Jonathan Karl, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent, to Address Washington College Class of 2025
Award winning journalist will bring insights into covering the political dynamics of the past presidential election cycles, and the vital role journalism plays.
The Office of the President is pleased to announce ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent and co-anchor of "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" Jonathan Karl as the keynote speaker at Washington College's 242nd Commencement Exercises for the class of 2025. The event will take place on Sunday, May 18 on the campus lawn.
A distinguished journalist with extensive experience covering U.S. politics, foreign policy, and the military, Karl has reported from over 30 countries and has earned numerous prestigious awards, including an Emmy® Award, the Walter Cronkite Award and multiple honors from the Radio and TV Correspondents' Association. He is also a former President of the White House Correspondents' Association and the author of several New York Times bestsellers including "Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party,” “Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show” and “Front Row at the Trump Show.” His forthcoming book, “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America” will be published October 28.
Karl's sharp questioning and in-depth analysis have made him a prominent figure in political journalism. After getting his start at CNN as a congressional correspondent, Karl joined ABC and went on to cover seven presidential elections, notably securing early interviews with Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 cycle.
He has covered every major beat in Washington, including the White House, Capitol Hill, the Pentagon and the State Department. Before becoming Chief Washington Correspondent, he served as ABC's senior political correspondent and built a reputation as a tenacious foreign affairs correspondent, traveling around the globe with Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. He reported extensively on the situation in Darfur, Sudan, visiting the war-torn country three times in 2005, and earning an Emmy® nomination for his reporting.
His career has seen him undertake a bevy of intriguing interviews with the likes of cultural icons including Sir Elton John and the Dalai Lama, as well as actress Barbra Streisand, “The Who's” Pete Townshend, actor George Clooney, baseball legend Ernie Banks, Yoko Ono, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, and singer/songwriter James Taylor.
"It's a high honor to deliver the commencement address at Washington College. I look forward to meeting the graduates and their families and spending time at an institution that holds the core values as its founding patron, George Washington,” said Karl.
The decorated journalist went on to say that this ceremony holds special meaning to him as his older brother is a proud graduate of Washington College. "I have fond memories of visiting the campus many years ago,” he said.
Visit the 2025 Commencement webpage for more information on the ceremony.
- Dominique Ellis Falcon