Bipartisan ‘Finding Common Ground’ forum at Washington National Cathedral focused on political violence and civic life
A high-profile bipartisan forum in Washington
A nationally televised bipartisan conversation held at Washington National Cathedral placed political violence and civic trust at the center of a public forum designed to model civil disagreement in a polarized environment. The event brought together Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, in a moderated discussion on leadership responsibilities, extremism, and democratic stability.
The conversation took place Tuesday, December 9, 2025, in the Cathedral’s nave as part of the institution’s “Toward a Better Politics” programming, with journalist Savannah Guthrie serving as moderator. The program was scheduled as a two-hour forum, beginning with a separate expert panel on democracy, faith, and civic life led by Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith.
How the forum fit into a broader media initiative
The Cathedral event aligned with the rollout of a network-wide editorial initiative branded “Finding Common Ground,” structured around bipartisan, solutions-oriented interviews with public officials. The series launched as a multi-platform format across several news broadcasts and digital programming, with the Cox–Shapiro conversation presented as a flagship live event within that framework.
What organizers said the program aimed to address
Event materials described the conversation as focused on the state of U.S. politics, the rising threat of political violence, and the implications for the future of American democracy. The Cathedral also framed the forum as a discussion of civic life grounded in public dignity and safety, with an emphasis on leadership conduct during periods of crisis.
Moderator: Savannah Guthrie
Participants: Gov. Spencer Cox (Utah), Gov. Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania)
Venue: Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
Date and time: December 9, 2025, 7–9 p.m. ET
Expert panel preceded governors’ discussion
Before the governors took the stage, the forum opened with a panel moderated by Hollerith and featuring leaders from policy, philanthropy, and academia. Listed participants included Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute, Melody Barnes of the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy, and Heather Gerken, identified in event materials as the 11th president of the Ford Foundation.
The program combined an expert panel on civic life with a bipartisan discussion between two sitting governors from opposing parties.
Where the conversation continued after the event
The Cathedral later made the event available as an archived stream through its programming hub and incorporated highlights into its “Crossroads” podcast, which released an episode featuring excerpts and discussion tied to the forum in early January 2026. Organizers listed multiple partner institutions involved in presenting the event, reflecting a broader effort by civic and educational groups to sponsor structured public dialogues on democratic norms and political conflict.
The forum underscored a continuing shift toward structured bipartisan conversations staged in prominent civic venues, as institutions and media organizations test formats intended to lower rhetorical temperature while keeping public attention on political violence and democratic resilience.