Mitt Romney Biographer McKay Coppins

McKay Coppins is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers politics, religion, and national affairs. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of Mitt Romney published by Scribner in October 2023, and The Wilderness, a 2015 book about the battle for the future of the Republican Party. A former visiting fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, Coppins has won the Aldo Beckman Award from the White House Correspondents Association for his coverage of the Trump presidency and the Wilbur Award for religion journalism. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife and children. ABOUT MASTERING THE ROOMMastering the Room is produced by the George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management and hosted by political analyst and professor Casey Burgat. In less time than the average D.C. morning commute, you'll get an inside take on today’s issues with information and perspectives you won’t get anywhere else.MTR challenges guests to go beyond the Sunday show talking points and offer a deeper understanding of polarizing topics, discussing ideas that few have heard before.Whether you agree with them or not, you’ll see unique arguments from surprising new angles. Packed with influencers, experts, and familiar names in DC and beyond, Mastering the Room is a podcast with access, connections, and proximity to power.  To listen to vintage episodes from the original Mastering the Room podcast, click here. ABOUT CASEY BURGATMastering the Room host, Casey Burgat, is the Director of the Legislative Affairs program at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. Before joining GSPM, Dr. Burgat was a Senior Governance Fellow at the R Street Institute where his research focused on issues of Congressional capacity and reform. Mr. Burgat is known for his regular contributions to scholarly and journalistic publications, including CNN, the Washington Post, and Politico, and has appeared on various television and radio outlets. Dr. Burgat is the author of the 2025 Amazon best-seller  We Hold These "Truths," exploring society's myths and misconceptions about how government works (published by Authors Equity). He's also co-authored Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch, a textbook on all things Congress, published by Sage/CQ Press in the fall of 2022.