speechwriter
Articles by Terry
The Art of Public Speaking is a Skill We All Need, Porchlight Book Company, February 10, 2025
How Barack Obama Learned to Give a Speech, People, September 17, 2024
How to Make an Argument That’s Actually Persuasive, TIME, September 12, 2024
The Presidential Debate our Democracy Deserves, CNN.com, June 21, 2024
A Sister’s Love, Medium, February 10, 2024
How President Obama Wrote His “Love Letter to Boston," The Boston Globe Magazine, April 12, 2023
The Endless Recovery From the Endless War, New York Magazine, November 8, 2019
The Story Behind Obama's Speech To The People Of Laos, Hmong Times, 2017
Letter from America: Donald Trump Does Not Define Us,
The Huffington Post, June 23, 2017
What President Trump Will Say if Terrorists Strike in the U.S., The Washington Post, April 24, 2017
An American Girl Watches Trump—and Worries, The Huffington Post, February 8, 2017
Why Trump’s “America First” Policy Is Doomed to Fail,
The New Yorker, February 3, 2017
“On Monday morning, the sun rose over Boston.” President Obama’s Speechwriters Reflect on Eight Years of Speeches,
Medium, December 21, 2016
“How the Real Obama Met the Real Pánfilo” Terry Szuplat Explains How President Obama Ended up in a Cuban Comedy Skit, Medium, May 20, 2016
In the News
Obama speechwriter: "He practiced for 20 years to get good,"
Interview with Kurier (Austria), August 2, 2025
Trump Speech Ended in Violence and Destruction, Interview with t-online (Germany), August 1, 2025
AUDIO: Reaction to Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address,
Interview with RTE News (Ireland), January 21, 2025
In stark, campaign-style inaugural speech, Trump paints himself as savior, Comment for The Washington Post, January 20, 2025
AUDIO: What a Eulogy Can Tell Us About a Speaker, Comment for NPR's "All Things Considered," January 9, 2025
Harris Has a Chance to “Change the Fundamentals” of the Campaign, Comment for Real Clear Politics, July 22, 2024
VIDEO: Terry Szuplat Reacts to Trump Convention Speech,
Interview with CBC News, July 19, 2024
VIDEO: Terry Szuplat discusses tonight’s convention speech by former President Trump, Interview with CNN, July 18, 2024
VIDEO: Former speechwriter to Obama talks preparation involved in presidential debate, Interview with ABC News Live, June 27, 2024
AUDIO: Terry Szuplat offers his analysis on tonight’s presidential debate, Interview with ABC Radio (Australia), June 27, 2024
VIDEO: Terry Szuplat Discusses the Presidential Debate,
Interview with CNN, June 26, 2024
Can Katie Britt — Or Anyone — Recover From a Bad State of the Union Rebuttal?, Comment for NOTUS, March 11, 2024
Terry Szuplat Joins BBC’s Live Coverage of the State of the Union Address, Interview with BBC News, March 7, 2024
VIDEO: Former Obama Speechwriter on the Makings of a State of the Union Address, Interview with ABC News Live Prime March 7, 2024
The 7 Worst Instances of Bad Behavior at the State of the Union,
Comment for POLITICO, March 7, 2024
Obama speechwriter reveals tricks of the trade, Axios, February 27, 2023
The State of the Union: What it takes to write a speech for the president, Interview with the BBC, February 4, 2023
AUDIO: The Art of Speechwriting, London Calling EU podcast, October 6, 2022
AUDIO: Speechwriting into the History Books, Socially Democratic podcast, October 5, 2022
VIDEO: Terence Szuplat Discusses Speechwriting for President Obama, Millennium Alliance Live podcast, August 16, 2022
VIDEO: A Conversation with Terence Szuplat, Interview with the Brand Story Podcast, June 21, 2022
Biden Braces Americans for "Putin's price hike," Comment for Axios, March 9, 2022
The Challenges of Writing a State of the Union Address, Comment for Politico's West Wing Playbook, March 1, 2022
What makes an effective inaugural address? Advice from an Obama speechwriter, Interview with America Media, January 19, 2021
Response to President Trump’s Return to the White House with Covid, Twitter, October 5, 2020
Why the West Wing Is a Perfect Place to Spread Covid, Interview with Washingtonian Magazine, October 2, 2020
Why Having No Live Audience for This Week's Democratic Convention May Be a Good Thing, Interview with Washingtonian Magazine, August 17, 2020
VIDEO: Reflections on JFK's 1963 address at The American University, Panel discussion with The American University Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, June 17, 2020
More than 100 national security professionals break with tradition and endorse a presidential candidate — Biden, The Washington Post, March 18, 2020
More than 300 former officials call Trump's actions concerning Ukraine 'profound national security concern," The Washington Post, September 27, 2019
AUDIO: A Conversation with White House Speechwriter Terry Szuplat, Braver Angels podcast, March 26, 2019
More Than 200 National Security Veterans Demand Answers After Candidate’s Sensitive Information Released, Politico, August 30, 2018
Speechwriters Discuss Power of Presidential Pulpit, Yale Daily News, February 8, 2018
The Danger of Authoritarian Rhetoric, Quoted in Newsweek, December 18, 2017
Trump’s Tweets, Use of Rhetoric, Keep World on Edge, Comment for The Voice of America, August 11, 2017
White House Iftar Celebrations Could End Under Trump,
Comment for The Washington Post, June 17, 2017
VIDEO: Analysis of President Obama’s Speech in Montreal,
Interview with CTV News, June 6, 2017
VIDEO: Making Sense of Trump’s First Foreign Trip,
Interview with CBC News, May 23, 2017
A Speechwriter’s Perspective on Trump’s First Foreign Trip,
Comment for USA Today, May 19, 2017
AUDIO: A Speechwriter’s Perspective on Trump’s First Foreign Trip, Interview with Minnesota Public Radio, May 17, 2017
VIDEO: Why Trump’s Embrace of Dictators is Dangerous for the U.S., Interview on Fox News, May 7, 2017
VIDEO: A Conversation on Presidential Rhetoric & Foreign Policy, Interview at the Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas April 19, 2017
Obama Alumni Terence Szuplat Launches Global Voices,
POLITICO Playbook, March 2, 2017
VIDEO: Former Presidential Speechwriters on Trump’s Address to Congress, Interview with CBC News, March 1, 2017
Donald Trump's Speech to Congress: What to Look For, Comment for Newsday, February 28, 2017
What Should Trump Tell Congress?, Comment for Politico Magazine, February 28, 2017
Rating President Obama’s Biggest Speeches, CNN.com, January 23, 2017
“The Greatest Job in the World,” Interview with SiriusXM, January 13, 2017
What’s it Like for Ordinary Citizens to be Highlighted in a Presidential Speech?, Interview with San Diego Union Tribune, January 13, 2017
An Inside Look at the Selling of the White House’s Foreign Policy, Interview with San Diego Union Tribune, January 13, 2017
Reconciler in Chief: Obama Appeals to the People on Foreign Visit, CNN, September 6, 2016
President Obama gearing up for the State of the Union address, CNN, January 25, 2014
President and Soldier: 3 Meetings, and a Lesson in Resilience,
New York Times, August 22, 2013
Magazine Calls Falmouth High Graduate One of 100 ‘People to Watch,’ Cape Cod Times, January 3, 2000
bottom of page