MPR News with Angela Davis

Obama’s former speechwriter reflects on time White House.

A man poses next to a book
Cody Keenan and his new book "Grace."
Courtesy photos

Imagine being the speechwriter for the most powerful person in the world. That was Cody Keenan’s job. He was the chief speech writer for former President Barack Obama during some of the most pivotal times in modern American history.

Keenan looks back on those days in his new book, “Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America.” It takes readers behind the scenes of the Obama administration for ten days in June 2015, after a horrific shooting at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Keenan about his new book.

Guest:  

  • Cody Keenan was the Senior Advisor and Director of Speechwriting for former President Barack Obama. He is the author of the new book “Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America”