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President Barack Obama: “a moving portrait…an honest tribute”

Twitter,

"This Veterans Day, here’s a moving portrait of the extraordinary resilience of my friend Cory Remsburg, an Army Ranger I’ve come to know over the years," said Obama. "It’s an honest tribute to all those wounded warriors and their families who give so much to our country."

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The Endless Recovery From the Endless War

Essay for New York Magazine,

An Obama speechwriter reconnects with the wounded soldier who became a national symbol of resilience. "How much do any of us really know about the lives of veterans like Cory? How much do we really want to know?"

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More than 300 former officials call Trump’s actions concerning Ukraine ‘profound national security concern’

The Washington Post,

“To be clear, we do not wish to prejudge the totality of the facts or Congress’ deliberative process,” said the statement, released Friday. “At the same time, there is no escaping that what we already know is serious enough to merit impeachment proceedings.”

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Guest interview on Better Angels podcast

Ciaran O’Connor and John Wood, Jr. welcome Terence Szuplat, a speechwriter for President Barack Obama, to discuss his work with the Obama administration, his experience coming to a Better Angels workshop, and the challenge of unearthing common values across the partisan divide.

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More Than 200 National Security Veterans Demand Answers After Candidate’s Sensitive Information Released

Politico,

The veterans, including people who served in the military and in the intelligence, diplomatic, law enforcement and policy communities, wrote in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Jeff Pon, director of the Office of Personnel Management, that the Trump administration has yet to provide an adequate explanation for the release of Abigail Spanberger’s highly sensitive information.

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Writing Speeches for President Obama

Crooked Conversations, CrookedMedia.com,

Speechwriters Jon Favreau, Ben Rhodes and Cody Keenan discuss writing for President Obama and the importance of localizing speeches that emotionally connect with audiences, in the United States and around the world.

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After Florida Tragedy, Trump Changes the Subject

Comment for Agence France-Presse,

“Everyone understood, when something of that magnitude happened that the American people expect to hear from the president,” said Obama speechwriter Terry Szuplat, who recalls the 44th president carrying out that duty at least 15 times. "There is really only one person who can channel that grief and speak to that grief, and there is only one person who can truly speak for the nation.”

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Guest interview on Bipodisan podcast

In these divided times, can Americans on the Left and Right still talk to each other? Former presidential speechwriters Paul Orzulak and Mary Kate Cary host long-time Obama White House speechwriter Terry Szuplat and former George W. Bush Administration speechwriter Jean Card to discuss the controversy surrounding the resignation of White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter.

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Speechwriters Discuss Power of Presidential Pulpit

Yale Daily News,

On Tuesday, the Information Society Project at Yale Law School hosted a panel of former presidential speechwriters to discuss their experiences working in the White House. “My hope is that folks will come away with a better understanding of the role of presidential rhetoric in our democracy and the role presidential rhetoric has in defining and shaping the relationship the president has with citizens,” Szuplat told the News.

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The Danger of Authoritarian Rhetoric

Quoted in Newsweek,

Terence Szuplat, a foreign policy speechwriter for former President Barack Obama, said Trump has "sought to emulate" authoritarians, demagogues and dictators in his responses to terror attacks.

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