#395 Obama Speechwriter (& Surfer) - David Litt

David Litt is a writer, political speechwriter, and author best known for his work as a senior presidential speechwriter for President Barack Obama. Joining the White House at just 24, Litt became one of the youngest speechwriters in history, contributing to remarks on issues ranging from healthcare and climate change to comedy sketches for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. After leaving government, he turned to writing for a wider audience. His memoir, Thanks, Obama , blends sharp political insight with self-deprecating humor, earning praise for its candid behind-the-scenes look at life in the West Wing. He later published Democracy in One Book or Less , an accessible, witty exploration of how America’s political system works—and how it doesn’t. His latest book, It’s Only Drowning , is a laugh-out-loud love letter to surfing—and the story of an unlikely friendship, one that crosses the fault lines of education, ideology, and culture tearing so many of us apart. Follow David’s Substack, Word Salad . If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts ? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack . It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/

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#395 Obama Speechwriter (& Surfer) - David Litt is an episode from The Kyle Thiermann Show by Kyle Thiermann.

This episode is 83:03 long.

This episode was published on Sep 19, 2025.

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