Thomson attended American University from 1975 until 1979, graduating in Spring 1980 with a degree in visual communications and cinema studies.
He started working for The Washington Post in 1983 as a copy aide for the Style section, and by 1984 was writing freelance articles for the paper.
He opined "Groundhog Day will never be designated a national film treasure by the Library of Congress."
[4] Thomson left the Washington Post in 2008, and in 2010 became a speechwriter in the administration of President Barack Obama.
Until September 2017 he was a speechwriter and senior advisor for Charles H. Rivkin, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.