John Wood Jr. started as an opinion columnist for USA TODAY in May 2022. He is also National Ambassador for Braver Angels; America's largest bipartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to the work of political depolarization. Prior to that Wood was a nominee for congress in California's 43rd district in the 2014 election cycle, afterwards serving as 2nd Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County (America's largest county level Republican Party). John is highly regarded public speaker on matters of racial and political reconciliation. He is a member of the Progress Network, an initiative of the New America Foundation dedicated to foster civilizational progress through thought leadership across a wide spectrum of views, a field builder with New Pluralists, a collaborative of organizations dedicated to civic bridge-building and racial justice, and an advisor with the American Project: an initiative of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy dedicated to restoring the communitarian roots of conservatism.
Our journalists adhere to the USA TODAY NETWORK Principles of Ethical Conduct For Newsrooms.
My Recent Work
Trump got it. Cracker Barrel backlash was about valuing our roots.John Wood Jr.
Trump used Epstein to manipulate MAGA. Now he must seek forgiveness.John Wood Jr.
LA has right to be angry over ICE raids on our neighborsJohn Wood Jr.
John Wood Jr.
John Wood Jr.
Is NPR chief too 'woke'? Here's what her critics get wrong.John Wood Jr.
Was O.J. guilty? His trial left me confused as a Black child in America.John Wood Jr.
America needs to have a hard conversation about racismJohn Wood Jr.
A doctor admitted COVID mistakes. His critics made him pay for it.John Wood Jr.
MLK was a radical about loving our enemies while working for justiceJohn Wood Jr.
Disqualifying Trump from ballot is worst thing for our divided AmericaJohn Wood Jr.
Trump warns about World War III. He's not wrong about the risk.John Wood Jr.
Vivek Ramaswamy wants to unite America but ignores Trump's division
How Clarence Thomas is erasing Americans' trust in democracy
John Wood Jr.
How Clarence Thomas is erasing Americans' trust in democracyJohn Wood Jr.
Danger ahead: How will Americans react if Trump goes to prison?John Wood Jr.
Same-sex marriage was at risk. Then these senators worked to save it.John Wood Jr.
John Wood Jr.
Can Americans talk about guns? These students showed how to do it.John Wood Jr.
Tucker Carlson is often wrong. It's a mistake to simply ignore him.John Wood Jr.
How do we heal a broken America? Listen to Martin Luther King Jr.John Wood Jr.
I launched a podcast. And even Elon Musk insulted my first guest.John Wood Jr.
Tribalism poisons America. We can fight it one conversation at a time.John Wood Jr.
John Wood Jr.
Why painting 'MAGA Republicans' as enemies won't save our democracyJohn Wood Jr.
Is rise of conservative media good for democracy? Dangers lie ahead.John Wood Jr.
How far should we go to rid America of Donald Trump?John Wood Jr.
I was a teen when my girlfriend got pregnant. Abortion is complicated.John Wood Jr.
D'Souza's flimsy arguments about 2020 don't validate 'stolen' claimJohn Wood Jr.
Why class, not white privilege, drives inequality in America
America Talks: How patriotism can unite, not divide, us as Americans