# George Stephanopoulos
**George Stephanopoulos** (born 1961 in [Fall River, Massachusetts](https://www.edgepedia.org/fall-river-massachusetts)) is an American broadcast journalist who co-anchors ABC's *Good Morning America* and hosts *This Week with George Stephanopoulos*, after serving as a senior adviser and communications director in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 1996[1](https://as.com/us/actualidad/quien-es-george-stephanopoulos-el-periodista-que-entrevista-a-joe-biden-el-5-de-julio-n/) • [2](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff). He joined ABC News in late 1996 as an analyst for *This Week* and has since become one of the network's central political figures, interviewing six U.S. presidents and leading coverage of four presidential elections[3](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos) • [4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961, Fall River, Massachusetts[1](https://as.com/us/actualidad/quien-es-george-stephanopoulos-el-periodista-que-entrevista-a-joe-biden-el-5-de-julio-n/) |
| Education | B.A. in political science, Columbia University, summa cum laude (1982); Rhodes Scholar, master's in theology, Balliol College, Oxford[1](https://as.com/us/actualidad/quien-es-george-stephanopoulos-el-periodista-que-entrevista-a-joe-biden-el-5-de-julio-n/) • [3](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos) |
| Clinton White House | De facto press secretary, then Communications Director (1993), then Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Strategy; resigned December 1996[2](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff) |
| ABC roles | Joined 1997 as *This Week* analyst; now co-anchor of *Good Morning America* and host of *This Week with George Stephanopoulos*[3](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos) |
| Interviews | Six U.S. presidents: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369) |
| Awards | Four Emmys, a DuPont Award, three Edward R. Murrow Awards, two Cronkite Awards; Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame inductee (2024)[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369) |
| Books | *All Too Human: A Political Education* (1999) and *The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis* (2024), both No. 1 New York Times bestsellers[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369) |
## Education and early career
Stephanopoulos graduated from Columbia University in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in political science, summa cum laude, and then studied at [Balliol College, Oxford](https://www.edgepedia.org/balliol-college-oxford), as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a master's degree in theology[1](https://as.com/us/actualidad/quien-es-george-stephanopoulos-el-periodista-que-entrevista-a-joe-biden-el-5-de-julio-n/) • [3](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos). In an oral history for the Rhodes Trust, he credited a Columbia professor, Charles Hamilton, who taught American political science and history, with making him want to be part of the political process; his first job after college was at the [Carnegie Endowment for International Peace](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnegie-endowment-for-international-peace) in Washington[5](https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholar-community/oral-history/george-stephanopoulos/).
He came from a family of Greek Orthodox priests; his father, grandfather, uncle, cousins, and godfather are all priests, and for a time he expected to join them[5](https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholar-community/oral-history/george-stephanopoulos/).
## The Clinton years
Stephanopoulos worked on [Bill Clinton](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-clinton)'s 1992 presidential campaign as communications director, then moved into the White House, where he began by serving as de facto press secretary, giving the daily press briefings[2](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff). He took on the role of White House Communications Director in 1993, followed by that of senior advisor to the president handling policy and strategy; from 1995 he served as the president's senior advisor while also acting as executive assistant to the chief of staff on policy matters.[2](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff) His preserved files from this period, held at the Clinton Presidential Library, cover subjects including the budget, taxes, trade, education, and health care[2](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff).
He resigned from the administration in December 1996, shortly after Clinton's reelection, citing stress, fatigue, and depression[2](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff) • [6](https://www.biography.com/george-stephanopoulos). His memoir of the period, *All Too Human: A Political Education*, published in 1999, reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list[6](https://www.biography.com/george-stephanopoulos) • [4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369).
## Move to ABC News
ABC News hired Stephanopoulos in December 1996 as a contributing correspondent, at the same time that Columbia University named him a visiting professor of political science[7](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/dec/12/abc-news-hires-stephanopoulos/). At the outset he appeared most often as a political analyst on *This Week*, the Sunday morning program then co-hosted by [Cokie Roberts](https://www.edgepedia.org/cokie-roberts) and [Sam Donaldson](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-donaldson); ABC News president Roone Arledge called him "one of the best known and most articulate presidential advisers this country has ever seen"[7](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/dec/12/abc-news-hires-stephanopoulos/).
**Two anchor chairs.** Stephanopoulos became host of *This Week with George Stephanopoulos*, ABC's Sunday morning public affairs program, and co-anchor of *Good Morning America* alongside Robin Roberts and [Michael Strahan](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-strahan)[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369). He and Roberts have co-anchored together since 2009, making them the longest-running anchor duo on morning television[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369). For the 2024-2025 season, *This Week* ranked as the No. 1 Sunday public affairs program in total viewers for the fourth consecutive season[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369).
His headline-making interviews include [Joe Biden](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-biden) in his first conversation after Biden's 2024 presidential debate performance, [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-bankman-fried) in the Bahamas after the collapse of FTX, former FBI director [James Comey](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-comey), Michael Cohen, and Christopher Steele, author of the so-called Steele dossier[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369). His 2021 interview with Alec Baldwin, weeks after the *Rust* shooting, won a Los Angeles Press Club Award[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369). He has led ABC's coverage of four presidential elections and moderated live town halls with Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 and with Joe Biden in 2020[3](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos).
## Production work and books
Stephanopoulos founded George Stephanopoulos Productions (GSP), a unit within ABC News Studios focused on long-form nonfiction; its credits include the Emmy-winning *Grand Knighthawk: Infiltrating the KKK*, *Power Trip: Those Who Seek Power and Those Who Chase Them*, and the Emmy-nominated *Alec Baldwin Unscripted*[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369). He is also co-founder, with his wife [Ali Wentworth](https://www.edgepedia.org/ali-wentworth), of BedBy8, a scripted television company; the two units together produced the documentary *Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields*[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369).
His second book, *The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis* (2024), written with Lisa Dickey, traces the White House Situation Room through one crisis in each of twelve presidencies, from its creation under [John F. Kennedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-f-kennedy) to the raid that killed [Osama bin Laden](https://www.edgepedia.org/osama-bin-laden), and centers on the duty officers who have staffed it[8](https://apnews.com/article/cdd86624c1c690bb397a46644aa685a8). It also became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller[4](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369).
## Controversies
**Clinton Foundation donations.** In May 2015 Stephanopoulos apologized on air after it emerged that he had made $75,000 in donations to the [Clinton Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/clinton-foundation) between 2012 and 2014 without disclosing them to viewers or his bosses; ABC initially reported $50,000 before he acknowledged a forgotten third donation of $25,000[9](https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/14/media/george-stephanopoulos-apology/index.html). He recused himself from moderating Republican electoral debates as a result[10](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/may/17/george-stephanopoulos-apologises-clinton-foundation-donations).
**Trump defamation settlement.** In March 2024 Donald Trump sued ABC News and Stephanopoulos after the anchor said on air that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping [E. Jean Carroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/e-jean-carroll); a civil jury had found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, but not for rape as defined by New York law[11](https://www.axios.com/2024/12/14/abc-trump-settlement-lawsuit). In December 2024 ABC agreed to pay $15 million to Trump's museum foundation and $1 million in legal fees, one of the largest settlements any media company has made with Trump, and to attach an editor's note expressing regret for the statements[11](https://www.axios.com/2024/12/14/abc-trump-settlement-lawsuit).
## Personal life
Stephanopoulos and his wife, Alexandra Wentworth, have two daughters, Elliott and Harper[3](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos). In May 2026 Columbia University, his alma mater, awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree[12](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/george-stephanopoulos).
## References
1. [¿Quién es George Stephanopoulos, el periodista que entrevista a Joe Biden el 5 de julio? AS USA](https://as.com/us/actualidad/quien-es-george-stephanopoulos-el-periodista-que-entrevista-a-joe-biden-el-5-de-julio-n/)
2. [(2011-0582-F) George Stephanopoulos, Office of the Chief of Staff, William J. Clinton Presidential Library](https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/archives/finding-aids/george-stephanopoulos-office-chief-staff)
3. [George Stephanopoulos News Stories and Articles, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Author/George_Stephanopoulos)
4. [George Stephanopoulos' biography, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/gma/george-stephanopoulos-good-morning-america-anchor-biography/story?id=133369)
5. [George Stephanopoulos, Rhodes Trust Oral History Project](https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholar-community/oral-history/george-stephanopoulos/)
6. [George Stephanopoulos, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/george-stephanopoulos)
7. [ABC News Hires Stephanopoulos, The Spokesman-Review (December 12, 1996)](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/dec/12/abc-news-hires-stephanopoulos/)
8. [Book Review: Anonymous public servants are the heart of George Stephanopoulos' 'Situation Room', AP](https://apnews.com/article/cdd86624c1c690bb397a46644aa685a8)
9. [ABC anchor sorry for not disclosing Clinton donations, CNN Money](https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/14/media/george-stephanopoulos-apology/index.html)
10. [George Stephanopoulos apologises on air over Clinton Foundation donations, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/may/17/george-stephanopoulos-apologises-clinton-foundation-donations)
11. [ABC to pay $16 million to Trump foundation, lawyer over "rape" libel claim, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2024/12/14/abc-trump-settlement-lawsuit)
12. [Where Is George Stephanopoulos Now? CRBC News](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/george-stephanopoulos)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Broadcasting and journalism › Broadcast organizations and stations › Broadcasters as people › Broadcast journalists and news presenters › American broadcast journalists and news presenters › ABC News journalists and anchors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license