Marc Thiessen

Marc Thiessen
Thiessen in 2007
White House Director of Speechwriting
In office
December 14, 2007 – January 20, 2009
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byWilliam McGurn
Succeeded byJon Favreau
Personal details
BornMarc Alexander Thiessen
(1967-01-13) January 13, 1967
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
PartyRepublican
SpousePamela Thiessen
Children4
EducationVassar College (AB)
Naval War College

Marc Alexander Thiessen (born January 13, 1967) is an American political columnist, speechwriter, and political commentator. He is a columnist for The Washington Post, a Fox News contributor, and a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. From 2004 to 2009, he was a member of President George W. Bush’s speechwriting team, serving as chief speechwriter in the final years of the administration. Earlier, he was chief speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and a longtime aide to Senator Jesse Helms.

In 2010, Thiessen published Courting Disaster, a book defending the CIA’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques, which became a New York Times bestseller and drew significant criticism. He has also co-founded a communications firm and has been affiliated with the Hoover Institution as a visiting fellow.