Two Dads Defending Democracy | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Type: Public event

Two Dads Defending Democracy

A Conversation Across Differences

Remote video URL

Speaker

Joe Walsh, Fred Guttenberg, Jonathan Cohn

Date & time

Sep 27, 2024, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT

Location

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
735 South State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Have a question for our panel? Submit your question at: https://myumi.ch/4rPZ4

Joe Walsh, Former Tea Party Congressional Representative (R-IL) and gun-rights supporter, and Fred Guttenberg, a businessman-turned-activist following his daughter’s murder in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, once had a vitriolic relationship on Twitter (now X) and national networks. Recognizing the damage of such divisive posturing, Walsh and Guttenberg began to forge a friendship. Join us for a conversation between two high-profile advocates from opposite ends of the political spectrum who found common ground on contentious issues through respect, understanding, and a willingness to listen and learn. 

Speaker Bios:

Joe Walsh is a former Republican Congressman from Illinois elected to Congress in the Tea Party wave of 2010. Following his service in Congress, Walsh became one of the most popular conservative talk radio hosts in the country, syndicated in major markets throughout the U.S. In August of 2019 Joe became a candidate for President of the
United States, waging a Republican primary challenge against Donald Trump. 

Joe is currently the Director of The Social Contract and the host of a podcast called, “White Flag With Joe Walsh,” where Joe has weekly conversations with other well-known people to model how to have respectful
conversations with those you disagree with. Joe comes from the MAGA base and also spends a lot of time engaging, respectfully, with that base. 

Fred Guttenberg began his public life after the murder of his beautiful 14-year-old daughter Jaime. The day after the murder, Fred attended a public vigil in Parkland. While there, the Mayor asked him to speak. His words shook a nation.
Fred has traveled the country talking about perspective, perseverance, and resilience. He discusses pivotal moments in our life and how we respond to those moments. Fred Guttenberg’s professional life previously included over a decade of experience management with Johnson and Johnson, followed by almost 15 years as an entrepreneur.