Jacob Gardenswartz

Jacob Gardenswartz is a reporter and multimedia journalist based in Washington, D.C. His experience runs the gambit from covering presidential elections and the White House to reporting on health policy, the COVID-19 pandemic response and the U.S. Congress.

Jacob graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Communication and Public Service, and simultaneously received his Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) at Penn’s Fels Institute of Government. While at Penn, Jacob received the Kathleen Hall Jamieson award and Rose thesis award for his academic achievements. Jacob also completed a Bassini writing apprenticeship, and served as a fellow in the Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies (PORES). Upon graduation, Jacob received the Nora Magid mentorship prize, which recognizes a graduating senior pursuing journalism and whose alumni include the likes of Ashley Parker (Washington Post) and Matt Flegenheimer (New York Times).

Jacob began his professional journalistic career at NBC News, where he worked on the Decision Desk team projecting elections and analyzing exit polls with Steve Kornacki. Jacob later served as associate producer to MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber, scripting cable news segments about issues of law and criminal justice and spearheading the network’s coverage of the Mueller investigation and Trump impeachment trials. In 2020, Jacob joined NBC’s White House Unit as an associate producer, traveling the country covering President Trump’s reelection campaign and later the Biden White House. Beyond his work in TV, Jacob’s reporting has been featured in outlets like The New Republic, Vox, Town & Country, the Times of San Diego, and The American Independent. He currently serves as a White House Correspondent and Senior Producer with Scripps News.