Jon Favreau recalls first meeting Barack Obama at the 2004 DNC while working as a deputy speechwriter for John Kerry and says Obama’s speech that night was an attempt to “sort of redefine patriotism”. Favreau discusses how he became Obama’s speechwriter, and details some of his most popular speeches.
Jon Favreau is a political commentator, podcaster and the former Director of Speechwriting for President Barack Obama. Favreau first began writing for Obama in 2005 during his first term as a US Senator and held the role as head speechwriter throughout the 2008 campaign and presidency, until 2013. During Obama’s presidency, Favreau became the second-youngest chief White House speechwriter on record. Over the course of eight years, Favreau had a hand in crafting nearly every major speech Obama delivered. In 2017, a few years after leaving the White House, Favreau co-founded Crooked Media, where he is a co-host of Pod Save America and the host of The Wilderness.
From the 2021 three-part HBO documentary series Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union. The personal and political journey of President Barack Obama is explored that weaves together conversations with colleagues, friends, and critics, alongside his own speeches and interviews.
Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: www.lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit: / @lifestoriesinterviewa...
Follow us on Instagram: / lifestoriesinterviews
Jon Favreau, Speechwriter
Interviewed By: Peter Kunhardt
Interview Date: January 23, 2019
© Home Box Office and Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
#JonFavreau #kunhardtfilmfoundation