John Heilemann

John Heilemann was a familiar face to anyone who followed American politics in the 2010s; a best-selling author and respected TV pundit with the academic bona fides to back it up. Born on January 23, 1966 in Los Angeles, CA, Heilemann received a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University, before going to to earn his master's degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Heilemann soon launched a successful writing career, working on the staff of New York Magazine, Wired, and The Economist. Heilemann's first book, "Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era" (2001), a chronicle of the Microsoft antitrust case, was a critical and commercial hit, and made Heilemann a respected voice in the realm of technology, leading to a documentary series, "Download: the True Story of the Internet" (Discovery Channel, 2008). However, Heilemann truly rose to fame when he partnered up with another respected journalist, ABC's Mark Halperin. The pair's first collaboration, "Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime" (2010), was a sensational tell-all about the 2008 presidential election that pulled no punches on either side of the political aisle. Heilemann and Halperin followed that up with "Double Down: Game Change 2012" (2013), an equally juicy sequel about the 2012 presidential election. This lead to Heilemann and Halperin landing two series: "With All Due Respect" (MSNBC/Bloomberg Television, 2014-17), and "The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth" (Showtime, 2016-), a weekly look at the chaotic 2016 presidential election, before focusing on the chaotic Trump presidency in its second season. However, the partnership was rocked when Halperin was accused of sexual harassment in the wake of the #metoo movement. Halperin was fired from ABC, "With All Due Respect" was cancelled, a third book about the 2016 presidential elections was called off, and "The Circus" was renewed for a third season, on the condition that Halperin not return. All the while, Heilemann maintained that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by his now former partner.