View source for George Will

{{short description|American political commentator (born 1941)}}
{{about|the journalist|the golfer|George Will (golfer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = George Will
| image              = George Will (52540061656) (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Will in 2022
| birth_name         = George Frederick Will
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1941|5|4}}
| birth_place        = [[Champaign, Illinois]], U.S.
| education          = [[Trinity College (Connecticut)|Trinity College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>{{nowrap|[[Magdalen College, Oxford]] ([[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin)|MA]])}}<br>[[Princeton University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| employer           = ''[[Newsweek]]''<br>''[[The Washington Post]]''
| occupation         = {{hlist|Columnist|author}}
| party              = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (before 2016)<br>[[Independent politician|Independent]] (after 2016)
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Madeleine Will|1967|1989|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Mari Maseng]]|1991}}
}}
| children           = 4
| awards             = [[Pulitzer Prize for Commentary]] (1977)
}}
'''George Frederick Will''' (born May 4, 1941) is an American [[libertarian conservative]] writer and political commentator. He writes columns for ''[[The Washington Post]]'' on a regular basis and provides commentary for ''[[NewsNation]]''.<ref name="George Will on NewsNation">{{cite web | url=https://www.newsnationnow.com/author/george-will/ |title=George Will on NewsNation |work=NewsNation |date=June 30, 2023 | access-date=October 18, 2023 }}</ref> In 1986, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' called him "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America".<ref>{{cite news |last=D'Evelyn |first=Thomas |title=Will's collection of columns chronicles his conservatism |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5KErAAAAIBAJ&pg=6848,9446339&dq=most-powerful-journalist-in-america+george-will |access-date=July 30, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=October 26, 1986 |archive-date=June 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604201335/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5KErAAAAIBAJ&pg=6848,9446339&dq=most-powerful-journalist-in-america+george-will |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Quoted in Eric Alterman, ''Sound and Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy'' (1999) pp. 87–88.</ref> Will won the [[Pulitzer Prize for Commentary]] in 1977.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/george-f-will|title=George F. Will of The Washington Post Writers Group|website=www.pulitzer.org|access-date=February 15, 2021|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127223701/https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/george-f-will|url-status=live}}</ref>

A former member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], Will was a close ally of [[Ronald Reagan]] during his [[Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign|presidential campaign]] in [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]. He assisted Reagan with debate preparation and was later falsely accused by former President [[Jimmy Carter]] of providing Reagan with a top secret briefing book in a scandal known as [[Debategate]], an allegation Carter later retracted.

In later years, he became a critic of Republican politicians, including [[Sarah Palin]], [[Newt Gingrich]], and [[Donald Trump]]. Will's disapproval of Trump's [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|presidential campaign]] led him to become an [[Independent politician|independent]] in [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]],<ref name="NotRepublican" /> and he subsequently voted for [[Joe Biden]] in [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]],<ref name="BidenVote" /> and stated in September 2024 he would be voting for [[Kamala Harris]] in the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 election]].<ref name=":0" />

== Early life and education ==
Will was born on May 4, 1941, in [[Champaign, Illinois]], to Louise (''née'' Hendrickson) and Frederick L. Will.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201873.html|title=A Mother's Love, Clarified|author=Will, George F.|page=A23|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=July 13, 2006|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=March 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308065439/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201873.html|url-status=live}}</ref> His father was a professor of philosophy, specializing in [[epistemology]], at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]]. Will attended [[University Laboratory High School (Urbana, Illinois)|University Laboratory High School]] of [[Urbana, Illinois]], where he graduated in 1959.

After high school, Will attended [[Trinity College (Connecticut)|Trinity College]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], graduating in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion. He then went to England and attended [[Magdalen College, Oxford]], where he studied [[philosophy, politics and economics]] and received a bachelor's degree ([[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin)|promoted to a master's]] per tradition). Will then did doctoral study in [[political science]] at [[Princeton University]], receiving a PhD in 1968 with a dissertation entitled "Beyond the Reach of Majorities: Closed Questions in the Open Society", alluding to a famous phrase from [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justice]] [[Robert H. Jackson]]’s majority opinion in the landmark 1943 [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] case ''[[West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pulliam |first1=Mark |title=George Will's Constitution |url=https://www.lawliberty.org/2016/08/09/george-wills-constitution/ |website=Law & Liberty |access-date=September 20, 2019 |date=August 9, 2016  |archive-date=September 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920072625/https://www.lawliberty.org/2016/08/09/george-wills-constitution/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 1970 to 1972, Will served on the staff of [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Senator [[Gordon Allott]] of [[Colorado]]. Will then taught [[political philosophy]] at the [[James Madison College]] of [[Michigan State University]], and at the [[University of Toronto]]. He taught at [[Harvard University]] in 1995 and again in 1998.

== Journalism career ==

[[File:George Will (12987598135) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Will in 2014]]

Will served as an editor for ''[[National Review]]'' from 1972 to 1978.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/438824/ |title=George Will's Epiphany |last=Pulliam |first=Mark |date= August 9, 2016 |magazine=National Review |access-date=November 16, 2016}}</ref> He joined  [[The Washington Post Writers Group|''The Washington Post'' Writers Group]] in 1974, writing a [[Print syndication|syndicated]] biweekly column, which became widely circulated among newspapers across the country and continues today. {{As of|2014|12|post=,}} his column was syndicated to about 450 newspapers.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 4, 2014|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/12/04/george-will-guilty-of-conflict-of-interest|title=George Will guilty of conflict of interest|first=Erik|last=Wemple|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=March 12, 2022|archive-date=October 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018090151/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2014/12/04/george-will-guilty-of-conflict-of-interest/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1976 he became a contributing editor for ''[[Newsweek]]'', writing a biweekly backpage column until 2011.<ref name="edu">{{Cite web|url=https://www.princeton.edu/~alco/CTNAT/2009/will.html|title=George F. Will *68 Profile|website=www.princeton.edu|access-date=February 15, 2021|archive-date=June 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623080230/https://www.princeton.edu/~alco/CTNAT/2009/will.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Will won a [[Pulitzer Prize for Commentary]] for "distinguished commentary on a variety of topics" in 1977.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/george-f-will|title=George F. Will of ''The Washington Post Writers Group''|website=www.pulitzer.org|access-date=February 15, 2021|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127223701/https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/george-f-will|url-status=live}}</ref> Often combining factual reporting with conservative commentary, Will's columns are known for their erudite vocabulary, allusions to political philosophers, and frequent references to baseball.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} Will has also written two bestselling books on the game of baseball, three books on political philosophy, and has published eleven compilations of his columns for ''The Washington Post'' and ''Newsweek'' and of various book reviews and lectures.<ref name="edu" />

From 2013 to 2017, Will was a contributor for [[Fox News]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/george-will-fox-news_n_4024750.html |access-date=October 1, 2013 |title=George Will Joins Fox News, Leaves ABC After 3 Decades |last1=Mirkinson |first1=Jack |date=October 1, 2013 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=[[AOL]] |archive-date=October 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001185246/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/george-will-fox-news_n_4024750.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/315480-fox-declines-to-renew-contracts-for-several-contributors/ |access-date=January 17, 2017 |title=Fox declines to renew contracts for several contributors |last1=Concha |first1=Joe |date=January 17, 2017 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |archive-date=January 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123034811/http://thehill.com/homenews/media/315480-fox-declines-to-renew-contracts-for-several-contributors |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to joining Fox News, beginning in the early 1980s, Will was a news analyst for [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] and was a founding member on the panel of ABC's ''This Week with [[David Brinkley]]'' in 1981, now titled ''[[This Week (ABC TV series)|This Week with George Stephanopoulos]]''. Will was a panelist on ''This Week'' until his departure from ABC News. Will was also a regular panelist on television's ''[[Agronsky & Co.|Agronsky & Company]]'' from 1977 through 1984.<ref name="edu"/> On Sunday, March 19, 2017, ''[[Meet the Press]]'' moderator [[Chuck Todd]] welcomed Will back as a panelist, stating he had been absent from the program since 1981 and that his return would mark his 52nd appearance.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-03-19-17-n735421 | title=Meet The Press 03-19-17 (transcript) | website=[[NBC News]] | date=March 19, 2017 | access-date=March 19, 2017 | archive-date=March 19, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319160556/http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-03-19-17-n735421 | url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 8, 2017, Will was announced as an [[MSNBC]] and [[NBC News]] political contributor, in which he provided regular political input on shows such as ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]]'', ''[[Morning Joe]]'', and ''[[The 11th Hour (news program)|The 11th Hour]]''. On December 3, 2020, Will received the National Society for Newspaper Columnists 2020 Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award, in partnership with the Society of Professional Journalists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.columnists.com/event/welcome-george-will|title=Welcome, George Will|publisher=National Society for Newspaper Columnists|access-date=December 3, 2020|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118131552/https://www.columnists.com/event/welcome-george-will/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since January, 2022, Will has been a senior political contributor at ''[[NewsNation]]''.<ref name="George Will on NewsNation"/>

=== 1980 Ronald Reagan presidential campaign ===
[[File:President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office during an interview with George Will.jpg|thumb|right|Will doing an interview with President [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1981]]
{{Further|Debategate}}
Will helped [[Ronald Reagan]] prepare for his [[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]] debate against [[Jimmy Carter]]. Immediately after the debate, Will—not yet a member of the [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] staff—appeared on ABC's ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]''. He was introduced by host [[Ted Koppel]], who said: "It's my understanding that you met for some time yesterday with Governor Reagan", and that Will "never made any secret of his affection" for the Republican candidate. Will did not explicitly disclose that he had assisted Reagan's debate preparation, or been present during it. He went on to praise Reagan's "thoroughbred" performance, saying his "game plan worked well. I don't think he was very surprised."<ref>''Nightline Special Edition'', October 28, 1980.</ref>

In 2004 and again in 2005, Carter accused Will of giving the Reagan campaign a top-secret briefing book stolen from Carter's office before the 1980 debate.<ref>''[[Fresh Air]]'', October 21, 2004; ''The Alabama Plainsman'', July 28, 2005.</ref> In a 2005 syndicated column, Will called his role in Reagan's debate preparation "inappropriate" but denied any role in stealing the briefing book.<ref>{{cite news |first=George F. |last=Will |title=Briefing Book Baloney |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 11, 2005 |page=A23 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001796.html |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=December 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208202953/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001796.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In response to Will's column, Carter wrote a letter to ''[[The Washington Post]]'' retracting his accusations. Carter apologized to Will for "any incorrect statement that I have ever made about his role in the use of my briefing book... I have never thought Mr. Will took my book, that the outcome of the debate was damaging to my campaign or that Mr. Will apologized to me."<ref>{{cite news |first=Jimmy |last=Carter |newspaper=The Washington Post |format=Letter to the Editor |title=Putting an End to the 'Briefing Book Baloney' |date=August 31, 2005 |page=A22 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001763.html |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=January 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131090541/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001763.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 2009 global sea ice level ===
In a ''Washington Post'' column that expressed doubt over the effects of [[global warming]], Will stated that: "According to the University of Illinois' Arctic Climate Research Center, global sea ice levels now equal those of 1979."<ref>{{cite news
|access-date=February 19, 2009
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR2009021302514.html
|title=Dark Green Doomsayers
|author=Will, George F.
|date=February 15, 2009
|newspaper=The Washington Post
|archive-date=April 22, 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422071621/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR2009021302514.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref> This and several other claims attracted the attention of environmentalists, such as British author and activist [[George Monbiot]].<ref>Monbiot, George. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/feb/18/climate-denial-george-will George Will's climate howlers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927195423/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/feb/18/climate-denial-george-will |date=September 27, 2016 }}, ''The Guardian''. February 18, 2009.</ref> Asked to respond, the website of Arctic Climate Research at the [[University of Illinois]] states that: "We do not know where George Will is getting his information, but our data shows that on February 15, 1979, global sea ice area was 16.79 million sq. km and on February 15, 2009, global sea ice area was 15.45 million sq. km. Therefore, global sea ice levels are 1.34 million sq. km less in February 2009 than in February 1979."<ref>{{cite web
|access-date=February 19, 2009
|url=http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/
|title=The Cryosphere Today
|date=February 15, 2009
|archive-date=February 23, 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223161943/http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> Will responded in a column that he accurately reported the Center's information and the challenge was mistaken.<ref>Will, George F. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/26/AR2009022602906.html Climate Science in A Tornado] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812214858/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/26/AR2009022602906.html |date=August 12, 2017 }} ''The Washington Post''. February 27, 2009.</ref> This drew a second response from Monbiot, who insisted Will had not accurately reported the Center's information.<ref>Monbiot, George. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/mar/03/climate-change-poles We all make mistakes but Washington Post's George Will just won't admit his] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812212417/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/mar/03/climate-change-poles |date=August 12, 2017 }}, ''The Guardian''. March 3, 2009.</ref> The debate continued in several forums, including a subsequent op-ed by [[Chris Mooney (journalist)|Chris Mooney]] published in ''The Washington Post'' challenging Will's assertions.<ref>Mooney, Chris [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032002660.html Climate Change Myths and Facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713220732/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032002660.html |date=July 13, 2017 }} "Washington Post". March 22, 2009.</ref>

=== Column regarding campus assaults ===
Will's June 6, 2014, newspaper column about "the supposed [[Campus sexual assault|campus epidemic of rape]]" was met with substantial criticism on Twitter,<ref>Zara, Christopher (June 10, 2014) [http://www.ibtimes.com/washington-post-opinion-editor-defends-george-wills-survivor-privilege-column-twitter-1597366 "Washington Post Opinion Editor Defends George Will’s ‘Survivor Privilege’ Column As Twitter Backlash Continues."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702094202/http://www.ibtimes.com/washington-post-opinion-editor-defends-george-wills-survivor-privilege-column-twitter-1597366 |date=July 2, 2014 }} ''International Business Times''. Retrieved June 24, 2014.</ref> with Democratic U.S. senators and [[Feminism|feminists]] also highly critical of the article. Will wrote, "...when [colleges and universities] make victimhood a coveted status that confers privileges, victims proliferate."<ref>Will, George (June 6, 2014) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-college-become-the-victims-of-progressivism/2014/06/06/e90e73b4-eb50-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html "Colleges become the victims of progressivism."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903043727/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-college-become-the-victims-of-progressivism/2014/06/06/e90e73b4-eb50-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html |date=September 3, 2017 }} ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved June 10, 2014.</ref> Will's column sparked an outcry on Twitter, with professed rape victims recounting their stories of sexual assault and violence.<ref>Warren, Rosalyn (June 9, 2014) [https://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/survivorprivilege-trends-on-twitter-after-columnist-says-rap #SurvivorPrivilege Trends On Twitter After Columnist Says Rape Survivors Lie To Get "Privileges."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118201926/https://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/survivorprivilege-trends-on-twitter-after-columnist-says-rap |date=November 18, 2017 }} Buzzfeed. Retrieved June 10, 2014.</ref> In ''[[The Guardian]]'', feminist blogger [[Jessica Valenti]] wrote: "It takes a particular kind of ignorance to argue that people who come forward to report being raped in college are afforded benefits of any kind."<ref>Valenti, Jessica (June 10, 2014) [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/10/campus-rape-victims-survivor-privilege-george-will "The only 'privilege' afforded to campus rape victims is actually surviving."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317204231/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/10/campus-rape-victims-survivor-privilege-george-will |date=March 17, 2017 }} ''The Guardian''. Retrieved June 10, 2014.</ref> In an open letter to Will, Senators [[Richard Blumenthal]], [[Dianne Feinstein]], [[Tammy Baldwin]] and [[Bob Casey, Jr.|Bob Casey]] wrote:

{{blockquote|Your column suggests that we — including some of us who have worked on this issue for many years – all have missed a subculture on college campuses where survivors of sexual assault are inducted into a privileged class. The culture you described is so antiquated, so counter-intuitive and so contrary to anything we heard that we hope you will make an effort to hear the stories survivors bravely shared with us about the struggles they face in addressing what has happened to them — often with little meaningful assistance from authorities expected to help them.<ref>Grasgreen, Allie (June 12, 2014) [https://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/george-will-senators-letter-sex-assault-column-107778.html "Senators scold ''Washington Post''’s George Will for sexual assault column."]  ''Politico''. Retrieved June 13, 2014.</ref>}}

The ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' dropped Will's column from its pages as a result of the column. Editor [[Tony Messenger]] wrote: "The column was offensive and inaccurate; we apologize for publishing it."<ref>Messenger, Tony (June 19, 2014) [http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/editor-s-note-michael-gerson-replaces-george-will/article_4b645ed8-e70e-5357-a85b-d347e5802785.html "Editor's note: Michael Gerson replaces George Will."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819051803/http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/editor-s-note-michael-gerson-replaces-george-will/article_4b645ed8-e70e-5357-a85b-d347e5802785.html |date=August 19, 2014 }} ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. Retrieved June 19, 2014.</ref> Will responded to the senators in his blog, saying his article was based on "simple arithmetic involving publicly available reports", and that sexual assault "should be dealt with by the criminal justice system, and not be adjudicated by improvised campus processes."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/06/13/george-will-responds-to-senators-on-his-sexual-assault-column/|title=George Will responds to senators on his sexual assault column|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801113820/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/06/13/george-will-responds-to-senators-on-his-sexual-assault-column/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Political views ==
{{Conservatism US|commentators}}

=== Foreign policy and national security ===
Will once proposed that the United States withdraw all troops from Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083102912.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=Time for the U.S. to Get Out of Afghanistan | first=George F. | last=Will | date=September 1, 2009 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=April 29, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429221211/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083102912.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and defended [[Barack Obama]]'s response to the uprisings after the 2009 elections in Iran.<ref>{{cite web|last=Armbruster|first=Ben|title=Will calls right-wing attacks on Obama's Iran response 'foolish criticism.'|url=http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/21/will-iran-foolish-criticism/|publisher=ThinkProgress.org|date=June 21, 2009|access-date=October 17, 2009|archive-date=September 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921020943/http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/21/will-iran-foolish-criticism/|url-status=live}}</ref> He also criticized the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] for engaging in warrantless surveillance,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021502003.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=No Checks, Many Imbalances | first=George F. | last=Will | date=February 16, 2006 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=August 21, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821085027/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021502003.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and supported trials for detainees at the [[Guantanamo Bay prison camp]]. On immigration, Will supports tighter border security and a "[[path to citizenship]]" for illegal immigrants.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902004.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=Guard the Borders – And Face Facts, Too | first=George F. | last=Will | date=March 30, 2006 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=January 5, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105211421/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902004.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Social issues ===
Will argued that the ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' Supreme Court decision caused a "truncation of democratic debate about abortion policy".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113001816.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=The Abortion Argument We Missed | first=George F. | last=Will | date=December 1, 2005 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=November 11, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111123015/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113001816.html | url-status=live }}</ref> On crime, Will is opposed to the death penalty.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ponnuru |first=Ramesh |title=Penalty Box: George Will gets capital punishment wrong. |url=http://old.nationalreview.com/ponnuru/ponnuru200311060839.asp |magazine=National Review Online |date=November 6, 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118091131/http://old.nationalreview.com/ponnuru/ponnuru200311060839.asp |archive-date=January 18, 2012 }}</ref> He thinks that higher incarceration rates generally make the populace safer, but favors ending [[Mandatory sentencing|mandatory minimums]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002276.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=More Prisoners, Less Crime | first=George F. | last=Will | date=June 22, 2008 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=August 20, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820104936/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062002276.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Will |first1=George F. |title=Mandatory Minimum Sentences Do Harm |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/cartoons/2013/06/08/george-f-will-commentary-mandatory/23737749007/ |access-date=25 February 2024 |work=[[Columbus Dispatch]] |date=8 June 2013}}</ref> Additionally, Will is generally skeptical of [[affirmative action]] programs,<ref>{{cite web|title=George Will: The distortion of affirmative action|url=http://townhall.com/columnists/GeorgeWill/2001/03/01/the_distortion_of_affirmative_action|publisher=Townhall.com|access-date=October 17, 2009|archive-date=February 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202145433/http://townhall.com/columnists/georgewill/2001/03/01/the_distortion_of_affirmative_action|url-status=dead}}</ref> and he favors the legalization of drugs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Will |first=George F. |title=Should the U.S. legalize hard drugs? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-the-us-legalize-hard-drugs/2012/04/11/gIQAX95QBT_story.html |access-date=July 30, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 11, 2012 |archive-date=August 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807055058/http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-the-us-legalize-hard-drugs/2012/04/11/gIQAX95QBT_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He favors restoring voting rights for people with criminal records<ref>{{cite news| last=Will| first=George F.| title=There's no good reason to stop felons from voting| newspaper=[[Washington Post]]| date=April 6, 2018| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/theres-no-good-reason-to-stop-felons-from-voting/2018/04/06/88484076-3905-11e8-8fd2-49fe3c675a89_story.html}}</ref> and opposes civil asset forfeiture.<ref>{{cite news| last=Will| first=George F. | title=Civil Asset-Forfeiture: Lucrative Law Enforcement Will Become Lawless| date=November 25, 2018| work=[[National Review]]| url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/11/vil-asset-forfeiture-excessive-fines-supreme-court-case/}}</ref>

=== Economic issues ===
{{Libertarianism US|commentators}}
Will is a [[Libertarian conservatism|libertarian-style conservative]] who supports deregulation and low taxes as he thinks these stimulate economic growth and are more morally fair.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060802397.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=Democrats' Prosperity Problem | first=George F. | last=Will | date=June 10, 2007 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=April 25, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425124246/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060802397.html | url-status=live }}</ref> He was opposed to both [[George W. Bush]] and Barack Obama's stimulus plans.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071002938.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=Liberal Policies Paving Way for Higher Taxes | first=George F. | last=Will | date=July 12, 2009 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=November 11, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111123027/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/10/AR2009071002938.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Will supports abolishing the minimum wage<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/03/AR2007010301619.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=The Right Minimum Wage | first=George F. | last=Will | date=January 4, 2007 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=November 11, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111123032/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/03/AR2007010301619.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and creating voluntary personal retirement accounts in order to reduce the federal cost of Social Security.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22532-2005Jan19.html | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | title=Social Security: Opportunity, Not a Crisis | first=George F. | last=Will | date=January 20, 2005 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | archive-date=April 1, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401071139/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22532-2005Jan19.html | url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2013, Will wrote in support of a proposal by "relentlessly liberal" [[Sherrod Brown]] to break up consolidated banks and [[finance industry]] conglomerates, ending "[[too big to fail]]" by restoring the [[Glass-Steagall Act]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130213025010/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-08/opinions/36993798_1_community-banks-largest-banks-glass-steagall-act "Time to break up the big banks"] George F. Will, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', February 8, 2013.</ref>

=== Campaign finance reform ===
Will opposes attempts to [[Campaign finance reform in the United States|regulate campaign funding]], arguing that any such legislation is unconstitutional and would unfairly favor incumbent politicians. Additionally, he contends that spending money is a form of free speech and political participation. By giving the government power to regulate speech, Will believes that this will make the government "even bigger." Instead, he believes that we need "more speech, advocating less government" in order to reduce the importance of politics in our lives, thus indirectly reducing political spending.<ref>{{Citation|last=PragerU|title=Money in Politics: What's the Problem?|date=October 6, 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5-4jW5dLSI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/c5-4jW5dLSI |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=December 7, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Criticism of Republican politicians ==
While identified with conservative politics, Will has criticized a number of individuals and policies associated with the Republican Party and [[Conservatism in the United States|American conservatism]]. He was among the first to oppose President George W. Bush's nomination of [[Harriet Miers]] to the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100400954.html|title=George F. Will - Can This Nomination Be Justified?|first=George F.|last=Will|date=October 5, 2005|via=www.washingtonpost.com|access-date=December 17, 2014|archive-date=December 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217100343/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100400954.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Will was [[hawkish]] in the run-up to the [[invasion of Iraq in 2003]], and he expressed reservations about [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] Iraq policies. He eventually criticized what he said was an unrealistically optimistic set of political scenarios. In March 2006, in a column written in the aftermath of the apparently [[2006 al-Askari Mosque bombing|sectarian bombing]] of the [[Al-Askari Mosque|Askariya Shrine]] in [[Samarra]], Will challenged the Bush administration—and U.S. government representatives in Iraq—to be more honest about the difficulties the United States faced in rebuilding and maintaining order within Iraq, comparing the White House's rhetoric unfavorably to that of [[Winston Churchill]] during the early years of [[World War II]]. Will described the optimistic assessments delivered from the Bush administration as the "rhetoric of unreality."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030101935.html|title=Rhetoric of Unreality: Where Is Iraq After Nearly 3 Years of War?|author=Will, George|page=A21|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 2, 2006|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216031009/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030101935.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He criticized the Bush Iraq policy, and broader White House and congressional foreign and domestic policy making, in his keynote address for the [[Cato Institute]]'s 2006 [[Cato Institute#Milton Friedman Prize|Milton Friedman Prize]] dinner.<ref>{{cite journal|access-date=August 31, 2008|url=http://www.cato.org/pubs/catosletter/catosletterv4n3.pdf|author=Will, George|title=Cato: Upholding the Idea of Liberty|journal=Cato's Letter|volume=4|issue=3|date=Summer 2006|archive-date=September 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909231943/http://www.cato.org/pubs/catosletter/catosletterv4n3.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Will was also a harsh and early critic of both [[Sarah Palin]] and [[John McCain]]'s 2008 election campaign. He criticized Palin's understanding of the role of the Vice President and her qualifications for that role.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102903199.html |title=Call Him John the Careless |first=George F. |last=Will |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=A23 |date=October 30, 2008 |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225045304/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102903199.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In late 2011, as the [[2012 Republican Party presidential primaries]] approached, Will said that frontrunner [[Newt Gingrich]] "embodies almost everything disagreeable about modern Washington", and described him as "the classic rental politician".<ref>James Joyner, [http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/newt-gingrich-embodies-everything-disagreeable-about-modern-washington Newt Gingrich Embodies Everything Disagreeable About Modern Washington] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723051042/http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/newt-gingrich-embodies-everything-disagreeable-about-modern-washington/ |date=July 23, 2012 }} ''Outside the Bellway'', November 21, 2011.</ref> In a 2013 interview with ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'' writers [[Nick Gillespie]] and [[Matt Welch]], Will said his views have gradually but steadily become more [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]].<ref>Reason TV,{{YouTube|POphmn25gVs|''George Will's Libertarian Evolution''}}, September 13, 2013.</ref>

Will criticized [[Donald Trump]] several times during [[Trump's 2016 presidential campaign]], calling him a "one-man [[Todd Akin]]", and urged conservative voters to "help him lose 50 states—condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/if-trump-is-nominated-the-gop-must-keep-him-out-of-the-white-house/2016/04/29/293f7f94-0d9d-11e6-8ab8-9ad050f76d7d_story.html|title=If Trump is nominated, the GOP must keep him out of the White House|first=George F.|last=Will|date=April 29, 2016|via=washingtonpost.com|access-date=August 15, 2016|archive-date=September 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921234436/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/if-trump-is-nominated-the-gop-must-keep-him-out-of-the-white-house/2016/04/29/293f7f94-0d9d-11e6-8ab8-9ad050f76d7d_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In turn, Trump criticized Will and brought attention to the fact that his wife [[Mari Maseng Will]] was an advisor to [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]]'s [[2016 Scott Walker presidential campaign|presidential campaign]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}} Will criticized Trump again, saying Trump was a bigger threat than [[Hillary Clinton]]. In June 2016, citing his disapproval of Trump, Will told journalist Nicholas Ballasy in an interview that he had left the Republican Party and was registered as an unaffiliated voter.<ref name="NotRepublican">{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/06/26/george_will_on_republican_exit_like_reagan_said_i_didnt_leave_the_party_the_party_left_me.html |title=George Will on Republican Exit: Like Reagan Said, I Didn't Leave The Party, The Party Left Me |date=June 26, 2016 |access-date=June 26, 2016 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919123204/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/06/26/george_will_on_republican_exit_like_reagan_said_i_didnt_leave_the_party_the_party_left_me.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2019, Will asserted that the Republican Party had become a [[cult]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/george-will-the-republican-partys-become-a-cult/|title=George Will: The Republican Party's Become a 'Cult'|date=June 5, 2019|access-date=June 5, 2019|archive-date=June 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605235641/https://www.mediaite.com/tv/george-will-the-republican-partys-become-a-cult/|url-status=live}}</ref> Will supported [[Joe Biden]] in the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]],<ref name="BidenVote">{{Cite web|last=Moran|first=Lee|date=July 21, 2020|title=Conservative Icon George Will Says He'll Vote For Joe Biden In 2020 Election|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/george-will-joe-biden-donald-trump-2020_n_5f16a325c5b6cac5b73110ef|access-date=December 18, 2020|website=HuffPost|language=en|archive-date=December 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201220095650/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/george-will-joe-biden-donald-trump-2020_n_5f16a325c5b6cac5b73110ef|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Kamala Harris]] in the [[2024 United States presidential election]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web | title=Pigs Fly; George Will Endorses Harris | website=Daily Kos | date=2024-09-12 | url=https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/9/12/2269978/-Pigs-Fly-George-Will-Endorses-Harris | access-date=2024-09-15 }}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Will has three children—Victoria, Geoffrey and Jonathan—with his first wife, Madeleine;<ref>Think College, executive committee: [http://www.thinkcollege.net/about-us/executive-committee/madeleine-will Madeleine Will, M.A.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829215425/http://www.thinkcollege.net/about-us/executive-committee/madeleine-will |date=August 29, 2012 }} (Access date October 30, 2011)</ref> their eldest child,<ref>{{cite news|access-date=October 27, 2016|url=http://people.com/archive/george-and-madeleine-will-have-the-government-cornered-he-writes-about-it-and-she-serves-in-it-vol-20-no-12/|title=George and Madeleine Will Have the Government Cornered: He Writes About It and She Serves in It|author=Wallace, Carol|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=September 19, 1983|archive-date=October 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027060239/http://people.com/archive/george-and-madeleine-will-have-the-government-cornered-he-writes-about-it-and-she-serves-in-it-vol-20-no-12/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jonathan, was born in 1972 with [[Down syndrome]], which Will has written about in his column on occasion.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=September 7, 2008|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51671-2005Apr13.html|title=Eugenics By Abortion: Is Perfection an Entitlement?|author=Will, George|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 14, 2005|archive-date=August 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820105845/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51671-2005Apr13.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16720750/site/newsweek|title=Will: The Attack on Kids With Down Syndrome|author=Will, George|work=Newsweek|date=January 29, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516125514/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16720750/site/newsweek|archive-date=May 16, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jon-will-40-years-and-going-with-down-syndrome/2012/05/02/gIQAdGiNxT_story.html|title=Jon Will's gift|author=Will, George|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 2, 2012|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=August 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822134128/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jon-will-40-years-and-going-with-down-syndrome/2012/05/02/gIQAdGiNxT_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1989, he and Madeleine divorced after 22 years of marriage.<ref>Jack Friedman, "Turning from Politics, George Will Writes a Love Story About Men and Baseball", ''People Magazine'', Vol. 34, No. 1, July 9, 1990.</ref>

In 1991, Will married [[Mari Maseng]]. They have one child, a son named David, born in 1992 and live in [[Chevy Chase, Maryland]].<ref name=diversity>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/04/chevy-chase-maryland-super-rich-town-diversity | title=Chevy Chase, Maryland: the super-rich town that has it all – except diversity | first=Rupert | last=Neate | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | date=December 4, 2015 | access-date=July 17, 2022 | archive-date=May 27, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527065017/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/04/chevy-chase-maryland-super-rich-town-diversity | url-status=live }}</ref> Maseng is a [[political consultant]] and [[speechwriter]] who was in charge of communications for the [[Rick Perry]] 2012 presidential campaign and worked on [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]]'s 2016 presidential campaign. She earlier worked on [[Michele Bachmann]]'s 2012 presidential campaign, and offered her services to the [[Mitt Romney]] 2012 campaign.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2011/11/maseng-sought-work-on-romney-campaign-040770 Maseng sought work on Romney campaign] , [[Ben Smith (journalist)|Ben Smith]], ''[[Politico]]'', November 12, 2011.</ref><ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/watch/this-week/SH559082 This Week 11/13] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131201024354/http://abcnews.go.com/watch/this-week/SH559082 |date=December 1, 2013 }}, George Will, ''[[This Week (ABC TV series)|This Week]]'', November 13, 2011.</ref> She previously worked for [[Ronald Reagan]] as a presidential speechwriter, deputy director of transportation and [[Assistant to the President for Public Liaison]]. She also was a former communications director for Senator [[Bob Dole]].

Will has more than once described himself as an "amiable, low-voltage [[atheist]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/116426/george-will-finds-his-wild-side|title=George Will Finds His Wild Side|date=February 11, 2014|first=Isaac|last=Chotiner|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=March 7, 2017|archive-date=May 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517140716/https://newrepublic.com/article/116426/george-will-finds-his-wild-side|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= Hahn III|first= Nicholas G.|date= September 22, 2014|title= George Will: The RealClearReligion Interview|url=https://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2014/09/22/george_will_the_realclearreligion_interview.html|website= RealClear Religion|location= |publisher= |access-date= July 2, 2025}}</ref> while at the same time describing his wife, Mari Maseng, as a "fierce Presbyterian".

[[File:George W Bush Luncheon with Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.jpg|thumb|Will (at far left) with members of the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] and [[George W. Bush]] at the [[White House]] in 2004]]

Will, a fan of both the [[Chicago Cubs]]<ref>{{cite web
|access-date=August 31, 2008
|url=http://news-info.wustl.edu/FEC/1998/willbb.html
|title=George Will tells Washington University graduates: 'Don't let your babies grow up to be Cub fans'
|work=For Expert Comment
|date=May 15, 1998
|publisher=Washington University
|archive-date=September 28, 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928035536/http://news-info.wustl.edu/FEC/1998/willbb.html
|url-status=live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|access-date=August 31, 2008
|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/129576/page/1
|title=The Last Word: 'Your Brain on Cubs'
|author=Will, George F.
|work=Newsweek
|date=April 7, 2008
|archive-date=October 9, 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009140222/http://www.newsweek.com/id/129576/page/1
|url-status=live
}}</ref> and the [[Washington Nationals]],<ref>{{cite web
|access-date=December 19, 2024
|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/will-at-bat/
|title=Will At Bat
|work=National Review
|date=June 9, 2020
}}</ref> has written extensively on baseball, including his best-selling book ''[[Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball]]''. He was one of the many interview subjects for [[Ken Burns]]'s [[Public Broadcasting System|PBS]] documentary series ''[[Baseball (TV series)|Baseball]]''.

== References in popular culture ==
Will was occasionally lampooned in the comic ''[[Doonesbury]]'', particularly in a December 1980 sequence of strips in which several characters attend a party hosted by Will for the Reagans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://confessor.org/projects/doonesbury.php?Storyline=363|title=Rick & Joanie Attend George Will's Reagan Party (Doonesbury Navigator)|access-date=January 19, 2017|archive-date=May 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524151701/http://confessor.org/projects/doonesbury.php?Storyline=363|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Will was lampooned in a skit on an April 1990 episode of the sketch comedy show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. [[Dana Carvey]] played Will as the host of the fictional baseball trivia game show ''[[The George Michael Sports Machine|George F. Will's Sports Machine]]'', in which the answers are all highflown literary metaphors that leave the contestants befuddled; the exasperated contestants finally get Will to try to throw a baseball, which he is unable to do.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://snltranscripts.jt.org/89/89qsportsmachine.phtml/|title=SNL Transcripts: Corbin Bernsen: 04/14/90: George F. Will's Sports Machine|website=snltranscripts.jt.org|access-date=February 15, 2021|archive-date=January 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118180428/https://snltranscripts.jt.org/89/89qsportsmachine.phtml/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the ''[[Seinfeld]]'' [[Seinfeld (season 6)|season 6]] episode "[[The Jimmy]]", [[Cosmo Kramer|Kramer]] mentions that he finds George Will attractive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheJimmy.htm|title="The Jimmy" (Script)|accessdate=May 28, 2023}}</ref> In the ''[[30 Rock]]'' [[30 Rock (season 1)|season 1]] episode "[[Jack-Tor]]", [[Tracy Jordan]] remarks while reading a newspaper that George Will "just gets more and more conservative."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?f=1083&t=46643 |title=01x05 - Jack-Tor-Full | website=30 Rock Transcripts | access-date=May 20, 2023 }}</ref>

== Honorary awards and recognition ==
In addition to more than 16 honorary degrees:
* 1977: [[Pulitzer Prize for Commentary]]
* 1978: Headliner Award for consistently outstanding feature columns
* 1979: Finalist for [[National Magazine Award]] in essays and criticism
* 1980: Silurian Award for editorial writing
* 1991: Silurian Award for editorial writing
* 1991: First Place in Interpretive Columns: Clarion Awards from [[Women in Communications]]
* 1991: [[Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism]].,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Arizona State University|title=Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication|date=January 29, 2009 |url=https://cronkite.asu.edu/about/walter-cronkite-and-asu/walter-cronkite-award|access-date=November 23, 2016|archive-date=March 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320212556/https://cronkite.asu.edu/about/walter-cronkite-and-asu/walter-cronkite-award|url-status=live}}</ref> Arizona State University
* 1992: Madison Medal Award, Princeton University
* 1993: ''Honoris Causa'' initiate of [[Omicron Delta Kappa]] at [[Washington and Lee University]]
*1993: William Allen White Award, William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas
* 2003: Walter B. Wriston Lecture Award, The Manhattan Institute
* 2005: Bradley Prize, The [[Bradley Foundation]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bradleyfdn.org/prizes/winner|title=The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation|access-date=September 18, 2021|archive-date=September 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907191502/https://www.bradleyfdn.org/prizes/winner|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2006: Champion of Liberty Award, Goldwater Institute<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.city-journal.org/html/can-we-make-iraq-democratic-12489.html|title=Can We Make Iraq Democratic?|date=December 23, 2015|website=City Journal|access-date=February 15, 2021|archive-date=February 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227005504/https://www.city-journal.org/html/can-we-make-iraq-democratic-12489.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
*On May 18, 2019, [[The Lincoln Academy of Illinois]] granted Will the Order of Lincoln award, the highest honor bestowed by the [[Illinois|State of Illinois]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thelincolnacademyofillinois.org/2019-laureates-announced-gov-rauner/|title=2019 Laureates Announced by Gov. Rauner|website=The Lincoln Academy of Illinois|language=en-US|access-date=August 27, 2019|archive-date=August 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827194444/https://thelincolnacademyofillinois.org/2019-laureates-announced-gov-rauner/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Works ==
* ''The Pursuit of Happiness and Other Sobering Thoughts''. [[Harper (publisher)|Harper & Row]], 1978.
* ''The Pursuit of Virtue and Other Tory Notions''. [[Simon & Schuster]], 1982.
* ''Statecraft as Soulcraft: What Government Does''. Simon & Schuster, 1983.
* ''[https://archive.org/details/futureofprivatee0001unse/page/n6/mode/1up "New business initiatives for public policy"]'', In: Craig E. Aronoff, John L. Ward, dir. [https://archive.org/details/futureofprivatee0001unse/page/n6/mode/1up "The Future of Private Enterprise"], Vol 1, Atlanta: Georgia State University, pp169–180
* ''The Morning After: American Success and Excesses, 1981–1986''. Free Press, 1986.
* ''The New Season: A Spectator's Guide to the 1988 Election''. Simon & Schuster, 1987.
* ''[[Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball]]''. [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]], 1990.
* ''Suddenly: The American Idea Abroad and at Home''. Free Press, 1990.
* ''Restoration: Congress, Term Limits and the Recovery of Deliberative Democracy''. 1992.
* ''The Leveling Wind: Politics, the Culture and Other News, 1990–1994''. Viking, 1994.
* ''The Woven Figure: Conservatism and America's Fabric: 1994–1997''. Scribner, 1997.
* ''Bunts: Pete Rose, Curt Flood, Camden Yards and Other Reflections on Baseball''. Simon & Schuster, 1997.
* ''With a Happy Eye But...: America and the World, 1997–2002''. Free Press, 2002.
* ''One Man's America: The Pleasures and Provocations of Our Singular Nation''. [[Crown Publishing Group]], 2008.
* ''A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred''. Crown Archetype, 2014.
* ''The Conservative Sensibility''. [[Hachette Books]], 2019.
* ''American Happiness and Discontents''. Hachette Books, 2021.

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==
* Alterman, Eric. ''Sound and Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy'' (1999) pp.&nbsp;87–105 [https://www.questia.com/read/111891799?title=Sound%20and%20Fury%3a%20%20The%20Making%20of%20the%20Punditocracy online edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619121512/http://www.questia.com/read/111891799?title=Sound%20and%20Fury%3A%20%20The%20Making%20of%20the%20Punditocracy |date=June 19, 2010 }}
* Hoeveler, J. David, Jr. (1991) ''Watch on the Right: Conservative Intellectuals in the Reagan Era'', chapter on Will.
* {{cite web
|url=http://www.fair.org/media-beat/010308.html
|title=Triumph of (George) Will: When Media Might Makes Right
|author=Solomon, Norman
|work=Media Beat
|date=March 8, 2001
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210151/http://www.fair.org/media-beat/010308.html
|archive-date=September 30, 2007
|url-status=dead
}}
* {{cite web
|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=10-21-2004&view=storyview
|title=President Carter Tries Hand at Fiction
|author=President Jimmy Carter. Interview with Terry Gross
|work=[[Fresh Air]]
|publisher=WHYY
|date=October 21, 2004}} (Carter alleges Will's role in briefing book theft, about 28:30 into the interview)
* {{cite news
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001796.html
|title=Briefing Book Baloney
|author=Will, George F.
|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]
|date=August 10, 2005
|page=A23}} (Will's column rebutting briefing book allegation)
* {{cite news
|access-date=August 31, 2008
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/george-f-will/
|title=George F. Will Biography
|year=2008
|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]
}}
* {{Cite news
|access-date=October 16, 2019
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/george-f-will/
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510044621/http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/george-f-will
|archive-date=May 10, 2015
|title=George F. Will Biography
|url-status=live
}}
* {{cite web|access-date=August 31, 2008 |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/33194 |title=George F. Will&nbsp;– Contributing Editor and Columnist |work=Newsweek |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011060044/http://www.newsweek.com/id/33194 |archive-date=October 11, 2008 }}
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001763.html Carter Letter]

== External links ==
{{sister project links
| d = Q1270178
| c = Category:George Will
| n = no
| b = no
| v = no
| voy = no
| m = no
| mw = no
| s = no
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}}
* [http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/george-f-will.html Column archives] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116232453/http://www.thedailybeast.com/contributors/george-f-will.html |date=January 16, 2014 }} at ''[[The Daily Beast]]''
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/george-f-will/ Column archives] at ''[[The Washington Post]]''
* [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will.archives.asp Column archives] at ''[[Jewish World Review]]'', October 1999 to August 2006
* {{C-SPAN|1049}}
* {{NYTtopic|people/w/george_f_will/}}
* {{cite web |last=Roberts |first=Russ |author-link=Russ Roberts |date=February 28, 2011 |title=George Will on America, Politics, and Baseball|url=http://www.econtalk.org/archives/_featuring/george_will/ |work=[[EconTalk]] |publisher=[[Library of Economics and Liberty]]}}

{{The Washington Post Writers Group}}
{{PulitzerPrize Commentary 1976–2000}}
{{Authority control}}

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