meet sam

Samuel Chen is a television host, author, and award-winning political scientist, analyst, and strategist. He wears many hats, but sees them all as platforms to the same goal: to challenge minds and change lives.

EARLY LIFE

Chen was born Pennsylvania and grew up in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. He is an alumnus of Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

EDUCATION

Chen completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy and political science at Baylor University in 2009 and went on to earn his Master of Arts in Church-State Studies in 2011 from the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor. He was deeply involved with university life, serving on committees for athletics, recruitment, and strategic planning. He remains involved with his alma mater today through the Baylor in Washington program and the Baylor Honors College. Chen also completed coursework in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the Valley Forge Military College.

POLITICS

In 2015, Chen launched The Liddell Group -- an innovative and interdisciplinary strategy firm that has reinvented the approach to politics, public policy, and communications. He and his team have led a number of policy initiatives and represented numerous leaders, including for Ohio Governor John Kasich, Pennsylvania Deputy Auditor General Gordon Denlinger, and award-winning special victims prosecutor Pearl Kim.

Before founding The Liddell Group, Chen managed the congressional campaign for U.S. Congressman Charlie Dent (PA-15) and served as a political director for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and Lt. Governor Jim Cawley. Prior to that, he served as a congressional aide to Dent and to U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (PA). During his time in Waco, he served as a government policy stakeholder for the Greater Waco Education Alliance.

Chen has earned various accolades for his success in politics, including being named one of Pennsylvania's top 50 political consultants and being named to City & State Pennsylvania's 40-under-40 list for government (2021, 2017) and Politics PA's 30-under-30 list for politics (2014). In 2016, The Liddell Group was named a finalized for the Business Innovation Award by the Greater Lehigh Valley (PA) Chamber of Commerce for their leadership in innovation and strategy. Chen has also served as a judge for the prestigious Pollie Awards, hosted by the American Association of Political Consultants and dubbed by Esquire magazine as the "Oscars of political advertising" and was named their 2019 Outstanding Judge of the Year.

MEDIA

In 2017, Chen was tapped to host the new television show Face the Issues. A talk show news journal, Face the Issues retains the long-form interview style and replaces talking points with robust conversations and debates on the ideas and their practical implications. The show launched in March 2018 in the Philadelphia market, expanded to the Central and Western Pennsylvania market in 2020, and is broadcast today in a four-state region and streamed online to a national audience.

In 2023, Chen joined Alhurra TV as a political contributor and has served on the advisory board for City & State Pennsylvania since 2021. Additionally, he is a frequent guest on a variety of other media outlets and has appeared on NPR, NBC News, Politico, Newsweek, the New Yorker, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Christian Science Monitor, Business Insider, Bloomberg, and others.

ACADEMIA

Outside of politics and media, Chen serves as Assistant Professor and Director of the Political Science Program at Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania, where he also directs the George S. McElwee Forum for Excellence in Public Service. He has also served as a program advisor to Baylor in Washington and is a member of the American Enterprise Institute's Leadership Network (LN) and Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN). A frequent speaker on college campuses and at various conferences, Chen has authored numerous articles and academic papers and has provided testimony to various legislative committees.

AUTHOR

In March 2020, Chen released his first book, Thirteen Minutes: Winning, Losing, and Living as Taught by the 2016 Election (Opus Publishing). Reflecting on the 2016 presidential campaign, Chen shares never-before heard stories and illustrates five life lessons for politics and for life. Later that year, he released his second book, E Pluribus Unum: The Scope of Church and State in American Liberal Democracy (Kendall Hunt), which details the roles of religion and government in America.

PERSONAL LIFE

Chen is active in his home church and sits on the Host Committee for Lehigh Valley Cru, having previously served on the board of the Lehigh Valley Prayer Breakfast. He teaches financial courses for the community, having previously served as a financial advisor with a Fortune 500 financial services firm and a recruiter for a Fortune 500 medical services company. He is a member of the Pennsylvania State Society of Washington, D.C., the Texas State Society, and the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences.

fast facts

SCHOOL?

Baylor born and Baylor bred and when I die, I'll be Baylor dead. Sic 'em, Bears.

SPORTS TEAM?

College: Baylor (#SicEm) and Penn State (#WeAre)

Pro: Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Detriot Lions, Philadelphia Flyers, San Antonio Spurs, Chelsea FC

MOST UNDERRATED SCHOLAR THAT NEEDS TO BE MORE WIDELY READ?

Thomas Reid. It's a great tragedy that so many read David Hume while having never heard of Thomas Reid.

FAVORITE FOLLOWS ON TWITTER?

Politicians: Senator Ben Sasse (@BenSasse)

Athletes: Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd), Cleveland Indians (@Indians)

Journalists: Amanda St. Hilarie (@amandasaint5), Laura Rutledge (@LauraRutledge), Gordon Voit (@GordonVoit)

Scholars: Russell Moore (@DrMoore), Thomas Kidd (@ThomasSKidd), Francis Beckwith (@fbeckwith)

Others: Wendy's (@Wendys)

TEXAN HABIT THAT YOUR OTHER FRIENDS JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND?

There are so many, but I get the most grief for putting salsa on my eggs.

BEST POLITICAL TELEVISION DRAMA?

Politicos see their jobs as The West Wing or Madame Secretary, outsiders see it as Scandal,

but it's really House of Cards...with some days more reflective of VEEP.