Announcing the newest members of the Claremont family Dear John, We are delighted to announce the newest members of the Claremont family: the 2021 Speechwriters Fellows. This year's impressive group represents a mix of patriotic individuals from the nation's highest levels of government and academia. They will join Claremont for a weekend retreat beginning October 15 through October 18. This year’s curriculum will pay special attention to the dominant political themes that continue to animate the American political debate today: America’s founding principles, natural law, equality, American identity, globalism, multiculturalism, identity politics, and the administrative state--all with the aim of equipping fellows with the tools for a robust defense of the American Way of Life. During their stay, the Speechwriters Fellows will engage in a theoretical and rhetorical study of these themes under the direction of Claremont scholars and former presidential speechwriters, as well as through peer-led discussions and workshops. Please join us in welcoming this year's Speechwriters Fellows! Meet the 2021 Speechwriters Fellows Max Bodach is an associate at Keybridge Communications, where he writes, edits, pitches, and contributes to earned media campaigns for a diverse slate of clients. He previously interned for Representative Mark Sanford (R-SC) and the U.S. Department of Education. He is a 2020-21 AEI Initiative on Faith and Public Life Young Scholar, a Röpke-Wojtyla Fellow at the Catholic University of America, and a former Hertog Foundation summer scholar. Max holds a dual B.A. from Ave Maria University in Political Economy & Government and History. Joshua Charles is a former White House speechwriter for Vice President Mike Pence, a #1 New York Times best-selling author, historian, columnist, writer, public speaker, and ghostwriter for Fortune 500 CEOs, political leaders, and more. His work has been featured or published by numerous outlets, including Fox News, Wall Street Journal, the Jerusalem Post, Epoch Times, and others. He has published books on topics ranging from the Founding Fathers, to Israel, to the impact of the Bible on human history. He was the Senior Editor and Concept Developer of the Global Impact Bible, published by the DC-based Museum of the Bible in 2017, and the Senior Editor of the Faith and Liberty Bible, published by the Philadelphia-based American Bible Society in 2021. He also contributed to The 1776 Report released by the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission. He is a Scholar at the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center in Philadelphia, a PragerU lecturer, and the Pope Leo XIII Fellow of Catholic Teaching on Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism at St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. He is a Tikvah and Philos Fellow, and has spoken around the country on topics such as faith, politics, history, and worldview. He is a concert pianist, holds an MA in Government, and a law degree. Jordan Duecker is the director of strategic initiatives at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Previously, he served as a policy analyst and Justice Reinvestment Coordinator for Missouri Governors Eric Greitens and Michael Parson, respectively. While in the Governor's Office, Jordan developed and lead all aspects of the state’s 2020 Census planning and execution. A native of St. Louis County, Missouri, Jordan earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Truman State University in 2016. Jordan’s writings have appeared in City Journal, Newsday, RealClearPolitics, and the Washington Examiner. In his free time, Jordan enjoys hiking on Long Island’s North Shore and in upstate New York. Frank Gorgie is an associate professor of political science, political philosophy, and constitutional law. A student of political rhetoric and effective communication, he began as a staffer for Senator Jacob Hecht (R-NV) and has worked as a director of coalitions and faith engagement for multiple gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. He is a native of Southern California. Wendell Husebo is a political writer for Breitbart News. Prior to Breitbart, he authored the book "Politics of Slave Morality" and published "Healthy Living Magazine," a regional publication issued monthly. Wendell is originally from Central Florida, where he campaigned in 2018 for Eustis City Commission to defeat a corrupt mayor. Upon falling short by a few thousand votes, he moved to Washington, D.C. to work with the Republican National Committee's War Room. Wendell has been a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow since 2016. David Keltz is the press secretary for Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. He previously served as a speechwriter in the Trump Administration from 2020-21 at the U.S. General Services Administration and is the author of The Campaign of His Life and Media Bias in the Trump Presidency and the Extinction of the Conservative Millennial. His writing has been published in The American Spectator, RealClearPolitics, the American Thinker, and the New York Daily News, among others. In the Fall of 2019, David was a White House Intern for Vice President Mike Pence, in the Office of Speechwriting and Communications. A native of Brooklyn, David graduated cum laude from NYU, with a M.S. in Public Relations and Corporate Communication, and he received his B.A. from Ithaca College, where he was a member of the varsity tennis team, and a writer for the Ithacan. Patrick MacDonnell is a speechwriter and legislative assistant for Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR). He is a former Special Assistant to the President and Speechwriter for President Donald Trump. Patrick graduated with high distinction from the University of Virginia with a degree in government. William Murray was the primary speechwriter for EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and previously worked in journalism as an energy markets reporter for Bloomberg, a congressional reporter for Energy Intelligence, and as energy editor at RealClearPolitics. Murray’s writings have appeared in Quillette, American Affairs Journal, Law and Liberty, Washington Post, Atlantic's CityLab, The Hill, Business Investors Daily, Washington Examiner, and the Washington Times. Murray is an Alaskan by birth with graduate degrees from Columbia University and Georgetown University. Jeffrey Naft is a communications advisor for House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01) where he is responsible for crafting Whip Scalise’s speeches, op-eds, talking points, and messaging memos. A native New Yorker, Jeff graduated from Georgetown University and began his career on Capitol Hill in the press office of Congressman John Katko (NY-24) before becoming Press Secretary for then-Congresswoman Martha McSally (AZ-02). Krystina Skurk is a speechwriter for the Education and Labor Committee at the House of Representatives. She received a Master's degree in politics from the Van Andel School of Statesmanship at Hillsdale College. She formerly worked for Representative Mark Green as Deputy Press Secretary, writing his public facing remarks and content. She is a former fellow of the John Jay Institute, a graduate of Regent University, and a former teacher at Archway Cicero, a Great Hearts charter school. She is a former research assistant for Hillsdale In D.C. where she assisted several scholars and journalists with their books. She is a published author — her work appearing in The Federalist, Center Square, Real Clear Civics, and American Greatness. Claire Standaert is an associate research director at the Republican National Committee. Previously, she served as a presidential writer and editor in the Office of Presidential Correspondence at the White House, where she wrote and edited proclamations, messages, and personal letters on behalf of President Donald J. Trump. She also worked as a press fellow in the office of Senator Daines (R-MT) and interned in the Office of Speechwriting at the White House. Before moving to D.C., she spent time in Germany as a Fulbright scholar. Claire holds a BA in Political Science and English with a minor in German from Gonzaga University. Will Vickery is speechwriter & editor for Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE). His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Hill, FoxNews.com, and elsewhere. He holds a B.A. in philosophy and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019, where he also served as the founding editor of the Texas Trinitas, the first undergraduate-run Christian magazine in the state of Texas. A native of Tyler, Texas, he was previously a staff assistant for Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). 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