Jonathan Karl, the Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and co-anchor of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” will address Washington College’s 2025 graduating class at their commencement ceremony in Chestertown, Maryland this spring. The event is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2025.
A highly respected journalist with extensive experience covering U.S. politics, foreign policy, and the military, Karl has reported from over 30 countries and received numerous prestigious accolades, including an Emmy® Award for coverage of President Barack Obama’s 2009 Inauguration and is a two-time recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award. A former President of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Karl also served as ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent from 2012 to 2021. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers including “Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party,” “Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show” and “Front Row at the Trump Show.” His forthcoming book, “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America” will be published October 28.
During his career, Karl has covered four presidential administrations and seven presidential elections, securing significant early interviews with such political figures as Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 cycle. Prior to his current role, he served as ABC’s senior political correspondent and earlier as a tenacious foreign affairs correspondent, traveling globally with Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. His impactful reporting on the Darfur crisis earned him an Emmy® nomination. Beyond politics, Karl has conducted notable interviews with cultural icons such as Sir Elton John and the Dalai Lama.
“It’s a high honor to deliver the commencement address at Washington College,” said Karl. “I look forward to meeting the graduates and their families and spending time at an institution that holds the core values as its founding patron, George Washington.”
The decorated journalist went on to say that this ceremony holds special meaning to him as his older brother is a proud graduate of Washington College. “I have fond memories of visiting the campus many years ago,” he said.
Details regarding the 2025 Commencement ceremony can be found at https://www.washcoll.edu/campus-events/commencement/index.php.
Karl’s career highlights and most recent reporting can be found at https://abcnews.go.com/author/jonathan_karl.
