The Senate voted 51–46 Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s nomination of Aaron Lukas as principal deputy director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Tulsi Gabbard, ODNI’s head, welcomed the confirmation and expressed confidence on the skills that Lukas brings to the office’s leadership team. She noted that his experience covers nearly all aspects of intelligence work. “Aaron understands firsthand the work of intelligence collectors and analysts because he has done it himself,” Gabbard said.
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Aaron Lukas’ Global IC Track Record
Lukas’ experience includes over 20 years of service as an analyst and officer in clandestine CIA operations worldwide. He was the ODNI chief of staff during the first Trump administration and had also previously served at the National Security Council as deputy senior director for Europe and Russia.
Before his IC career, Lukas had a two-year stint in Washington, D.C., as chief speech writer and strategic adviser at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, according to his LinkedIn profile. In addition, he worked for six years as a policy analyst at Cato Institute, a nonpartisan public policy research organization.
Lukas holds a master of arts degree in international relations and affairs from the George Washington University and a bachelor of arts degree in political science and economics from Texas A&M University.
