Matthews has distinguished himself as an author, journalist and political commentator. What's lesser known about the host of MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" is that he began his career as a trade development adviser with the Peace Corps in Swaziland.
Matthews brings powerful and influential political commentary to audiences weekly on "Hardball" and NBC's "The Chris Matthews Show." Before achieving television cult status, he worked as a print journalist, covering the opening of the Berlin Wall, the first all-races elections in South Africa and the historic peace referendum on Northern Ireland. In the late-90s, his digging into the National Archives produced a series of Examiner scoops on the Nixon presidential tapes. Matthews spent 13 years as Washington Bureau Chief for the San Francisco Examiner, and was a nationally syndicated columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Prior to entering journalism, Matthews served as White House aide and speechwriter to President Jimmy Carter, as well as a top aide to former Speaker of the House Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.
Author of the best-selling books "Now Let Me Tell You What I Really Think," "Hardball," and "Kennedy and Nixon," Matthews has twice received the Washington Post's "Crystal Ball" award for his successful predictions of U.S. elections.