Bridging the Political Divide

Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh and Fred Guttenberg have strongly opposing political views. Walsh is an ardent gun rights advocate, and Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed in the 2018 Parkland School shooting, is a prominent gun safety activist.

For years the two were publicly at odds, but over time these two dads formed an unexpected partnership based on open dialogue, respectful disagreement, and a shared calling to defend our democracy.

Join the Johns Hopkins community to hear from Walsh and Guttenberg as they tell their story of how two people who are diametrically opposed on politics and policy can lower the temperature and start listening to one another – even in a deeply divided political environment.

Sponsored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute and Hopkins Bloomberg Center

Thursday, September 12, 6:15 pm to 7:30 pm

Note: Doors open at 5:30 PM

Hopkins Bloomberg Center­

555 Pennsylvania Avenue

Northwest, Washington, DC 20001

Theater [First Floor]

Note: This is an in-person event only; a livestream will not be available.

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 the author of F*CK SILENCE: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is released in February of 2020. 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. Joe can be seen regularly on CNN, MSNBC and News Nation and has been written up in major publications like the NYT, Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Raw Story and Newsweek.

Fred Guttenberg began his public life after the M**der of his beautiful 14-year-old daughter Jaime in the 2018 Parkland high school shooting. The day after the M**der, Fred attended a public vigil in Parkland, and the Mayor asked him to speak. His words shook a nation. Only four months prior to this, Fred’s brother Michael passed away from cancer related to his service on 9/11; Michael was one of the original first responders and was trapped in the WTC as it collapsed. Amazingly, the room that they hid out in did not collapse and Michael and his team of physicians spent 16 days at ground zero taking care of others. Following his involvement in these two distinctly American tragedies, Fred has traveled the country talking about both events but also talking about perspective, perseverance, and resilience. He discusses pivotal moments in our life and how we respond to those moments. Fred’s mission ultimately led him to write his first book Find the Helpers and his follow-up book American Carnage with Tom Gabor. 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, with 19 Dunkin Donuts, which he sold in November 2016.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, United States