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Jonathan Alter
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Jonathan Alter
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Jonathan H. Alter is an American author, political analyst, columnist, documentary filmmaker, and television producer. He served as a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 to 2011. Alter has written extensively on American politics and history, including several books about U.S. presidents.

Key Information

Alter is a political analyst for NBC News and since 1996, has appeared on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC. He has a site on the internet. In 2021, Alter launched a newsletter entitled "Old Goats with Jonathan Alter", where he posts columns, videos, and interviews with accomplished people who may share their wisdom and experience. His newsletter is published as free and paid via Substack. In 2013 and 2014, Alter served as an executive producer on the Amazon Studios production entitled Alpha House that starred John Goodman, Mark Consuelos, Clark Johnson, and Matt Malloy. In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, a documentary about the columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill that received the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary.

Books by Alter include The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies (2013), The Promise: President Obama, Year One (2010), which went to number three on the New York Times Bestsellers List, Between The Lines: A View Inside American Politics, People and Culture (2008), and The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope (2006), a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His 2024 book, American Reckoning: Inside Trump's Trial - And My Own, recounts his eyewitness account of the landmark criminal trial that was neither televised nor videoed in which Donald Trump ​was convicted of 37 felonies .

From 2015 to 2023, Alter hosted a radio show with his children, "Alter Family Politics", as part of Andy Cohen's 24-hour network, Radio Andy, Channel 102 on Sirius XM.[1]

In 2021, Alter began an online Substack publication for free and paid subscribers entitled, Old Goats with Jonathan Alter, that he characterizes as "ruminating with friends". In 2025, Alter and historian Julian Zelizer also launched a similar free and paid internet newsletter entitled "Then and Now" via Substack, where they compare a current event with similar historical circumstances that may be discussed and provide insights in a few minutes.

Early life and education

[edit]

Alter was raised in a Jewish family in Chicago,[2] the son of James Alter (1922–2014),[3] who owned a refrigeration and air-conditioning company, and Joanne (née Hammerman) (1927–2008),[4] who was an elected commissioner of the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago and a member of the Democratic National Committee.[5][6] His mother was the first woman in the Chicago area to be elected to public office.[7] He is a 1975 graduate of Phillips Academy[5][8] and a 1979 graduate of Harvard University, where he was one of the lead editors on the Harvard Crimson.[5][9]

Career

[edit]

In the 1980s, Alter was the media critic for Newsweek. He launched a political commentary column with Newsweek in 1991 that was the first of its kind for the magazine. Alter became one of the few reporters with regular access to Bill Clinton after his election as president in 1992, during which time Alter was a consultant to MTV. In the book Media Circus (ISBN 0-8129-2022-8) by Howard Kurtz of the The Washington Post, Clinton was quoted as saying, "Alter bites me in the ass sometimes, but at least he knows what we're trying to do".

Alter was the first pundit to predict the months-long recount process following the 2000 presidential election. His correct prediction, made during a discussion on NBC with Tim Russert and Tom Brokaw, gained international recognition for Alter.[10]

Although Alter later asserted in his book Between the Lines that he regretted writing the article,[11] in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks he authored an article for Newsweek about dealing with terrorists that was entitled "Time to think about torture". In the article he suggested that U.S. law enforcement might need to rethink some old assumptions about torture methodology,[12] noting that "some torture clearly works" and suggested that the nation should "keep an open mind about certain measures to fight terrorism, like court-sanctioned psychological interrogation", and consideration of transferring some terrorists to other countries with less stringent rules on torture.[13]

Alter frequently criticized President George W. Bush, emphasizing what he considered Bush's lack of accountability. Having benefited from an autologous adult stem cell transplant while fighting lymphoma, Alter also disparaged Bush's position on embryonic stem cell research.[14] However, Alter offered some support for Bush's invasion of Iraq, writing in February 2003, "Osama Bin Laden hit us on 9/11 because he thought we were soft and would not respond. Weakness now would further embolden Saddam Hussein".[15]

Alter served as a correspondent on the NBC Today Show for several stories about the effect of the Iraq War on returning veterans.

Alter and Fareed Zakaria (right) at the keynote 2024 event of the Morristown Festival of Books in New Jersey

Alter's 2006 book The Defining Moment concluded, to the surprise of some critics, that the United States had come very close to dictatorship before Franklin D. Roosevelt became president, painting FDR as the savior of American democracy and capitalism. The work gained acclaim from presidential candidates. During an interview with 60 Minutes on November 14, 2008, then-president-elect Barack Obama said he had recently been reading The Defining Moment and hoped to apply some of Roosevelt's strategies that were outlined in the book into his own administration.[16] In 2020, then-president-elect Joe Biden said that he was learning about the fragility of democracy from The Defining Moment.[17] As of 2025, for three times, Alter has been a best selling author on the list published by the New York Times.

A longtime proponent of education reform, Alter played a major role in the Academy Award-nominated documentary Waiting for "Superman".[18] He also sits on the board of directors of The 74, an education news website.[19]

Alter was the commencement speaker at Utica University in 2008. Again, in 2009, he was invited to be the speaker at the commencement at Western Connecticut State University when they awarded him an honorary doctorate.[20] He also has received honorary degrees from Montclair State University (2009) and William Paterson University (2019).

Alter has held professional positions at several institutions. In 1993, Alter was a fellow of The Japan Society. He was the Ferris Visiting Professor at Princeton University. In 2009, he was a visiting professor at Arizona State University. In 2016, Alter was an adjunct professor at Montclair State University. He was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 2024. He was named a visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome in 2025.

In April 2011, Alter left Newsweek, quickly joining the media outlet Bloomberg.[21] Following Bloomberg, he wrote for The New Yorker, The Daily Beast, Vanity Fair, Washington Monthly, and other publications. In 2024, he was a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, assigned to write about the Trump felony trial and his 2024 presidential campaign.

Alter was an executive producer of the Amazon Studios show Alpha House, starring John Goodman. Written by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau, the comedy series revolves around four Republican U.S. senators who live together in a townhouse on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. After developing the script with Trudeau, Alter sold the pilot to Amazon, which picked up the show as its first original series.[22] The show ran for two seasons, with a total of 21 episodes.

The 2019 HBO film Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists was co-produced and co-directed by Alter, with Steve McCarthy and John Block. The documentary was the winner of the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary. It remains available on HBO Max.[23]

Alter has interviewed nine of the past ten presidents of the United States.[24]

Personal life

[edit]

Alter lives in Montclair, New Jersey,[7] with his wife, Emily Lazar,[5] a former executive producer of the Comedy Central show The Colbert Report, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She is a longtime television news talent producer. Their three children are: Charlotte (born 1989), a senior national correspondent for Time magazine, Tommy (born 1991), an Emmy-winning producer and co-founder with JJ Redick of ThreeFourTwo Productions, where he hosts the hit basketball podcast The Young Man and the Three, and Molly (born 1993), a partner in Northzone, who was selected as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in venture capital in 2020.

Alter's family has had wide-ranging influence in politics. His mother, Joanne, was the first woman elected to public office in Cook County, Illinois. His sister, Jamie Alter Lynton, who also is a journalist and his brother-in-law Michael Lynton, the former CEO of Sony Corporation of America, were two of the most politically active Obama fundraisers in California. His cousin, Charles Rivkin, is a creator of the Muppets franchise,[25] a former United States Ambassador to France, and the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Another cousin, Robert S. Rivkin, is a former deputy mayor of Chicago.[25] Rivkin's wife Cindy S. Moelis is the former head of the White House Fellows Program and is among the closest friends of former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.

Alter is a former member of the board of directors of DonorsChoose,[26] which allows teachers to post online proposals for classroom materials. He is a current board member of The Blue Card,[27] a national Jewish organization assisting Holocaust survivors, the Century Foundation, and the Bone Marrow Foundation. He chairs the board of the J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project, which offers awards for non-fiction authors.

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Jonathan Alter

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Jonathan Alter (born October 6, 1957) is an American journalist, author, and political commentator recognized for his in-depth analyses of U.S. presidential history and policy. A native, he graduated with a B.A. in history from in 1979. Alter built his career as a senior editor and columnist at , where he contributed to coverage of major events including the , earning the National Headliner Award, and served as the magazine's media critic in the 1980s. He has also been a longtime political analyst for and MSNBC, providing commentary on elections and governance. His authorship includes several New York Times bestsellers, such as The Defining Moment: FDR's and the Triumph of Hope (2006), which examines Franklin D. Roosevelt's early initiatives; The Promise: President Obama, Year One (2010); The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies (2013); and His Very Best: and the Politics of Confidence (2020), focusing on Carter's presidency and post-presidential life. These works draw on extensive interviews, including with multiple U.S. presidents, to assess leadership amid crises. Beyond print and broadcast, Alter has advocated for education reform and contributed to documentaries, reflecting his broader interest in public policy challenges like fiscal issues and national service. His recent projects include coverage of Donald Trump's criminal trial in American Reckoning and the Substack newsletter Old Goats, where he critiques contemporary political figures from a historical vantage. While praised for rigorous research, Alter's perspectives align with establishment liberal viewpoints prevalent in mainstream journalism, potentially influencing interpretations of events like the Obama and Carter eras.

Biography

Early life and education

Jonathan Alter was born on October 6, 1957, in , , into a politically active family on the city's North Side. His father, James M. Alter (1922–2014), owned a refrigeration and air-conditioning company, while his mother was Joanne Alter. Alter attended from 1975 to 1979, earning a B.A. in history with honors. During his undergraduate years, he cultivated an interest in political journalism through regular reading of magazines including The Washington Monthly and . He did not commit to a journalism career until after graduating.

Professional Career

Alter's early editorial experience came at , where he served as an editor from 1981 to 1982, contributing to the magazine's coverage of political and policy issues. In 1983, he joined as an associate editor in the National Affairs section, focusing on and political analysis. The following year, he transitioned to the role of media critic, evaluating journalistic practices and media influence on public discourse. Promotions followed at Newsweek: senior writer in 1987 and senior editor in 1991, positions that allowed him to shape editorial content on presidential campaigns, policy debates, and national events. Over his 28-year tenure ending in April 2011, Alter authored more than 50 cover stories and hundreds of columns, often centering on Democratic administrations and progressive reforms. His editorial influence extended to guiding reporters on investigative pieces and features, though critics later noted a partisan tilt in selections favoring liberal viewpoints. Post-, Alter maintained print contributions as a contributing editor to , writing on historical and contemporary political topics, while freelancing for outlets like and Vanity Fair. These roles underscored his ongoing emphasis on empirical policy critique over ideological advocacy, drawing from firsthand reporting on and dynamics.

Authorship and historical works

Alter's authorship centers on detailed examinations of U.S. presidential , drawing from , interviews, and to explore decision-making during crises. His works often highlight transformative periods, emphasizing executive action's role in shaping national morale and economic recovery. Three of his books achieved New York Times bestseller status, reflecting broad interest in his interpretations of 20th- and 21st-century American history. In The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, published on November 7, 2006, Alter chronicles Franklin D. Roosevelt's first 100 days in 1933, focusing on legislative initiatives like the and the psychological impact of Roosevelt's "fear itself" inaugural address amid the . The book argues that Roosevelt's rapid reforms not only addressed banking failures but also restored public confidence through decisive governance. It received recognition as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Shifting to modern presidencies, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, released on January 5, 2010, provides an insider account of Barack Obama's initial term, covering responses to the 2008 financial crisis, healthcare reform, and foreign policy challenges. Alter, who had access to White House meetings, details Obama's strategic navigation of economic threats akin to the Depression era. The work reached number three on the New York Times bestseller list. The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, published on June 4, 2013, extends this focus to Obama's battles from the 2010 midterm elections through his 2013 , analyzing congressional gridlock, the debt ceiling crisis, and reelection strategies. Alter portrays Obama's resilience against partisan opposition as a defense of centrist policies. This book also became a New York Times bestseller. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, issued on October 6, 2020, offers the first comprehensive biography of , spanning his Georgia upbringing, 1976 election, presidency marked by the and , and post-office humanitarian efforts, including and work in 2002. Alter draws on over 150 interviews to reassess Carter's underestimated achievements against domestic economic struggles. Most recently, American Reckoning: Inside Trump's Trial—And My Own, published in 2024, examines Donald Trump's 2023-2024 New York hush money trial, intertwining legal proceedings with Alter's personal reflections on in presidential . The book critiques the trial's implications for executive immunity and .

Television commentary and

Jonathan Alter has served as a political analyst and contributing for and MSNBC since 1996, providing commentary on major political events, elections, and presidential administrations. His appearances span broadcasts including TODAY, , , and specials, as well as MSNBC programs such as Andrea Mitchell Reports and Alex Witt Reports. Alter frequently analyzes Democratic figures and policy outcomes, with recent segments in 2024 and 2025 addressing topics like former President Jimmy Carter's legacy and ongoing political trials. In addition to television, Alter engages in as a on and current affairs, often tied to his authorship. He has delivered talks at institutions like the , where on January 16, 2025, he discussed Jimmy Carter's life and legacy. Other engagements include events at Roosevelt House Institute in 2017 on Franklin D. Roosevelt's defining moments and virtual conversations promoting his books, such as with in 2020 on Carter's . Alter's speaking portfolio extends to panels on America's political landscape, including a April 2, 2025, discussion moderated at the event. These appearances underscore his role in shaping discourse through live and formats.

Political Commentary and Views

Advocacy for liberal policies and Democratic figures

Jonathan Alter has expressed strong support for Democratic presidents through biographical works that emphasize their achievements and reframe their legacies positively. In The Promise: President Obama, Year One (2010), he detailed Obama's navigation of the , passage of the , and efforts to fulfill campaign pledges amid economic turmoil, portraying the president as a pragmatic leader who averted a second . Similarly, The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies (2013) defended Obama's second-term strategies against Republican obstruction, highlighting his political machine-building and policy resilience. Alter's 2020 biography His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life argued that Carter remains the most misunderstood U.S. president, crediting him with advancing abroad, deregulating industries for long-term economic benefit, and establishing a post-presidential humanitarian model through and global diplomacy. Alter's columns and MSNBC commentary further advocate for liberal policies aligned with Democratic priorities. Following the 2016 election, he urged Democrats to mobilize actively rather than retreat, emphasizing grassroots action to counter Republican gains. In a 2023 analysis, he criticized the Supreme Court's ruling against race-based in college admissions, advocating class-based alternatives to promote socioeconomic diversity without evading the decision's intent. His New York Times opinion pieces have pushed for Democratic majorities to enact permanent protections for voting rights and abortion access, framing these as essential responses to conservative judicial shifts. On MSNBC, Alter has portrayed anti-Trump protests as indicators of Democratic determination, asserting that opposition forces represent the "good guys" prevailing over authoritarian tendencies. Through these outlets, Alter consistently endorses Democratic electoral strategies and figures, including speculation on intra-party dynamics like potential Biden-Clinton ticket adjustments in 2012, while critiquing Republican tactics as obstructive. His work underscores a commitment to progressive reforms in , civil rights, and economic equity, often attributing policy failures to partisan resistance rather than inherent flaws.

Analyses of presidential leadership and policy outcomes

Jonathan Alter's examinations of presidential leadership underscore the tension between bold policy initiatives and political execution. In The Defining Moment: FDR's and the Triumph of Hope (2006), he portrays Franklin D. Roosevelt's response to the as transformative, with the Emergency Banking Act of March 9, 1933, halting bank runs and restoring financial stability through federal intervention, complemented by that rebuilt public trust. Alter attributes FDR's empathetic leadership style to his experience, which fostered resilience and a focus on the suffering masses, enabling measures like the established April 1933 to provide employment for 250,000 young men by summer's end. For Jimmy Carter, Alter's His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life (2020) reframes the 39th president's tenure as substantively successful despite electoral loss, emphasizing policies like the National Energy Act of 1978, which promoted conservation and alternative fuels amid oil crises, and the signed September 17, 1978, averting immediate war between and . He argues Carter's human rights-based , including Panama Canal treaties ratified April 1978, advanced long-term diplomatic gains, while domestic of airlines in 1978 spurred industry competition and lower fares, countering narratives of policy failure rooted in 13.5% by 1980. Alter critiques Carter's stylistic weaknesses, such as ineffective communication during the 1979 , as causal to his 1980 defeat rather than inherent policy flaws. Alter's works on Barack Obama, including The Promise: President Obama, Year One (2010), detail crisis leadership through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed February 17, 2009—a $787 billion package blending tax cuts, infrastructure spending, and aid that Alter credits with creating or saving 2.5 million jobs by 2010 and averting Depression-level unemployment. In The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies (2013), he analyzes the Affordable Care Act enacted March 23, 2010, as expanding coverage to 20 million by 2016 via Medicaid expansion and marketplaces, though he notes Obama's initial underestimation of Republican opposition delayed full implementation. Alter highlights Obama's results-oriented approach in economic stabilization, with GDP growth resuming at 1.3% annualized in Q3 2009, but faults occasional detachment from political theater as hindering broader consensus.

Criticisms and Controversies

Perceived partisan bias in reporting

Critics, particularly from conservative outlets, have frequently accused Jonathan Alter of displaying a pronounced left-liberal in his reporting and commentary, citing his consistent for Democratic policies and figures as evidence of partisanship over objectivity. During his nearly three-decade tenure as a senior editor and columnist at from 1983 to 2011, Alter was among those blamed for the magazine's perceived shift toward liberal slant, with readers and commentators describing contributions from him and colleagues like as contributing to "complete liberal " that undermined journalistic neutrality. Upon his departure in April 2011, a discussion highlighted Alter as a leader in the "crass partisanship" infecting , reflecting broader conservative grievances about his editorial influence. Alter's authorship further fueled these perceptions, as seen in his 2013 book The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, where he portrayed President Barack Obama's challenges through a lens sympathetic to the administration while critiquing Republican opposition; reviewers noted that Alter explicitly admitted his " in favor of the president," which conservatives viewed as confirmation of selective framing that downplayed shortcomings in favor of narrative alignment with liberal priorities. Similarly, his defenses of Democratic leaders, such as reframing Jimmy Carter's presidency against alleged media es while emphasizing "visionary success," were interpreted by detractors as partisan revisionism that prioritized ideological rehabilitation over balanced historical assessment. In his role as an MSNBC political analyst since the early 2000s, Alter's on-air commentary has drawn accusations of overt partisanship, exemplified by his October 2024 characterization of as "evil" and a "sick f***," language that critics argued exemplified emotional, one-sided more akin to than dispassionate . Such instances align with broader critiques of MSNBC's left-leaning environment, where Alter's frequent appearances alongside hosts like reinforced perceptions of network-driven bias, including Republican-hostile framing in election coverage. Alter has countered such claims by emphasizing journalistic ideals like "enlightenment" through factual reporting, yet conservatives maintain that his consistent alignment with Democratic narratives—evident in columns decrying Republican "obstructionism" without equivalent scrutiny of liberal policies—undermines claims of impartiality. These perceptions persist despite Alter's occasional critiques of Democrats, as his overall output is seen by opponents as disproportionately favorable to progressive causes.

Debates over historical interpretations

Alter's analysis in The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope (2006) posits that Roosevelt's early initiatives, including banking reforms and the National Industrial Recovery Act, averted total collapse and fostered innovation, with FDR's adaptability key to navigating the crisis. Conservative historians, however, debate this by pointing to data indicating the New Deal's wage and stifled recovery; for instance, remained above 20% through 1938, and GNP growth stalled until pre-World War II military spending, arguing Alter overemphasizes psychological "hope" at the expense of fiscal distortions that deepened the downturn compared to freer markets in prior recessions. A specific flashpoint involves Alter's treatment of a 1932 undelivered speech draft, influenced by advisors like , advocating extraconstitutional measures such as mobilizing the as a "private army" amid economic unrest—language Alter describes as "dictator talk" yet frames as rejected due to FDR's democratic instincts. counters that while the phrasing evokes akin to Mussolini's , Alter's exoneration of FDR appears selective, questioning if similar advisor-driven extremism from a Republican like would receive equivalent absolution rather than condemnation as a near-power grab. Regarding Roosevelt's 1937 court-packing proposal to add up to six justices, Alter portrays it as a failed but constitutionally permissible legislative bid to counter judicial obstruction of laws, ultimately yielding a more compliant via retirements and the "switch in time that saved nine." Opponents, including contemporaries like Senator and modern constitutional scholars, interpret it as an assault on , evidenced by its bipartisan rejection in ( vote: 70-22 against) and public backlash polls showing 52% opposition by mid-1937, arguing Alter minimizes the threat to in favor of policy expediency. In His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life (2020), Alter reinterprets Carter's tenure as underrated, highlighting deregulation of airlines ( yielding 40% fare drops by 1985) and diplomacy pressuring authoritarian regimes. This clashes with critiques emphasizing causal links between Carter's policies—like loose monetary expansion—and , with peaking at 13.5% in 1980 and real GDP contracting 0.3% that year, alongside the 444-day eroding deterrence, as factors conservatives attribute to structural weaknesses Alter downplays in favor of post-presidency moral authority.

Legacy and Recent Activities

Influence on public discourse

Alter's tenure as a senior editor and columnist at from 1983 to 2011, during which he authored more than 50 , contributed to shaping national conversations on American politics and presidential leadership. His "Commitment Watch" feature in 1997 leveraged media scrutiny to promote personal and corporate social commitments, influencing expanded volunteer service pledges at President Clinton's Summit for America's Future. In 1995, a survey of media executives and scholars identified him as one of the nation's most influential media critics, underscoring his role in critiquing journalistic practices and debates. Through his books, Alter has advanced historical interpretations that inform contemporary discourse on executive power and crisis response. His 2006 work The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope detailed Franklin D. Roosevelt's experimental approach to the , drawing parallels to modern leadership challenges and emphasizing adaptability in policy formulation. Similarly, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life (2020), based on extensive interviews including over a dozen with Carter himself, offered a nuanced reassessment of Carter's presidency—highlighting achievements like the alongside shortcomings—challenging simplistic narratives of failure and elevating discussions of post-presidential humanitarian impact, such as the near-eradication of Guinea worm disease via the Carter Center. As a political analyst for and MSNBC since 1996, Alter's television appearances have extended his reach into broadcast media, providing commentary on elections, policy, and historical analogies. In recent years, his newsletter Old Goats with Jonathan Alter, launched in 2021 and attracting tens of thousands of subscribers, fosters ongoing dialogue on current events through columns and interviews with figures like historians and policymakers. These platforms, combined with contributions to outlets like , sustain his influence in analyzing Democratic strategies and presidential legacies amid partisan divides.

Post-2011 developments and current contributions

In April 2011, Alter left after 28 years as a senior editor and columnist, transitioning to Bloomberg View where he wrote columns until 2013. He maintained his role as a contributing correspondent for and MSNBC, providing political analysis on programs including The Week with George Stephanopoulos and various election coverage specials. Alter published The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies in 2013, a New York Times bestseller examining President Obama's political struggles during his second term. In 2020, he released His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, a comprehensive that drew on extensive interviews and archival research to reassess Carter's and post-presidential humanitarian efforts. That year, Alter co-directed the documentary Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, which earned a 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary. Since 2016, Alter has hosted the weekly Sirius XM radio program Alter Family Politics (channel 102), featuring discussions with his adult children on current events. In May 2021, he launched the newsletter OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter, a platform for weekly ruminations on , , and culture, often including interviews with seasoned commentators. His most recent book, American Reckoning: Inside Trump's Trial—and My Own, appeared on October 22, 2024, blending coverage of Donald Trump's legal proceedings with personal reflections on and accountability. Alter continues to contribute columns to outlets such as , , and , with recent pieces addressing Democratic strategies and judicial matters as of January 2025. He has participated in public events, including discussions at the LBJ Library on Jimmy Carter's legacy in 2025. These activities underscore his ongoing influence in political journalism and historical analysis.

Personal Life

Family and relationships

Jonathan Alter married Emily Lazar on October 18, 1986. Lazar, a television producer who served as executive producer for The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, met Alter during their time in New York. The couple resides in Montclair, New Jersey. They have three children: Charlotte, born circa 1990; Tommy; and Molly. Charlotte Alter is a staff writer for Time magazine, covering politics. She married journalist Mark Chiusano in May 2019. Molly Alter married Augustin Guibaud in August 2020 in France. Alter was born on October 6, 1957, in to James M. Alter, a , and Joanne Alter, a philanthropist and community leader. He has siblings including brother Hamilton and sister , who is married to media executive .

References

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  15. https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Jonathan-Alter/19409705
  16. https://jonathanalter.com/work/the-defining-moment-fdrs-hundred-days-and-the-triumph-of-hope/
  17. https://jonathanalter.com/work/the-promise-president-obama-year-one/
  18. https://jonathanalter.com/work/the-center-holds-obama-and-his-enemies/
  19. https://www.amazon.com/Center-Holds-Obama-His-Enemies/dp/1451646070
  20. https://jonathanalter.com/work/his-very-best-jimmy-carter-a-life/
  21. https://www.amazon.com/His-Very-Best-Jimmy-Carter/dp/1501125486
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  33. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/918289286/his-very-best-calls-jimmy-carter-perhaps-the-most-misunderstood-president
  34. https://www.siriusxm.com/blog/jonathan-alters-message-for-democrats-to-take-action-we-dont-choose-when-were-called
  35. https://oldgoats.substack.com/p/whats-next-for-affirmative-action
  36. https://www.nytimes.com/by/jonathan-alter
  37. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/10/18/jonathan_alter_anti-trump_protests_are_proof_that_as_bad_as_things_are_the_good_guys_are_going_to_win.html
  38. https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2011-10-14/hillary-clinton-over-joe-biden-in-2012-possible-jonathan-alter
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  40. https://www.npr.org/2006/07/01/5525748/author-reconstructs-fdrs-defining-moment
  41. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/books/review/07widmer.html
  42. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/18/jonathan-alter-jimmy-carter-donald-trump-reagan-bush-clinton-obama
  43. https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2020/10/25/review-of-his-very-best-jimmy-carter-a-life-by-jonathan-alter/
  44. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-jimmy-carter-may-be-the-most-misunderstood-president-in-american-history
  45. https://www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/kennedy-library-forums/past-forums/transcripts/president-obama-year-one
  46. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/books/review/Heilbrunn-t.html
  47. https://www.oxy.edu/news/journalist-recounts-obamas-challenges-and-triumphs-first-year
  48. http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0411/Jonathan_Alter_out_at_Newsweek.html
  49. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/12/harper-in-attacking-fox-news-author-overstates-the/
  50. https://bookish.livejournal.com/3420655.html
  51. https://www.allsides.com/news/2024-10-27-0615/politics-msnbc-analyst-jonathan-alter-slams-trump-evil-sick-f
  52. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1178447612214495/posts/7430444487014745/
  53. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/books/the-center-holds-by-jonathan-alter.html
  54. https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2016/08/28/review-of-the-defining-moment-fdrs-hundred-days-by-jonathan-alter/
  55. https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/the-raw-deal/
  56. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/re-alter-and-fdr-jonah-goldberg/
  57. https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/04/29/trumps-first-100-days-roosevelt-in-reverse/
  58. https://pacificlegal.org/court-packing-is-a-terrible-idea-fdr-proved-it/
  59. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/books/review/his-very-best-jonathan-alter.html
  60. https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/arts/books/2020/10/30/jonathan-alters-portrait-of-jimmy-carter-shows-his-very-best/
  61. https://oldgoats.substack.com/
  62. https://archivesspace.bu.edu/repositories/9/resources/535
  63. https://bookfest.tulane.edu/authors/jonathan-alter
  64. https://www.amazon.com/American-Reckoning-Inside-Trumps-Trial_and/dp/1637746660
  65. https://www.pbs.org/video/jonathan-alter-KgxXkp/
  66. https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/24/style/emily-lazar-engaged-to-jonathan-h-alter.html
  67. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1146602/bio/
  68. https://www.wpunj.edu/president/messages/president-message-190425
  69. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/fashion/weddings/charlotte-alter-mark-chiusano.html
  70. https://www.instagram.com/p/CD2aNf2nTnc/?hl=en
  71. https://www.nndb.com/people/199/000100896/
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