Portrait of Peter Baker

Peter Baker

Along with the rest of our White House team, I cover the president and his administration, which can result in stories on a wide variety of domestic, economic, political, national security and foreign policy issues. White House reporters attend speeches, briefings and campaign events; regularly interview members of the president’s staff as well as his critics; and travel with the president around the country and the world, sometimes on Air Force One.

Because I covered former President Donald J. Trump when he was in office, I sometimes also write about his continued involvement in public life, focusing mainly on analytical pieces attempting to place what’s been happening in a larger context and historical framework.

I joined The Times in 2008 after 20 years at The Washington Post and have covered the past five presidents, starting in 1996 with Bill Clinton and continuing through George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald J. Trump and now Joe Biden.

Over the years, I’ve covered elections, economic crises, foreign policy decisions, natural disasters, legislative battles, eight Supreme Court nominations, six presidential inaugurations, three impeachments and more State of the Union addresses than I can count.

During a break from the White House, my wife, Susan Glasser, and I spent four years in Moscow for The Post, chronicling the rise of Vladimir Putin. I also covered the early months of the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq from those countries. At The Times, I served briefly as the lead reporter for the paper’s Jerusalem office.

I have written seven books, most recently “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” with my wife.

Maintaining journalistic independence is important for us at The Times, which has an extensive ethics policy. In my own case, I do not belong to a political party or any other organization that advocates on issues that I cover. I do not give political contributions or participate in political events. And I even choose not to vote. That last one is sometimes controversial; most other journalists I know do vote, believing strongly that it does not compromise their journalistic neutrality, and I totally respect that. It’s a choice I make only for myself because I feel that it helps me stay as open-minded as possible.

Latest

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    news analysis

    A Diplomatic Victory of Uncertain Staying Power

    President Biden successfully assembled a coalition to defend Israel against Iran’s aerial attack, but the cycle of retaliation could continue, challenging the White House’s efforts to avert a sustained conflict.

    By Peter Baker

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    news analysis

    In Threatening Israel, Biden Hopes to Avoid a Rupture

    The president has put Israel’s leader “on probation,” as a veteran diplomat put it. The threat is not idle, aides said, but he wants to force a course correction rather than follow through.

    By Peter Baker

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