Steve Schmidt

Renowned Political Strategist
Steve Schmidt
  • Legendary campaign operative for President George W. Bush, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sen. John McCain
  • Former Vice Chairman at Edelman who advised CEOs and senior decision makers at Fortune 500 corporations
  • Co-founder of The Lincoln Project political action committee
  • Shares his insider perspective into the headlines that matter and what they mean for businesses

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As a counselor to world leaders, CEOs, celebrities, and political movements, Steve Schmidt — for more than two decades — has played an influential role in American politics and has helped navigate some of the most high stakes corporate, athletic, political crises and business strategy challenges of our time. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, he is one of the nation’s most plugged-in political operatives who offers a candid look at today’s headlines and breaks down what the latest political news means for stakeholders on Main Street, Wall Street, Capitol Hill, and beyond.

In the aftermath of the 2016 American presidential election, Steve has emerged as one of the strongest and most incisive voices commenting on U.S. politics and global issues. He was the first person on American television to say Donald Trump could win in 2015, and accurately predicted in September 2020 the political violence that broke out on January 6, 2021.

Well-known for his part in the 2008 U.S. election cycle, Steve was credited with transforming Senator John McCain’s campaign “from corpse to contender.” He previously architected a similar turnaround for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Steve was a top strategist in the 2004 campaign to re-elect President George W. Bush and served in the Bush administration, during which time he led the successful confirmations of two U.S.  Supreme Court Justices. He spent ten years as an analyst with MSNBC, resigning to found the Lincoln Project, which became the most politically effective Super PAC in history during the 2020 election cycle.  

Steve is founder of The Warning, a digital media company comprised of a daily newsletter, podcast, and video analysis on his YouTube channel. Through The Warning, he seeks to orient his audience to the currents that are shaping our times, and the unseen forces shaping American culture and politics that are rarely discussed on cable news. He takes his audience behind the scenes with an expert’s eye that pierces the cynicism, both-siderism, and propaganda that has laid wreckage to the credibility of America’s political, media and business institutions. Schmidt has a talent for explaining the complexities of our time and connecting this moment to both our history and what is coming next.

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Steve Schmidt: Trump's Press Attacks Endanger Journalists

A Candid Look at Today's Headlines. As one of the most prominent and significant political strategists in the country, Schmidt gives audiences a candid insider’s perspective on the political news of the day and what it all means from Main Street to Wall Street to Capitol Hill and beyond. With no subject off-limits, Schmidt brings his experience, passion, wit and behind-the-scenes anecdotes to the table for a lively discussion on today's headlines and the issues facing the current Administration.

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