Jake Sullivan | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| 28thUnited States National Security Advisor | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Jonathan Finer |
| Preceded by | Robert C. O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Mike Waltz |
| National Security Advisor to the Vice President | |
| In office February 26, 2013 – August 1, 2014 | |
| Vice President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Antony Blinken |
| Succeeded by | Colin Kahl |
| 26thDirector of Policy Planning | |
| In office February 4, 2011 – February 15, 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Anne-Marie Slaughter |
| Succeeded by | David McKean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan (1976-11-28)November 28, 1976 (age 48) Burlington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Yale University (BA,JD) Magdalen College, Oxford (MPhil) |
Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan (born November 28, 1976) is an American attorney who served as theU.S. National Security Advisor from 2021 to 2025 under presidentJoe Biden.
Sullivan previously served as Director of Policy to PresidentBarack Obama, National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden and Deputy Chief of Staff to SecretaryHillary Clinton at theU.S. Department of State. Sullivan also served as senior advisor to the U.S. federal government at theIran nuclear negotiations and senior policy advisor toClinton's 2016 presidential campaign, as well as visiting professor atYale Law School.
On November 23, 2020, President-elect Biden announced that Sullivan would be appointed the National Security Advisor. He took office on January 20, 2021.
Sullivan was born inBurlington, Vermont, to a family ofIrish descent[1] and grew up inMinneapolis,Minnesota.[2][3] His father worked for theStar Tribune and was a professor at theUniversity of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and his mother was a high school guidance counselor.[2] Sullivan attendedSouthwest High School in Minneapolis, where he graduated in 1994. He was aCoca-Cola Scholar,debate champion, president of thestudent council, and voted "most likely to succeed" in his class.[4]
Educated in the United States and United Kingdom, Sullivan first attendedYale University, where hemajored ininternational studies andpolitical science and was awarded theAlpheus Henry Snow Prize.[5][3] He was inducted intoPhi Beta Kappa his senior year and graduatedsumma cum laude with distinction in 1998 with aBachelor of Arts.[5][6] Sullivan won aRhodes Scholarship[7] to attendMagdalen College, Oxford, where he studiedinternational relations.[5][8] He was also awarded aMarshall Scholarship, which he declined in favor of the Rhodes.[5] While at Oxford, Sullivan served as a managing editor of theOxford International Review.[7] He graduated with aMaster of Philosophy.[3] He graduated with aJuris Doctor fromYale Law School in 2003.[6] He is a member, and former board member, of theTruman National Security Project.
At Yale, he was an editor of theYale Law Journal, theYale Law & Policy Review, and theYale Daily News. He interned at theCouncil on Foreign Relations, was a member of theYale Debate Association, and earned aTruman Scholarship in his junior year.[5][9] He also worked forBrookings Institution presidentStrobe Talbott at theYale Center for the Study of Globalization.[10]
After graduating from law school, Sullivanclerked for JudgeGuido Calabresi of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and then forAssociate JusticeStephen Breyer of theUnited States Supreme Court.[4][10][11] After his clerkships, Sullivan returned to his hometown of Minneapolis to practice law atFaegre & Benson[10] and taught law as anadjunct professor at theUniversity of St. Thomas School of Law.[4] After Faegre & Benson, Sullivan worked as chief counsel to Minnesota senatorAmy Klobuchar,[4][11] who connected him toHillary Clinton.[2]
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In 2008, Sullivan was an advisor to Hillary Clinton during the primary cycle and then to Barack Obama during the general election campaign. He prepared Clinton and Obama for debates.[9] When Clinton became secretary of state, Sullivan was named her deputy chief of staff[12] andDirector of Policy Planning, and traveled with her to 112 countries.[13] In 2012, Sullivan approvingly wrote that Al-Qaeda "was on our side in Syria" to Clinton.[14] Clinton later joked that Sullivan was a potential future president of the United States.[15]
Sullivan worked in the Obama administration as deputy assistant to the president andNational Security Advisor toVice PresidentJoe Biden.[16] He became Biden's top security aide in February 2013 after Clinton stepped down as secretary of state.[7] In those posts, he played a role in shaping U.S. foreign policy towardsLibya,Syria, andMyanmar.[11]
On June 20, 2014,The New York Times reported that Sullivan was leaving the administration in August 2014 to teach at Yale Law School.[13] As of 2020[update], he was a nonresident senior fellow at theCarnegie Endowment for International Peace.[17]
In November 2013, theAssociated Press reported that officials in theObama administration had been in secret contact with Iranian officials throughout 2013 about the feasibility of an agreement over the Iranian nuclear program. The report stated that American officials, includingDeputy Secretary of StateWilliam J. Burns, Senior White House Iran AdvisorPuneet Talwar, and Sullivan, had secretly met with their Iranian counterparts at least five times face to face inOman.[18] Those efforts paved the way for theGeneva interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, known officially as the Joint Plan of Action, signed byIran and theP5+1 countries inGeneva, Switzerland, on November 24, 2013.[11][19]
Since then, Sullivan has regularly attended bilateral consultations with Iran in Geneva as a member of the U.S. delegation on the Iran nuclear negotiations.[16][20]
Sullivan was Hillary Clinton's chief foreign policy adviser during her2016 bid for the presidency.[21]
He was reported to be the only senior staffer who repeatedly suggested that Clinton should spend more time inMidwesternswing states during the election campaign. Clinton's failure to win those states was a key factor in her defeat.[22] Sullivan was prominent in many of thePodesta emails released during the2016 US presidential election, including Sullivan questioning if Democratic primary candidateMartin O'Malley's 100% clean energy by 2050 plan was "realistic".[23] After the election, Sullivan confessed to feeling "a keen sense of responsibility" for Clinton's defeat.[24] On March 24, 2022, former presidentDonald Trump sued numerous people including Clinton and Sullivan alleging a conspiracy by the Clinton campaign to invent theRussian collusion scandal.[25] The suit was dismissed on September 8, 2022, and on January 19, 2023, a federal judge imposed nearly $1 million in sanctions on Trump and his lawyerAlina Habba, calling the suit "completely frivolous".[26]
After his work with the Clinton campaign, Sullivan joined Macro Advisory Partners, a risk advisory company, in January 2017; it paid him at least $135,000.[27][28] While at the London-based advisory firm, he advised a number of companies including Uber, Mastercard, Lego, as well as large investment groups such as Bank of America, Aviva, Standard Life Aberdeen, and Standard Chartered.[29][27][30] Following the Clinton campaign, he joined theCarsey School of Public Policy at theUniversity of New Hampshire as a member of the faculty and senior fellow.[31]
Between 2017 and May 2020, Sullivan served on an advisory council forMicrosoft; in 2020, he was paid $45,000 for this work.[32] Given his role in crafting U.S. cyber security policy in the Biden administration, including overseeing the government's response tothe January 2021 cyberattack on Microsoft, concerns have been raised about potential conflicts of interest.[32][33]
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On November 22, 2020, Sullivan was announced as Joe Biden's National Security Advisor.[34] Upon his appointment, Sullivan stated that the early priorities of Biden'sNational Security Council (NSC) are theCOVID-19 pandemic, "restructuring the NSC to make public health a permanent national security priority", andChina relations.[3] He also emphasized that the Biden administration aimed to repair American relations with allies that he regarded as being damaged during theTrump administration.[3]
In September 2021The Guardian opined that one of Sullivan's themes in the job is connecting US actions on the world stage to the lives and welfare of ordinary Americans, with the mantra of "a foreign policy for the middle class".[35]
After thesurrender of Kabul to the Taliban, Sullivan said that the collapse of the government ofAfghanistan occurred because at the "end of the day, despite the fact we spent 20 years and tens of billions of dollars to give the best equipment, the best training and the best capacity to the Afghan national security forces, we could not give them the will and they ultimately decided that they would not fight for Kabul and they would not fight for the country."[36] However, Brett Bruen, director of global engagement in the Obama White House, called for Sullivan's dismissal over his role in the affair.[37][38]
On September 28, 2021, Sullivan met inSaudi Arabia with Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman to discuss the2021 global energy crisis andSaudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.[39] They also discussed thepotential deal to normalize relations betweenIsrael and Saudi Arabia.[40]
On October 6, 2021, a high level meeting between Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat,CCP Politburo memberYang Jiechi, inZürich, Switzerland focused on a number of contentious aspects of Chinese-American relations, including the existence ofTaiwan, trade disputes, theCOVID-19 origin theories, as well as civic freedoms inHong Kong. Despite continued differences between the two nations on these issues, both sides agreed to continue their cooperation "in the spirit of fair and peaceful competition".[41]
On October 25, 2021, Sullivan was briefed by Pentagon officials on the full range of military options to ensure thatIran would not be able to produce anuclear weapon.[42]
On November 7, 2021, Sullivan stated that the US does not pursuesystem change inChina any longer,[43] marking a clear break from theChina policy pursued by previous US administrations. Sullivan said that the US is not seeking a newCold War with China, but is looking for a system ofpeaceful coexistence.[44]
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On December 7, 2021, Sullivan warned that Russia'sNord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project will end in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.[45]
On January 14, 2022, Sullivan accusedRussia of sending saboteurs intoUkraine to stage "afalse-flag operation" that would create a pretext for Russia to invade Ukraine.[46] Russian foreign ministerSergey Lavrov dismissed the U.S. claim as "total disinformation."[47]
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On February 11, 2022, Sullivan publicly warned about the likelihood of aRussian invasion of Ukraine prior to the end the2022 Winter Olympics, urging all Americans to leave Ukraine immediately and indicating that there may be "no prospect of a U.S. military evacuation" once an invasion commences.[48] He said that "Russia has all the forces it needs to conduct a major military action."[49] On February 24 theRussian invasion of Ukraine began.
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On March 13, 2022, Sullivan warned of a full-fledgedNATO response if Russia attacks any part of NATO territory.[50] He reportedly advised Zelenskyy not to try to retakeCrimea or attack theCrimean Bridge, fearing that Russia might respond with anuclear strike. Sullivan also reportedly imposed restrictions to prevent Ukraine from usingWestern-supplied weapons for retaliatory attacks on Russian territory.[51]
On March 14, 2022, he warned China that it would face consequences if it helped Russia evadesanctions.[52]
On July 6, 2023, President Joe Biden authorized the provision ofcluster munitions in support of aUkrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces in Russian-annexed southeastern Ukraine, bypassing U.S. law prohibiting the transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate greater than one percent.[53] Sullivan defended the use of cluster munitions, saying that "Ukraine would not be using these munitions in some foreign land. This is their country they're defending."[54]
On October 2, 2023, Sullivan stated in an article inForeign Affairs that the Biden administration had "de-escalated crises in Gaza" and shortly before noted the Middle East is “quieter today than it has been in two decades.”[55] Five days later,Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel from theGaza Strip, sparking the2023 Israel–Hamas war. The article was later edited for online release.[56]
On October 15, 2023, CNN'sJake Tapper, in an interview with Sullivan, raised questions about Israel'sblockade of the Gaza Strip and theimpact on its population. Sullivan claimed that the United States worked with Israel "to make sure that innocent Palestinians get access to [water and medicine and food] and are protected from bombardment."[57]
On October 29, 2023, Sullivan dismissed calls for a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas in theGaza Strip, warning that any potential "humanitarian pause" to gethostages out of Gaza could benefit Hamas.[58] He declined to comment on whether Israel had committedwar crimes in Gaza and whether Gazans would be allowed to return to their homes.[59][60] Sullivan stated that "Israel has a right, indeed a responsibility, to defend itself against a terrorist group."[60]
In the November–December 2023 issue ofForeign Affairs Sullivan laid out his vision of "The Sources of AmericanPower". It was the issue's cover story.[61]Anders Åslund wrote that the article showed a "Biden administration in denial about Ukraine".[62]
In January 2024, the Biden administration rejected Vladimir Putin's proposal for aceasefire in Ukraine. Sullivan informed Putin's foreign policy adviserYuri Ushakov that the United States would not discuss a ceasefire without Ukraine's participation.[63][64]
Also in January 2024 Sullivan met withWang Yi atBangkok for two days.[65]
In March 2024, Sullivan warned Ukrainian officials to cease military strikes in Russia using Ukraine's own weaponry, amidst concerns about impacts on oil prices. US officials had previously placed restrictions against Ukraine using US-provided weapons in Russia.[66]
In May 2024, Sullivan expressed concern at theIrish,Norwegian, andSpanish recognition ofPalestine and Israel's growing diplomatic isolation, saying that "we certainly have seen a growing chorus of voices, including voices that had previously been in support of Israel, drift in another direction. That is of concern to us because we do not believe that that contributes to Israel's long-term security or vitality."[67]
On June 9, 2024, Sullivan said that therescue operation to recover Israeli hostages from theNuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza wasaided by intelligence support from the United States.[68]
On August 29, Sullivan met and conferred withXi Jinping,[69] at theGreat Hall of the People inBeijing.[70] He had been on a three-day trip.[71] He had spoken (for the fifth time in their careers) to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi along withCentral Military Commission vice chairman GeneralZhang Youxia the previous day.[70][72] Concerns were expressed over theTaiwan Strait and theSouth China Sea,[72] and Sullivan made special reference to the November2023 Woodside Summit.[71] It was the first trip to Beijing in eight years by a US National Security Advisor.[71]
During the Biden administration Jake Sullivan along with others acted as anintermediary for Biden administration officials and lawmakers who sought access to the President according to an investigative report by theWall Street Journal.[73]
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In January 2025, three days before leaving his position as National Security Advisor, Sullivan warned that the next few years would be crucial in determining whetherartificial intelligence leads to catastrophe and whether China or America prevails in the AI race.[74]
On January 14, 2025, Sullivan said that theshortage of personnel in theArmed Forces of Ukraine remains an acute problem, and recommended that Ukraine step upmobilization.[75]
Sullivan will join the faculty of theHarvard Kennedy School on April 1, 2025, as the inaugural Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order.[76]
Sullivan is married toMaggie Goodlander, who has representedNew Hampshire's 2nd congressional district in theU.S. House of Representatives since 2025. A Yale graduate, Goodlander is a former intelligence officer in theUnited States Navy Reserve who served as a foreign policy advisor to SenatorsJoe Lieberman andJohn McCain and as a law clerk to then-Chief JudgeMerrick Garland of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Associate JusticeStephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court.[77][78][79][80] They married in 2015 and live inNashua, New Hampshire, with homes in Washington, D.C., andPortsmouth, New Hampshire.
In late April 2023, an unknown man reportedly entered Sullivan's home in theWest End neighborhood of Washington D.C. at around 3 am, but left beforeSecret Service agents were alerted.[81] Sullivan discovered the man because he was still working at the time.[82]
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Commander Grand Crossof theOrder of the Polar Star (2024)[83]he was one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's closest advisers, at her side in all 112 countries she visited as secretary of state.
a 2012 "Syria update" email from Jacob (Jake) Sullivan to Hillary Clinton approvingly wrote that "AQ is on our side in Syria," referring to al-Qaeda leader al-Zuwahiri's "call on Muslims in Turkey and the Middle East to aid rebel forces."
He was also the only one of the dozen aides who dialed in for Clinton's daily scheduling call who kept on asking if it wasn't a good idea for her to spend more time in the Midwestern swing states in the closing days of the campaign.
The unknown man walked into Jake Sullivan's home at about 3 a.m. one day in late April and Sullivan confronted the individual, instructing him to leave, two of the people briefed on the incident said. There were no signs of forced entry at the home, according to one of the people. Sullivan has a round-the-clock Secret Service detail. But agents stationed outside the house were unaware that an intruder had gotten inside the home, located in the West End neighborhood of Washington, until the man had already left and Sullivan came outside to alert the agents, the two people said.
Quotations related toJake Sullivan at Wikiquote
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | National Security Advisor 2021–2025 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |