Thomas Gift

Thomas Gift is one of the most prominent voices in the UK interpreting American politics for a global audience. He routinely writes and comments on US politics and policy for premier academic and popular outlets worldwide. Since joining University College London (UCL), he has held visiting appointments at the LSE US Centre, Oxford's Rothermere American Institute, Yale’s Centre for the Study of American Politics, and Stanford’s Political Science Department, with previous experience at the Harvard Kennedy School. He established the UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP) in 2020 and continues to serve as its Founding Director, making CUSP an integral part of his public profile as an expert on American government and affairs.

Thomas has an extensive record of media engagement on US issues, providing expert, non-partisan analysis that highlights the impact of American government, institutions, culture, and policy globally. He has written more than 150 articles for popular outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Hill, and Newsweek. Additionally, he has made over 1,000 television, radio, and news appearances on leading UK, US, and international platforms, including CNN, BBC, CNBC, NPR, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Sky News, and Voice of America. BBC anchor Aaron Heslehurst, for example, has publicly called him a 'familiar face and friend' on the network.

Thomas’s public-facing work on US politics has earned him several notable platforms. During the 2020 US elections, for instance, he was selected as the main in-studio guest for 10 hours of around-the-clock BBC World Service 'America Decides' coverage. Additionally, Thomas has delivered keynote speeches and assessments of US politics for major entities including the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, non-governmental organizations, and private wealth and financial advisories.

Founding and directing the UCL Centre on US Politics (CUSP) has been a significant part of Thomas’s external engagement. Based in the School of Public Policy and affiliated with the UCL Institute of Advanced Studies, CUSP serves as a leading, outward-facing venue for disseminating work on US politics in the UK and Europe. CUSP has garnered numerous accolades for the quality, diversity, and visibility of its work on US politics. For example, Bloomberg TV anchor Tom Keene referred to CUSP’s work as part of 'a wonderful industry in the United Kingdom—really, really smart people…providing US wisdom off the platforms of the great schools of the United Kingdom'.