Michael Gerson went unexpectedly at the age of 58, leaving behind a collection of outstanding works he compiled for The Washington Post. He was George W. Bush‘s principal speechwriter and one of his closest advisers, responsible for the president’s trademark addresses. Additionally, Gerson affected the president’s domestic and international policies. Later, he became a harsh critic of the wildly popular Trump administration.
Michael Gerson Cause Of Death
Peter Wehner, a former colleague of Gerson, reported that the cause of death was renal cancer. Gerson, like President Bush, was a devout Christian with a strong faith in Christianity. Comparable in ethics, morality, and way of thinking, the two were virtually identical.
Michael Gerson differed from Mr Bush in that he was intellectual, restless, and reserved, whereas Mr Bush was laid-back, down-to-earth, and outgoing. Mr Bush utilised several colourful terms to express his message, but Mr Gerson used simple language with religious connotations.
Gerson has accompanied Mr Bush since his first campaign for the presidency in 1999. Even now, several of Mr Bush’s speeches, such as his repudiation of the year 2000, are widely lauded, but the original mastermind behind the innovative ideas and lines was none other than Gerson.
When a second wordsmith, David Frum, coined the term “axis of hatred,” Gerson reworked it into the more memorable “axis of evil.”
Gerson was also a policy advisor, for which he was frequently likened to Theodore C. Sorensen, John F. Kennedy‘s closest friend. Prior to the terrorist strikes of 2022, Gerson favoured faith-based programmes and education. After the attack, he shifted his attention to foreign issues as well as medical and economic aid.
In December 2004, Gerson was diagnosed with a small heart attack, but he returned to work within two weeks when he was assigned to compose Mr Bush’s second inaugural address. However, he eventually decided to slow down. Although he contributed his maximum to the speeches, he relocated from the White House to a prime location adjacent to the Oval Office.
Two years later, he left the White House and joined The Washington Post as a twice-weekly columnist. He primarily utilised his column to inspire non-Trump supporters and to criticise party members who, in his opinion, were morally deviant.
In June, he called Representative Kevin McCarthy the most “unprincipled,” “pathetic,” and “repugnant” political figure, although despite being a Republican, his views were frequently a blend of the left and right.
Who is Michael Gerson?
Michael J. Gerson was born in Belmar, New Jersey on May 15, 1964, to Michael Fred Gersson, a dairy scientist and Republican, and Betty Gerson, an artist and Kennedy Democrat. When Gerson was ten years old, his family relocated to St. Louis.
Gerson, a former White House speechwriter, frequently cited Democrats Harry S. Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson as the ideal presidents. Nevertheless, he chose to remain a Republican, and in 1984 he began pushing for Ronald Reagan’s reelection.
After transferring from Georgetown University, Gerson pursued his higher education at Wheaton College, where he majored in biblical studies and philosophy. After graduating, he worked for Charles Colson, the former advisor to President Richard M. Nixon, and subsequently began serving Republican Senator Dan Coats.
In the office of Senator Coats, he first conceived of compassionate conservatism and domestic policy views that were entirely geared toward aiding disadvantaged minorities through religious organisations.
Gerson prepped both Senator Bob Dole and his running mate Jack Kemp during the 1996 presidential campaign. Shortly thereafter, he entered journalism and was employed by US News & World Report, specifically to cover political issues.
Before the Bush campaign discovered him, he worked as a journalist for a reputable network. Mr Bush reportedly interviewed Gerson for only one hour before offering him the position of a speechwriter.
Almost immediately, Gerson introduced a distinctive style by incorporating elements that reflected the President’s disciplined speaking style. He supplied the words and edited the entire content that Mr Bush had previously delivered, establishing a strong rapport with the President.