John McLaughlin

Early life and education John Joseph McLaughlin was born in Providence, Rhode Island He grew up in a Catholic family whose parents were second-generation Irish-Americans. McLaughlin attended La Salle Academy in Providence,

He entered the Jesuit order in 1947, aged 20, was ordained as a priest in 1959, and went on to earn two master's degrees (in philosophy and in English literature) from Boston College.

Political positions

McLaughlin was originally a Democrat, but changed his party affiliation to Republican and opposed the Vietnam War, in particular, in a 1970 Republican run for the office of U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, where he called for the war's rapid end. according to another, he spent a further two months working under President Ford, when Vice President Ford succeeded Nixon after the latter's resignation in August 1974.

Media career

On leaving the White House, McLaughlin and Ann Dore founded a "public affairs and media relations consulting firm", ). His Washington Post obituary states that he was fired "a year into [that last] gig, 'reportedly for talking too much and taking too few calls'".

McLaughlin also hosted the interview show John McLaughlin's One on One, first telecast in 1984, and ended in 2013. Also from 1989 through 1994, he produced and hosted McLaughlin, a one-hour nightly talk show on CNBC. and its cancellation was announced on February 25. A revival of The McLaughlin Group ran briefly in 2018, retaining McLaughlin's name in the show's title (despite his death, see following).

Personal life

McLaughlin was routinely described during his life as "a former Jesuit priest"; McLaughlin and Dore divorced in 1992. McLaughlin married his second wife, Cristina Clara Vidal (vice president for operations of Oliver Productions The marriage ended in divorce in 2010.

In August 1989, a former executive assistant at McLaughlin's Oliver Productions, Linda D. Dean, at the time, 36-years old, was plaintiff in a lawsuit asking $4 million in penalties, accusing McLaughlin and Oliver productions of "sexual harassment and discrimination"; despite denying the suit's claims, McLaughlin and Oliver Productions settled the suit out-of-court, and in a December 1989 report on the settlement, neither plaintiff nor defendents offered comment. —a Basset Hound—which was portrayed in an animation of the brand logo at the close of each show. Oliver shared their Watergate apartment during McLaughlin's tenure as speechwriter for President Nixon. During 2014 year-end awards episode, McLaughlin ended the show saying: "Person of the year: Pope Francis, especially now that he's told that animals can go to heaven. And Oliver is up there waiting for me."

McLaughlin died of prostate cancer at the age of 89, at his home in Washington, D.C., on August 16, 2016, having missed his first broadcast in 34 years. McLaughlin's last message to fans was August 13, when he explained he had missed recent tapings due to his poor health.

In popular culture Dana Carvey of Saturday Night Live "memorably parodied... McLaughlin’s bombastic style",

McLaughlin also appeared in several films, including Dave, Mission: Impossible, Independence Day, and War, Inc., generally portraying himself discussing a political character in the movie. In the 2009 movie Watchmen, he is portrayed by Gary Houston in an early scene interviewing Pat Buchanan (played by James M. Connor) and Eleanor Clift (played by Mary Ann Burger) about the possibility of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. McLaughlin also hosted a special celebration for the 200th episode of the NBC sitcom Cheers.