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Morgan Ortagus

Updated: Wikipedia source

Morgan Ortagus

Morgan Deann Ortagus (born July 10, 1982) is an American diplomat, intelligence analyst, political advisor, naval officer, and former television commentator serving as deputy special presidential envoy to the Middle East since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2019 to 2021. Ortagus began her career in government as a deputy attaché and intelligence analyst at the United States Department of the Treasury and later as a public affairs officer at USAID. She worked as a national security contributor at Fox News until her appointment as State Department spokesperson. Since 2014, Ortagus has been an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve. During her time at the State Department, Ortagus was critical of Iran and China, particularly over the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to shift blame to the United States for the COVID-19 pandemic. She played a key role in the Abraham Accords. Ortagus is the founder of POLARIS National Security, co-chair of the Women's Democracy Network at the International Republican Institute, and a member of the board of advisors for the China Center at Hudson Institute. She was a candidate for Tennessee's 5th congressional district in the 2022 election, but was disqualified by the Tennessee Republican Party despite her endorsement by President Donald Trump.

Infobox

President
Donald Trump
Special Envoy
Steve Witkoff
Preceded by
Heather Nauert
Secretary
Mike Pompeo
Succeeded by
Ned Price
Born
Morgan Deann Ortagus (1982-07-10) July 10, 1982 (age 43)Auburndale, Florida, U.S.
Political party
Republican
Spouse
mw- Jonathan Weinberger (m. 2013)
Children
1
Education
Florida Southern College (BS)Johns Hopkins University (MA, MBA)
Website
Official website
Allegiance
United States
Branch
mw- li United States Navy Navy Reserve
Service years
2014–present
Rank
Lieutenant Commander
Unit
Naval Intelligence
Battles/wars
Global war on terrorism
Party
Republican

Tables

· External links
Preceded byHeather Nauert
Preceded byHeather Nauert
Political offices
Preceded byHeather Nauert
Political offices
Spokesperson for the United States Department of State 2019–2021
Political offices
Succeeded byNed Price
Political offices
Preceded byHeather Nauert
Spokesperson for the United States Department of State 2019–2021
Succeeded byNed Price

References

  1. Business Insider
    https://www.businessinsider.com/us-chinese-government-spokeswomen-are-trading-coronavirus-jabs-online-2020-3
  2. The Media Line
    https://themedialine.org/top-stories/morgan-ortagus-savvy-state-department-spokeswoman-talks-middle-east-politics/
  3. Concordia
    https://www.concordia.net/community/morganortagus/
  4. International Republican Institute
    https://www.iri.org/who-we-are/iri-experts/morgan-ortagus/
  5. Hudson Institute
    https://www.hudson.org/china-center/board-advisors
  6. NBC News
    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/trump-backed-house-candidate-removed-ballot-tenn-republicans-rcna25039
  7. "Morgan Ortagus − Miss Florida Citrus of 2002," Florida Southern College.
    https://www.flsouthern.edu/library/archives/fsc-history/fsc-florida-citrus-queens-and-miss-florida-citrus
  8. EarnTheNecklace.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190404041019/https://www.earnthenecklace.com/morgan-ortagus-wiki-facts-fox-news-beauty/
  9. The Ledger
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190407163208/https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20030708/News/608102158/LL/
  10. Jewish Insider
    https://jewishinsider.com/2020/04/for-the-state-depts-top-spokeswoman-her-journey-to-judaism-began-in-baghdad/
  11. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/02/pompeos-new-spokesperson-bridges-gop-establishment-trump-world/
  12. "Morgan Ortagus ," U.S. Department of State.
    https://2017-2021.state.gov/biographies/morgan-ortagus/
  13. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/fashion/weddings/morgan-ortagus-jonathan-weinberger-weddings.html
  14. Maverick PAC
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230121/http://www.maverickpac.com/board-morgan
  15. nixonseminar.com
    https://nixonseminar.com/morgan-ortagus/
  16. "Morgan Ortagus"
    https://2017-2021.state.gov/biographies/morgan-ortagus/
  17. "An amazing moment today to share with my little Adina Ann"
    https://x.com/MorganOrtagus/status/1910797665652047908
  18. mynavyhr.navy.mil
    https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/NAV2018/NAV18278.txt?ver=7N0iMqe53fnF49ntyJ7ipg%3D%3D
  19. Atlantic Council
    https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/morgan-ortagus/
  20. Politico
    https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/04/08/donors-fret-trumps-grip-on-gop-as-they-descend-on-palm-beach-492402
  21. The Tennessean
    https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2022/02/07/morgan-ortagus-run-nashville-tennessees-5th-congressional-district/6688920001/
  22. The Tennessee Journal
    https://onthehill.tnjournal.net/trump-makes-endorsement-in-gop-primary-for-5th-district/
  23. Politico
    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/27/trump-maga-revolt-endorsement-00003050
  24. The Tennessean
    https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/29/tennessee-general-assembly-passes-residency-requirement-bill-disqualify-trump-candidate/7199662001/
  25. WATN-TV
    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
  26. "State high court won't put ousted GOP hopeful back on ballot"
    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
  27. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/08/04/tennessee-primaries-abortion-republicans-democrats/
  28. The Hill
    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5066495-trump-taps-former-state-department-spokesperson-for-deputy-middle-east-envoy/
  29. U.S. Embassy in Lebanon
    https://lb.usembassy.gov/deputy-special-envoy-for-the-middle-east-morgan-ortagus-press-availability-at-the-presidential-palace-following-meeting-with-president-aoun/
  30. AP News
    https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-government-morton-ortagus-envoy-aoun-082cd6cb1dffe6dd344f6319f982365d
  31. Fox News
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/morgan-ortagus-state-department-china-xi-jinping
  32. CNN
    https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/09/politics/hong-kong-china-us-intl-hnk/
  33. "The Brief: Xinjiang, China: Where the CCP Uses Forced Labor on the Uyghur Community"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i30uOWbkb44
  34. Fox News
    https://news.yahoo.com/morgan-ortagus-china-breaking-word-200215099.html
  35. Voice of America
    https://www.voanews.com/a/middle-east_voa-news-iran_state-departments-morgan-ortagus-discusses-airstrike-decision/6182066.html
  36. "US State Department Morgan Ortagus Addresses US-Iran Escalation"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoG0xo1MjA
  37. "Never-before-seen video of the attack on Al Asad Airbase"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGP7hZQuTL0
  38. The Washington Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/12/08/purple-heart-iran-missile-attack/
  39. "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"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20201130060125/https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/status/1284216751941652484
  40. The Jerusalem Post
    https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/morgan-ortagus-643375
  41. news.un.org
    https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165881
  42. www.instagram.com
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO3fr6LD2Jz/?igsh=MWNuNDBlZHQ0NnphbA==
  43. OHCHR
    https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds
  44. Reuters
    https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-vetoes-un-demand-ceasefire-aid-access-gaza-2025-09-18/
  45. Agenda.ge
    https://agenda.ge/en/news/2019/2309
  46. TASS
    https://tass.com/world/1174205
  47. Fox News
    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trump-credit-helping-america-families-morgan-ortagus
  48. Quartz
    https://qz.com/1653831/the-us-is-picking-a-fight-with-canada-over-an-arctic-shipping-route/
  49. CNBC
    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/16/us-condemns-apparent-turkish-test-of-russian-missile-system.html
  50. The Hill
    https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4039939-food-insecurity-abroad-harms-americans-at-home/
  51. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/fashion/weddings/morgan-ortagus-jonathan-weinberger-weddings.html
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