Barack Obama’s speechwriter: “I’d give Amanda Gorman a White House job in a heartbeat”.

The top speechwriter for the Obama administration, Cody Keenan, says he would give Amanda Gorman a job at the White House after astonishing the world with her inauguration poem.The 22-year-old’s “The Hill We Climb” was a highlight of the ceremony marking the start of Joe Biden’s presidency, and has been hailed by critics for its themes of unity and togetherness. The advisor, who was director of speechwriting at the White House between 2013 and 2017, also gives us a behind the scenes glimpse of how to write a great political speech.

Also, The Hill’s Capitol reporter, Juliegrace Brufke, joins us to discuss a lightning fast first day at the Oval Office with 17 executive orders dispatched from the Resolute Desk.

Joe Biden’s already begun dismantling his predecessor’s work, signing off on the US re-joining the Paris climate change agreement, and halting construction of a wall on the border with Mexico.

But will the pace slow down as the White House slogs through what it calls “four converging crises:” the Covid-19 pandemic, an economic crisis, climate change, and racial inequality?

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