Joseph “Joe” Watkins is the host of State of Independence on Lighthouse TV, and has served as a political commentator for MSNBC, CNBC, CBS News, Bloomberg and Al Jazeera.

He is a former White House aide to United States President George H. W. Bush. From March 2021 until December 2023, he served as president and CEO of Community Council Health Systems in Philadelphia. He was also previously court appointed Receiver (chief executive) for the Chester Upland School District during the Governor Corbett’s administration. Watkins served as a top aide to United States Senator Dan Quayle in the early 1980s before joining University of Pennsylvania President Sheldon Hackney’s staff as an assistant to the president.

He joined President Bush’s staff at the White House in January 1989. After leaving the White House, Watkins became an equity partner and managing director in an asset management firm with $3.2B AUM. Beginning in 2004 he served as a political analyst for CNN’s Paula Zahn Now and American Morning as well as a co-host for CNN’s Crossfire before moving to MSNBC as a regular political analyst and contributor. He has served as a co-host of Squawk Box on CNBC and has appeared on CNBC’ and Bloomberg.. He has also analyzed major political news for Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Arabic.

Watkins is a graduate of the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, the University of Pennsylvania and the Princeton Theological Seminary. He has served as pastor of a church in Philadelphia, serves on several boards and has received numerous honors and awards. He and his

wife Stephanie are the parents of three married children and have six grandchildren. He is the author of “The New PC: Practical Consideration” which is available on Amazon.