Though he was ultimately reinstated after intervention by his former student David Lawrence, Tumulty's relationship with Edith Wilson remained frosty.

The number of volunteer helpers is considerable: Freddy Pride of Dwight, Harris, Koegel & Casking, the offshoot of young Charles Hughes' firm, Fred Eaton of Shearman and Sterling, Eddie Miller of Mr. Dulles' firm, Marshall McDuffie, now no longer a lawyer; in Washington Joe Tumulty, Charlie Fahy, Alex Hawes, John Ferguson (Mr. Ballantine's son-in-law) and others–but the real job is get general overall counsel and that fortunately is now settled, but we must move swiftly as so far the committee with its large investigating staff and considerable resources has been able to seize the initiative continuously and regularly.

Everyone has been most helpful...[6]A "conservative progressive" in his own words, Tumulty was a proponent of women's suffrage and World War I-era censorship.

Tumulty's support of Palmer and of U.S. presidential candidate James M. Cox ultimately led to his final break with Wilson.

[8] Wilson failed, however, to encourage Congress to enact the measures Tumulty recommended, although nearly all of his proposals would eventually be realized under the New Deal program of future U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt.