Patrick Joseph Buchanan, commonly known as Pat Buchanan, is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, columnist, former politician, and three-time presidential candidate. Born on November 2, 1938, in Washington, D.C., into a large Catholic family, he was educated at Jesuit institutions and holds degrees from Georgetown University and Columbia University. Buchanan began his career as a reporter and editorial writer for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, becoming one of the youngest editorial writers on a major U.S. newspaper at age 23. He rose to prominence as a speechwriter and advisor during the Nixon administration, playing a key role in crafting the "Southern Strategy" and coining the phrase "the great silent majority." He served as a senior or special assistant to Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, contributing to White House communications and policy messaging.

Buchanan’s political views emphasize paleoconservative principles, including nationalism, isolationism, protectionism, and an "America First" foreign policy opposing U.S. interventions abroad. He criticizes excessive immigration, multiculturalism, and free trade agreements such as NAFTA, while opposing neoconservative foreign policy and military engagements in the Middle East, targeting figures like Robert Kagan. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1992, 1996, and 2000, briefly sought the Reform Party nomination in 2000, and founded The American Conservative magazine to promote his nationalist and cultural conservative views.

An accomplished author, Buchanan has written numerous books including The Death of the West and Suicide of a Superpower, which argue against globalism and for cultural conservatism while critiquing American foreign policy elites. He gained widespread visibility as a television commentator, serving as the original host of CNN's Crossfire from 1985 to 1999, debating liberal guests, and appearing regularly on The McLaughlin Group and Fox News programs. Despite controversies over his remarks, including allegations related to Holocaust denial and opposition to the Iraq War, Buchanan remains an influential voice in paleoconservative circles and contributed to outlets like VDARE until 2023. His career spans journalism, politics, and media, positioning him as a key figure bridging Old Right traditions and modern conservative populism.