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Alexandra Petri

Washington, D.C.

Columnist offering a lighter take on the news and opinions of the day

Education: Harvard College, BA in English, Classics Secondary Field

Alexandra Petri is a Washington Post columnist offering a lighter take on the news and opinions of the day.

Petri is the author of "A.P.'s US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up)" and the essay collections "Nothing Is Wrong And Here Is Why" and "A Field Guide to Awkward Silences." She joined The Post as an intern in 2010 after graduating from Harvard College.
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Latest from Alexandra Petri

Chat with Alexandra Petri and tell her your jokes

Alexandra's live chat with readers starts at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Submit your questions now.

September 17, 2024

The Trump-Harris debate, summarized

Vice President Harris, introduce yourself. President Trump, say things a normal person would say.

September 11, 2024
People watch the ABC News debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in West Hollywood. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Any thoughts on zeugma? I was taking your jokes.

Alexandra’s live chat with readers started at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Submit your questions now.

September 10, 2024

The Wonderful Trump Headline Machine

Everything makes sense now.

September 6, 2024
Former president speaks at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday. (David Dee Delgado/AFP/Getty Images)

Do you have an all-time favorite fictional character? I was taking your jokes.

Alexandra’s live chat with readers started at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Read the transcript.

September 3, 2024

The Harris-Walz CNN interview, summarized

Harris: My values have not changed. I still don’t approve of fracking, but I still need the votes of Pennsylvanians.

August 30, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash in Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 29. (Will Lanzoni/CNN)

JD Vance writes a rom-com

The man saw the female looked fertile. He would tell her about the Great Replacement Theory, and how they must combine their genetic material.

August 30, 2024
Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) engages in a business transaction to acquire toroid treats at Holt's Sweet Shop on Aug. 22 in Valdosta, Ga. (Gary McCullough/AP)

Why not pay teachers $100,000?

As American kids head back to school, columnist Daniel Pink makes the case for paying teachers more money. High-quality teachers, he argues, significantly improve student learning, so shouldn’t they be paid as much as somebody assessing insurance premiums on your car? Plus, humor columnist Alexandra Petri discusses sending her child to school for the first time.

August 27, 2024

What’s the best muppet? I was taking your questions.

Alexandra’s live chat with readers started at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Read the transcript.

August 27, 2024

RFK Jr.’s worm here: I guess I’m supporting Trump, too

There clearly is only one logical home for me in the 2024 election. I did not want to say so earlier for fear of alienating my host.

August 23, 2024
My host, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., waves to the media outside the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola, N.Y., on Wednesday. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)