Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr.

09/06/2026

I was one of Bush's earliest supporters, and one of Trump's too, both of them running on a more humble, America First foreign policy. I believe Neocons steered Bush into Iraq, and now I believe they've steered Trump into Gaza and Iran the same way. Read the full column below.

08/30/2026

A few days before the 2000 election, I secretly arranged for George W. Bush to make a last-minute stop at our Duncan Family Barbecue, and the Secret Service almost didn't let it happen. Bush never forgot it. Years later, he was still telling other members of Congress about the 10,000 people who showed up. Full story below.

08/22/2026

Last Saturday I attended the visitation for a young man named Corey Chandler, 28, whom I had never met. His obituary moved me so much that I wanted to tell his mother in person that I believed she was a true hero for the life of love and care she gave her son through years of unimaginable challenges. Full column in the comments below.

08/17/2026

A conversation with my wife about her grandparents' old property on Holston Hills Road led me down an unexpected path: the remarkable story of Pattie Boyd, Knoxville's first and the nation's longest-serving female journalist. She wrote a column for 51 years, covered four presidents and 30,000 weddings, and never learned to type until two years before she retired. Full column below.

08/12/2026

Before Democrats celebrate a few close races in the August 6 Knox County elections, they should look at history. Presidential unpopularity has flipped local elections before, and it always swings back. I wrote about what 1958, 1966, 1994, and 2010 can teach us about right now.

A column by John J. Duncan Jr., Former Member of Congress.

08/05/2026

Republicans are sliding in the polls, and I think the unpopular war in Iran is a big reason why. I wrote about what's driving it, and what we stand to lose if it ends up handing Congress to the socialists.

A column by John J. Duncan Jr., Former Member of Congress.

07/28/2026

There's an old saying that there is some bad in the best of us and some good in the worst of us. I've got two small stories that prove it, one about a Cabinet secretary sharing cheap w**e with a stranger on a Detroit street, and another about a struggling cab driver who gave a pint of his own blood for me. I also share what I call my own personal miracle. New column below.

A column by John J. Duncan Jr., Former Member of Congress.

07/19/2026

Israeli forces have killed thousands of people in Gaza and Lebanon in recent months, much of it with weapons American taxpayers paid for, and Congress has had little to say about it. I wrote about why that silence persists, and what I think it would actually take to bring real peace to the Middle East.

A column by John J. Duncan Jr., Former Member of Congress.

07/13/2026

Lindsey Graham once told a room full of angry colleagues, "Well, I can be intimidated, and I am," and brought the whole House down in laughter. I share that story and a few memories of my friend and former colleague in this week's column.

Independent commentary from John J. Duncan Jr., Former Member of Congress representing Tennessee's 2nd District for 30 years.

07/03/2026

Friends, I’ve started a new website called The Duncan Dispatch, where I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the issues facing our country and our community here in East Tennessee. After 30 years in Congress, I’m not done speaking my mind. I hope you’ll read along, and share the columns with folks you think would enjoy them.

https://www.congressmanduncan.com/article.html?article=welcome

A column by John J. Duncan Jr., Former Member of Congress.