David Litt

David Litt
Litt in 2015
Born	(1986-09-17) September 17, 1986 (age 38) New York City, U.S.
Education	Dalton School
Alma mater	Yale University (BA)
Occupation(s)	Political speechwriter, author
Years active	2011–present

David Litt (born September 17, 1986) is an American political speechwriter and author of the comedic memoir Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years. ^[1] He is currently the head writer/producer for Funny or Die's office in Washington, D.C. ^[2]

Biography

Litt (center) with President Obama, November 2014

Born to a Jewish family ^[3] in New York City where he attended the Dalton School, Litt attended Yale University, where he was a member of the Yale Ex!t Players and editor-in-chief of the Yale Record. ^[4] He first got involved in political speechwriting through an internship with West Wing Writers. ^[5] He entered the White House in 2011, at the age of 24, and for four years served as a senior presidential speechwriter first to Presidential Advisor Valerie Jarrett, White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley, and ultimately to President Barack Obama, including as the lead writer on four White House Correspondents' Association dinner presentations. ^[6] Litt has also written for The Onion and McSweeney's Internet Tendency. ^[7]

Litt married Jacqueline Kappler on August 4, 2018. ^[8]

Books

Litt's first book, Thanks, Obama, was a New York Times Best Seller ^[9] and was named one of the best books of 2017 by Esquire magazine. ^[10] His second, Democracy in One Book or Less, was released in June 2020. ^[11]

Litt's third book, It's Only Drowning, A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground, was released on June 24, 2025. ^[12] The book discusses the author's friendship with his brother-in-law during the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[13]

Bibliography

• Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years (Ecco Press) ISBN   978-0-0625684-5-8 ^{[1] [14]}
• Democracy in One Book or Less (Ecco Press) ISBN   978-0-0628793-6-3 ^[11]

References

1. Litt, David. "Thanks, Obama - David Litt - Hardcover". HarperCollins US. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
2. Johnson, Ted (February 24, 2016). "Funny or Die Hires President Obama's Former Speechwriter David Litt". Variety. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
3. David Litt tells true story as part of My So Called Jewish Life, Vimeo.com, December 20, 2010
4. Clifford, Catherine (June 26, 2017). "Former Obama speechwriter: This is the one question you have to ask to be an effective communicator". Cnbc.com. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
5. "West Wing Writers: Speechwriting to Strategy". www.westwingwriters.com. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
6. Deb, Sopan (September 1, 2017). "David Litt, an Obama Speechwriter Who Wants No Credit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
7. de Moraes, Lisa (February 24, 2016). "Obama Speechwriter David Litt Joins Funny Or Die Washington Office". Deadline. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
8. "Jacqueline Kappler, David Litt". The New York Times. August 5, 2018.
9. "New York Times: Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers". newyorktimes.com. October 15, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
10. "Esquire Magazine: 50 Best Books of 2017". esquire.com. December 14, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
11. Litt, David. "Democracy in One Book or Less - David Litt - Hardcover". HarperCollins US. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
12. "It's Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground (Hardcover)". McNally Jackson Books. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
13. "It's Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Pursuit of Common Ground by David Litt". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
14. Waldman, Katy (September 2017). "Thanks, Obama". Slate . Retrieved September 30, 2017.