Join the Penn Political Union in welcoming Cody Keenan and Tyler Lechtenberg as they discuss their time speechwriting for the Obamas.

Cody wrote alongside President Barack Obama for 14 years, working his way up to White House Chief Speechwriter. In 2022, his first book, Grace, became an instant New York Times Bestseller in its own right, providing an account of ten of the most dramatic days of the presidency that tested the very character of our country, when a president’s words could unite the nation or tear it apart. Cody was named the “Springsteen” of the Obama White House, despite not being able to play an instrument, and British GQ named Cody one of the 35 Coolest Men under 38, ahead of Ryan Gosling, but behind Tom Hardy. He kickstarted his career in public service as a young aide to the legendary senator Ted Kennedy. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. from Northwestern. He’s appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, TODAY, Morning Joe, Showtime’s The Circus, and is a frequent in-studio guest on Pod Save America and live television coverage of major presidential addresses.Today, he lives in Chicago with his wife Kristen and their young children Grace and Jack.

Tyler grew up on a farm outside of Strawberry Point, Iowa, getting his start in politics as a campaign field organizer teaching his neighbors how to pronounce an unusual name in 2007. Over the next decade, he worked his way up to Senior Presidential Speechwriter in the White House. All in all, Tyler has worked with both President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama for more than 12 years and counting, including collaborating with Mrs. Obama on her all-time record-breaking memoir, Becoming. Before entering politics, Tyler wrote about the Iowa Hawkeyes and local Friday night heroes for The Gazette in Cedar Rapids. He joined AmeriCorps to serve as executive director of The 10,000 Hours Show, a startup nonprofit formed to encourage volunteerism. Tyler holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communications from the University of Iowa. Today, he lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Sara Rhodin, and their children, Solomon and Petra.