Morgan Ortagus

Ortagus was born in Auburndale, Florida to Ronald E. and Denise C. Ortagus. Her father owned a cleanup and restoration company, and her mother was the office manager. An identical twin, she grew up in Florida and won the Miss Auburndale, Miss Teen Auburndale, 2003 Miss Florida Citrus, and Miss Orange Blossom titles.[https://www.flsouthern.edu/library/archives/fsc-history/fsc-florida-citrus-queens-and-miss-florida-citrus "Morgan Ortagus − Miss Florida Citrus of 2002,"] Florida Southern College.{{cite web |first=Amrutha |last=Srivatsa |url=https://www.earnthenecklace.com/morgan-ortagus-wiki-facts-fox-news-beauty/ |title=Morgan Ortagus Wiki: Meet Fox News' Impressive Guest Analyst |date=December 11, 2018 |website=EarnTheNecklace.com |access-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404041019/https://www.earnthenecklace.com/morgan-ortagus-wiki-facts-fox-news-beauty/ |archive-date=April 4, 2019}} Ortagus volunteered with Students Against Destructive Decisions and Mothers Against Drunk Driving after her mentor was killed by a drunk driver in 1996.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theledger.com/article/20030708/news/608102158 |title=Florida Southern Student Shines In State Pageant |first=Shelley |last=Preston |newspaper=The Ledger |date=July 8, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407163208/https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20030708/News/608102158/LL/ |archive-date=April 7, 2019}}

In 2005, Ortagus, a first-generation college student, graduated from Florida Southern College with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. Originally interested in studying music, she switched her major to political science after the September 11 terrorist attacks.{{Cite web|first=Gabby|last=Deutch|url=https://jewishinsider.com/2020/04/for-the-state-depts-top-spokeswoman-her-journey-to-judaism-began-in-baghdad/|title=For the State Dept's top spokeswoman, her journey to Judaism began in Baghdad|date=April 24, 2020|website=Jewish Insider}}

In 2013, Ortagus graduated from Johns Hopkins University with both a Master of Arts in Government degree and a Master of Business Administration from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Ortagus' research at JHU included an honors thesis on counterinsurgency.[https://2017-2021.state.gov/biographies/morgan-ortagus/ "Morgan Ortagus ,"] U.S. Department of State.

File:Secretary Pompeo Holds Joint Press Availability With Foreign Minister Maas (47971176302).jpg

In 2006, Ortagus worked as press secretary on former Deputy National Security Advisor K. T. McFarland's Senate campaign. Prior to that, she worked on Adam Putnam's campaign staff.

Ortagus was a volunteer on the Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign.

From 2007 to 2008, Ortagus was a public affairs officer at United States Agency for International Development (USAID), spending several months in Baghdad, Iraq. She attended a Hanukkah ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces in Baghdad.

In 2008, Ortagus joined the U.S. Treasury Department, working as an intelligence analyst within the Treasury's Office of Intelligence and Analysis, covering North Africa and the Middle East.

Ortagus was a deputy Treasury attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia starting in 2010. She worked to counter illicit financial flows and was the principal liaison from the Treasury Department to the banking sector in Saudi Arabia. She returned to the United States in 2011.

File:Ortagus Concordia.jpgAfter returning to the United States, Ortagus joined the private sector, first as global relationship manager at Standard Chartered Bank working with clients from Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and then in 2016 as executive director at Ernst & Young (EY), where she helped found EY's Geostrategic Business Group working on geopolitical risk analysis for investors.

In 2013, she was the vice president of the board of the Friends of the Public Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan, based in Washington.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/fashion/weddings/morgan-ortagus-jonathan-weinberger-weddings.html|title=Morgan Ortagus and Jonathan Weinberger|date=May 26, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times}}

Ortagus worked as national security contributor and Republican strategist at the Fox News Channel, appearing on Fox & Friends, Outnumbered, The Five and Mornings with Maria on the Fox Business Network.

Ortagus and Samantha Vinograd co-founded GO Advisors, a geopolitical risk and policy advisory firm that focused on bridging divides between Wall Street and Silicon Valley with the White House and U.S. Treasury Department.

Ortagus was on the National Board of Directors of Maverick PAC as National Co-Chair. The organization's co-founder said that Ortagus "turned the organization really into a new frontier." She was also a member of the CNAS Council and Future of Sanctions Task Force, a member of the Institute for the Study of War's Advancement Committee, a board member to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, a board member to the Friends of the American University of Afghanistan, and an advisor to Concordia where she contributed to the strategic direction and development of the organization's foreign and defense policy programming.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maverickpac.com/board-morgan|title=Board − Morgan|website=Maverick PAC|access-date=March 10, 2021|archive-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230121/http://www.maverickpac.com/board-morgan|url-status=dead}}

In 2014, Ortagus was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve.{{cite web |title=Morgan Ortagus Former State Department Spokeswoman |url=https://nixonseminar.com/morgan-ortagus/ |website=nixonseminar.com |date=March 29, 2021 |publisher=Richard Nixon Foundation |access-date=August 21, 2021}} In April 2025, she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander, sworn in by Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House.{{Cite tweet |user=MorganOrtagus |number=1910797665652047908 |title=An amazing moment today to share with my little Adina Ann.}}{{Cite web |date=November 18, 2018 |title=Navy reserve promotions |url=https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/NAV2018/NAV18278.txt?ver=7N0iMqe53fnF49ntyJ7ipg%3D%3D |website=mynavyhr.navy.mil |access-date=April 7, 2025}}

File:Secretary Pompeo Briefs the Traveling Press (48178098606).jpg on July 30, 2019]]

Ortagus returned to government in 2019 as Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, succeeding Heather Nauert.{{cite web |url=https://2017-2021.state.gov/biographies/morgan-ortagus/ |title=Morgan Ortagus |date=April 3, 2019 |publisher=U.S. State Department |access-date=April 3, 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/02/pompeos-new-spokesperson-bridges-gop-establishment-trump-world/ |last=Rogin |first=Josh |title=Pompeo's new spokeswoman bridges the GOP establishment and Trump world |date=April 2, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 3, 2019}} Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin described Ortagus as a bridge between the establishment and more conservative wings of the Republican foreign policy communities, and wrote that she was friends with Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump. She served until the end of the Trump administration, going on maternity leave in November 2020. During her tenure, she promoted the Abraham Accords, which brokered peace agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan.{{Cite web|url=https://themedialine.org/top-stories/morgan-ortagus-savvy-state-department-spokeswoman-talks-middle-east-politics/|title=State Department Spokeswoman Ortagus: Our Job is to Deliver on the President's Vision for Peace|date=May 20, 2020|website=The Media Line |last1=Friedson |first1=Felice }}

Post-government, Ortagus was a Senior Advisor for the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, but left by March 2022.{{Cite web |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/morgan-ortagus/ |title=Morgan Ortagus |website=Atlantic Council |access-date=March 1, 2022}} She also is a founding investor of Rubicon Founders, a health-care investment firm based in Nashville, Tennessee, in February 2021.{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/04/08/donors-fret-trumps-grip-on-gop-as-they-descend-on-palm-beach-492402 |title=POLITICO Playbook: Donors fret Trump's grip on GOP as they descend on Palm Beach |first1=Tara |last1=Palmeri |first2=Eugene |last2=Daniels |first3=Ryan |last3=Lizza |work=Politico |date=April 8, 2021 |access-date=April 8, 2021}}

On February 7, 2022, Ortagus announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for Tennessee's 5th congressional district.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2022/02/07/morgan-ortagus-run-nashville-tennessees-5th-congressional-district/6688920001/|title=Morgan Ortagus announces Trump-backed run for Tennessee's new 5th Congressional District|first=Melissa|last=Brown|date=February 7, 2022|newspaper=The Tennessean}} Two weeks prior, former President Donald Trump endorsed Ortagus for a potential congressional run, saying that "I am told the very strong and impressive Morgan Ortagus is exploring a run in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District."{{Cite news|url=https://onthehill.tnjournal.net/trump-makes-endorsement-in-gop-primary-for-5th-district/|title=Trump makes endorsement in GOP primary for 5th District|first=Erik|last=Schelzig|date=January 26, 2022|work=The Tennessee Journal}} Politico forecasted a competitive Republican primary, with some frequent Trump allies backing other candidates.{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/27/trump-maga-revolt-endorsement-00003050|title=Trump faces MAGA revolt over endorsement|first=Alex|last=Isenstadt|website=Politico|date=January 27, 2022}}

Following Trump's endorsement, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill on March 29 to require Congressional candidates live in the district they represented, and to have lived in the state for the three years prior. If signed by the governor, the law's provisions would have taken immediate effect, disqualifying Ortagus. The Tennessean reported that the bill targeted Ortagus' candidacy.{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Melissa |title=Tennessee legislature passes residency bill that would disqualify Trump-backed candidate |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/29/tennessee-general-assembly-passes-residency-requirement-bill-disqualify-trump-candidate/7199662001/ |access-date=April 26, 2022 |work=The Tennessean |date=March 29, 2022}} Instead, Governor Bill Lee allowed the bill to become law unsigned, but only after the congressional filing deadline had passed; as the law's requirements were not retroactive, it did not apply to Ortagus' campaign.{{cite news |last1=Mattise |first1=Jonathan |title=Tennessee residency law too late to remove Trump-backed hopeful, according to TN secretary of state |url=https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/tennessee-residency-law-too-late-remove-trump-backed-candidate-secretary-of-state/522-5ac30ce4-c955-4260-adf0-ed76759731df |access-date=April 26, 2022 |work=WATN-TV |agency=Associated Press |date=April 14, 2022}}

On April 19, the Tennessee Republican Party's executive committee removed Ortagus and two other candidates from the primary ballot for the 5th district. The party stated that official challenges had been filed against the three, obligating their removal from the ballot per party bylaws. On June 10, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that the Republican Party had not violated open meetings laws, thus keeping the three off the ballot.{{cite web | url=https://www.williamsonherald.com/news/local_news/state-high-court-wont-put-ousted-gop-hopeful-back-on-ballot/article_bfc7fe24-e92d-11ec-ad01-474821c71a41.html | title=State high court won't put ousted GOP hopeful back on ballot| date=June 10, 2022}} Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles won the Republican primary on August 4.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/08/04/tennessee-primaries-abortion-republicans-democrats/ |title=Ogles wins closely watched GOP primary for U.S. House in Tennessee |date=August 5, 2022 |orig-date=August 4, 2022 |first=David |last=Weigel |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}

On January 3, 2025, then-President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint Ortagus as deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace, under United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, during his second administration.{{cite news |first=Alex |last=Gangitano |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5066495-trump-taps-former-state-department-spokesperson-for-deputy-middle-east-envoy/ |title=Trump announces Middle East appointment: Hopefully she's learned her lesson |date=January 3, 2025 |newspaper=The Hill |access-date=January 4, 2025}} On February 7, she met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, emphasizing U.S. opposition to Hezbollah's role in Lebanon's government, stating it "won't be able to terrorize the Lebanese people."{{cite web |url=https://lb.usembassy.gov/deputy-special-envoy-for-the-middle-east-morgan-ortagus-press-availability-at-the-presidential-palace-following-meeting-with-president-aoun/ |title=Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus' Press Availability at the Presidential Palace Following Meeting with President Aoun |website=U.S. Embassy in Lebanon |date=February 7, 2025}} However, the Lebanese presidency downplayed her remarks.{{cite news |last=Abou Aljoud |first=Sally |url=https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-government-morton-ortagus-envoy-aoun-082cd6cb1dffe6dd344f6319f982365d |title=US draws 'red line' over including Hezbollah in Lebanon's government, new envoy says |work=AP News |date=February 7, 2025}}

In July 2020, Ortagus said that blame rested with both political parties "for almost 40 years for not seeing the Chinese Communist Party for who they really are," and stressed the need for American citizens not to trust Chinese social media and technology companies that seek to access private data of U.S. citizens. She welcomed moves by U.S. social media companies not to allow the Chinese government to access their data.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/morgan-ortagus-state-department-china-xi-jinping|title=Ortagus says both parties guilty of not seeing China's leaders 'for who they really are' over past 40 years|first=Charles|last=Creitz|date=July 8, 2020|website=Fox News}}

In August 2019, Ortagus called the Chinese government a "thuggish regime" for harassing a Hong Kong-based American diplomat.{{cite news |last1=Griffiths |first1=James |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/09/politics/hong-kong-china-us-intl-hnk/ |title=US calls China a 'thuggish regime' for 'harassing' Hong Kong-based American diplomat |work=CNN |date=August 9, 2019}} She has condemned the Chinese government's treatment of workers in Xinjiang, China as well as their detention and indoctrination of Uyghur and other religious and ethnic minorities, and called on the CCP to end the use of forced labor.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i30uOWbkb44 |title=The Brief: Xinjiang, China: Where the CCP Uses Forced Labor on the Uyghur Community |date=September 9, 2020 |publisher=United States Department of State |via=YouTube}} In May 2020, Ortagus said that China was "breaking its word 27 years early" regarding its imposition of a new national security law in Hong Kong and was "taking over the largest financial hub in Asia."{{Cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/morgan-ortagus-china-breaking-word-200215099.html|title=Morgan Ortagus: China breaking their word on Hong Kong|work=Fox News|via=Yahoo! News|date=May 28, 2020}}

After the U.S. killed Qassem Soleimani in January 2020, Ortagus stated, "no one was affected by the brutality and the terrorism of Qassem Soleimani more than the Iranian people themselves." She argued that the United States had "exercised the maximum restraint possible despite repeated provocations and attacks from the regime and through their proxies. And, finally, enough was enough."{{Cite web|date=January 3, 2020|first=Shahram|last=Bahraminejad|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/middle-east_voa-news-iran_state-departments-morgan-ortagus-discusses-airstrike-decision/6182066.html|title=State Department's Morgan Ortagus Discusses Airstrike Decision |website=Voice of America}}

She noted Iran had used its proxies to "foment terror throughout the region" and warned that if Iran targeted U.S. diplomats or soldiers, that the U.S. government would "do everything within the law to defend ourselves and defend American interests."{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoG0xo1MjA |title=US State Department Morgan Ortagus Addresses US-Iran Escalation |date=January 6, 2020 |publisher=i24NEWS |via=YouTube}} Iran did so via Operation Martyr Soleimani, the largest ballistic missile attack ever against Americans,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGP7hZQuTL0|title=Never-before-seen video of the attack on Al Asad Airbase|date=February 28, 2021 |via=YouTube}} resulting in traumatic brain injuries for 110 U.S. servicemen at the Ayn al Asad Airbase in Iraq.{{cite news |last1=Horton |first1=Alex |last2=Lamothe |first2=Dan |title=Army awards more Purple Hearts for troops hurt in Iranian attack that Trump downplayed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/12/08/purple-heart-iran-missile-attack/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 8, 2021}}

Ortagus called on Iran to allow the United States to participate in the investigation after Iran shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in January 2020.

In July 2020, Ortagus condemned the Iranian judiciary for its persistent violation of human rights, including their role in the death of journalist Zahra Kazemi, and for the Death Commissions that killed thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s.{{Cite tweet |last=Ortagus |first=Morgan |user=statedeptspox |number=1284216751941652484 |date=July 17, 2020 |title=Instead of upholding justice, the Iranian judiciary oppresses and violates human rights. We urge the international community and individual governments to provide accountability and pursue justice for the regime's many victims. |language=en |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130060125/https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/status/1284216751941652484 |archive-date=November 30, 2020}} She repeatedly tweeted in support of Iranian dissidents and protestors, and said that "the whole world should stand behind the innocent Iranians that are being persecuted by their own government."

File:Secretary Pompeo and Spokesperson Ortagus Walk to the Signing Ceremony (49601720456).jpg in Qatar, February 2020]]

Ortagus defended Israel against Iranian threats after the U.S. killed Iran's Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020, saying "there is no country that Iran threatens more on a routine basis through their vile and hateful and racist rhetoric than the state of Israel." She also repeated the United States' longstanding pledge to work with Israel to protect mutual security interests. In 2020, she encouraged Israel to more closely scrutinize foreign investments from China, saying "we do not believe decisions that would make Israel beholden to the Chinese Communist Party is what's best for Israel."

Ortagus was present for the September 11, 2020, phone call between President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah on which the Abraham Accords was agreed to. After the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, UAE, and Bahrain, Ortagus said, "Peace for Israel, one of our strongest allies in the world, is important for American national security, because we believe in a strong sovereign state of Israel... Anytime we can bring our friends and allies together, it is positive for the United States."{{Cite news |first=Lahav|last=Harkov|url=https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/morgan-ortagus-643375 |title=Ortagus: Peace for Israel is important to US national security |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=September 24, 2020}} She blamed Palestinian leadership for failing to negotiate with Israel, and for their economic malaise.

In August 2019, Ortagus called on the Russian Federation to use deconfliction channels to prevent escalation around the border of the Russian-occupied Georgian region of South Ossetia.{{Cite web |url=https://agenda.ge/en/news/2019/2309 |title=US calls on Russia 'to prevent further escalation' along Georgian occupation line |date=August 30, 2019 |website=Agenda.ge}} In May 2020, she blamed Russian interference in Syria, Libya, and Yemen for exacerbating humanitarian crises and causing the deaths of civilians. In July 2020, Ortagus stated that the United States was "troubled by reports of Russian government efforts to manipulate the result of the recent votes on constitutional amendments, including reports of voter coercion, pressure on opponents of the amendments, and restrictions of independent observers of the vote," and that the United States was concerned with an amendment that would potentially allow President Putin to remain in office until 2036."{{Cite web |url=https://tass.com/world/1174205 |title=US troubled by reports of possible irregularities in Russia's constitutional vote |work=TASS |date=July 2, 2020}}

Ortagus called legislation that secured 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers a "monumental achievement" that would provide peace of mind to thousands of working families, and cited Ivanka Trump's bipartisan efforts as key to passage of the legislation in the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trump-credit-helping-america-families-morgan-ortagus|title=Morgan Ortagus: Why Trump deserves more credit for helping America's newest families|first=Morgan|last=Ortagus|date=December 22, 2020|website=Fox News}}

File:Morgan Ortagus.jpg

In June 2019, Ortagus said the United States "views Canada's claim that the waters of the Northwest Passage are internal waters of Canada as inconsistent with international law."{{cite news |first=Zoë |last=Schlanger |title=The US is picking a fight with Canada over a thawing Arctic shipping route |url=https://qz.com/1653831/the-us-is-picking-a-fight-with-canada-over-an-arctic-shipping-route/ |work=Quartz |date=June 27, 2019}}

In October 2020, Ortagus said that the United States had expressed its strong opposition to the Government of Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 system, and that the "United States has been clear on our expectation that the S-400 system should not be operationalized."{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/16/us-condemns-apparent-turkish-test-of-russian-missile-system.html|title=U.S. condemns apparent Turkish test of Russian missile system|first=Amanda|last=Macias|date=October 16, 2020|website=CNBC}}

She argues that global food insecurity is not just a humanitarian crisis but also a national security threat for America, fostering conditions ripe for terrorism and mass migration. She advocates for the U.S. to invest in market-based solutions and agricultural technologies to alleviate the crisis while competing with hostile nations like China.{{Cite web |last=Ortagus |first=Morgan |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Food insecurity abroad harms Americans at home |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4039939-food-insecurity-abroad-harms-americans-at-home/ |access-date=August 31, 2023 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}

Ortagus married Jonathan Weinberger, an attorney, in 2013, and the couple have a daughter, Adina, born in 2020. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ortagus's neighbor, presided over their wedding. This is her second marriage; her first ended in divorce.{{Cite news|date=May 26, 2013|title=Morgan Ortagus and Jonathan Weinberger|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/fashion/weddings/morgan-ortagus-jonathan-weinberger-weddings.html|access-date=September 22, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}

Ortagus converted to Judaism after exploring the religion while living in Baghdad, Iraq.

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• [https://www.state.gov/biographies/morgan-ortagus/ Ortagus, Morgan: Biography]. U.S. State Department.

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