Chad Wolf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chad Wolf
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute | |
| Assumed office February 13, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Brooke Rollins (as President) |
| Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
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De facto, unlawful
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| In office November 13, 2019 – January 11, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Ken Cuccinelli (acting) |
| Preceded by | Kevin McAleenan (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Pete Gaynor (acting) |
| Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy, Policy, and Plans | |
| In office November 13, 2019 – January 20, 2021 Acting: February 8, 2019 – November 13, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | James D. Nealon (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Robert P. Silvers |
| Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy, Plans, Analysis, and Risk | |
| In office February 8, 2018 – November 13, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Brodi Kotila |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Chief of Staff to the United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
| In office July 31, 2017 – February 8, 2019 |
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| Secretary | Kirstjen Nielsen |
| Preceded by | Kirstjen Nielsen |
| Succeeded by | Miles Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Chad Fredrick Wolf
June 21, 1976 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Hope Wolf |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Collin College Southern Methodist University (BA) Villanova University (GrCert) |
Chad Fredrick Wolf (born June 21, 1976) is an American former government official. He was the acting Secretary of Homeland Security from November 2019 to January 2021. This role made him the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which protects the U.S. from many threats.
Before this, Wolf held several other important jobs within the DHS. He also worked as a lobbyist, helping companies get contracts from the government. He is a member of the Republican Party. His appointment as acting Secretary was later ruled by some courts as not being done correctly.
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Early Life and Education
Chad Wolf was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 21, 1976. He grew up in Plano, Texas. After high school, he went to Collin College on a tennis scholarship.
He then transferred to Southern Methodist University, where he earned a degree in history. In 2013, he also received a special certificate in contract management from Villanova University.
Career in Government
Early Roles
Wolf started his career working for several Republican Senators. From 2002 to 2005, he worked at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA is the agency that handles security at airports. During this time, he first worked with Kirstjen Nielsen, who he would later work with again.
Working as a Lobbyist
From 2005 to 2016, Chad Wolf worked as a lobbyist. In this job, he helped different companies get contracts from the TSA, the same agency he used to work for.
Joining the Trump Administration
In March 2017, Wolf returned to the government. He became the chief of staff at the Transportation Security Administration. A few months later, he moved to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He became the top assistant to the Deputy Secretary.
In July 2017, he became the chief of staff for DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. While working for Nielsen, he was involved in developing a policy that separated families at the border. He later said his role was to provide information, not to decide if the policy was right or wrong.
Wolf then became an Assistant Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans at DHS. This role involved planning and analyzing risks for the department.
Becoming Acting Secretary of Homeland Security
Wolf started serving as the acting Secretary of Homeland Security in November 2019. This meant he was temporarily in charge of the entire DHS.
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His appointment was questioned by some. In November 2020, a federal court ruled that his appointment was not done correctly. The court also said that some of his orders were not legal because of this. Wolf resigned from his position on January 11, 2021, after several similar court rulings.
Time as Acting Secretary
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During his time as acting Secretary, Wolf made several decisions. In February 2020, he announced that New York residents could not join certain trusted traveler programs. This was because of New York's rules about sharing information with federal immigration officers. New York sued the government over this. Later, New York changed its law, and the restrictions were removed.
A former DHS official claimed in September 2020 that Wolf had ordered staff to stop reporting on threats from Russia. This official said Wolf was told to focus reports on other countries instead. Wolf also did not appear for a hearing when asked by a committee in the House of Representatives.
On January 11, 2021, Wolf resigned from his acting Secretary role. This happened after the Capitol building was stormed. Two days later, he stated that former President Trump was partly responsible for the events at the Capitol.
Federal Forces Deployment in 2020
In July 2020, Wolf sent federal agents to Portland, Oregon. These agents were sent to help protect a federal courthouse during protests. They used tear gas on protesters, and some protesters threw objects and damaged the courthouse. There were also reports that agents used unmarked vehicles to detain protesters.
The Governor of Oregon and the Mayor of Portland criticized these actions. They said it was an "abuse of power." Wolf, however, said the protesters were "violent." An internal memo showed that the federal agents had not been specifically trained for riot control. Some former officials also criticized the deployment, saying it made it look like the military was being used against citizens.
After Government Service
In February 2021, after leaving the Trump administration, Wolf joined The Heritage Foundation. This is a research organization where he worked as a visiting fellow.
Personal Life
Chad Wolf is married to Hope Wolf. They have two sons together.
