Dan balz ted cruz biography

Dan Balz joined The Washington Post in 1978 and is currently chief correspondent. Based in Washington, D.C., he has covered politics throughout his tenure at the Post and has written four books, two of which became New York Times best sellers.

In this interview, Balz discusses the hardening of divisions in the country during the eight years of Obama's presidency, Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the appeal of Trump's message.

On the campaign trail, Balz recalls interviewing rally attendees just after Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, saying "it was clear there was an audience hungering to hear what he had to say."

This is the transcript of an interview with with FRONTLINE's Michael Kirk on May 24, 2016.

It has been edited for clarity and length.

Let's begin by talking a little bit about the promise of 2004.

I can't recall a speech that had such a riveting impact on an audience at a political convention.

Political conventions are known for great oratory