The New York Times announced Tuesday that conservative writer David French will begin writing for the newspaper as an opinion columnist.
French is set to begin his new role Jan. 30, the Times announced. A vocal opponent of former President Donald Trump, French launched the anti-Trump website “The Dispatch” and served as a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He also wrote for the National Review from 2015 to 2019, the Times reported.
“Although the path that brought David to Times Opinion is an unusual one, the qualities he exhibits as a writer are precisely the ones we value most. He is forthright in his views, yet open to counterargument; sincere in his ideological commitments, yet willing to call out those who normally share his beliefs when he believes they’ve wandered astray,” the Times wrote.
We’re excited to announce that writer and legal scholar @DavidAFrench is joining @NYTOpinion as the newest columnist. https://t.co/BXHrnfA12G
— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) January 3, 2023
The Times honored French for his “factual and intellectual clarity” and his “generosity” and “humility.” The newspaper reflected on his work as a lawyer and his time with federal prosecutors. (RELATED: David French Says He Won’t Run For President)
French litigated in Manhattan and Kentucky law firms and taught at Cornell Law School, the Times reported. He further served as President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and litigated constitutional cases, particularly those tied to the First Amendment.
The Times wrote of his fascination with the “moral and political direction of American conservatism” and that of the Evangelical Church, as well as political polarization across the U.S.
French has been a major Trump critic during and after of his presidency. In a Jun. 28 piece for The Dispatch, he accused Trump of being “morally and politically responsible” for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and pointed to Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the Jan. 6 Select Committee as valid proof.
French also previously challenged the Times for its criticism of Trump’s early response to COVID-19 in 2020. The Times piece accused the former president of lacking “human empathy” a “distortion of facts” and “the impatience of scrutiny.” He told “Meet the Press” that the Times ignored the former president’s evolving outlook on the virus.
“But a lot of us, I think, were rightly encouraged over the last few days that his tone has changed. You still have this pattern where people are praising him incessantly as they give these briefings which is just absurd to watch, but the tone has changed,” French said.