Devin Nunes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Devin Nunes
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![]() Official portrait, 2010
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Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board | |
Assumed office January 20, 2025 |
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President | Donald Trump |
Preceded by | James A. Winnefeld Jr. |
Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee | |
In office January 3, 2019 – January 1, 2022 |
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Preceded by | Adam Schiff |
Succeeded by | Mike Turner |
Chair of the House Intelligence Committee | |
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 |
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Preceded by | Mike Rogers |
Succeeded by | Adam Schiff |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California |
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In office January 3, 2003 – January 1, 2022 |
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Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Connie Conway |
Constituency | 21st district (2003–2013) 22th district (2013–2022) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Devin Gerald Nunes
October 1, 1973 Tulare, California, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Elizabeth Tamariz
(m. 2003) |
Children | 3 |
Education | College of the Sequoias (AA) California Polytechnic State University (BS, MS) |
Awards | Presidential Medal of Freedom (2021) Grand-Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, Portugal (2013) Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania, Romania (2017) |
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Devin Gerald Nunes (born October 1, 1973) is an American businessman and politician. He is currently the Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. He also serves as the chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).
Before joining TMTG, Nunes was a U.S. representative for California. He represented the 21st district from 2003 to 2013. After a change in district boundaries, he represented the 22nd district from 2013 to 2022. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Nunes was the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2015 to 2019. This committee looks into intelligence matters for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also part of President Donald Trump's first team when Trump was preparing to become president.
In 2017, the House Intelligence Committee, led by Nunes, investigated possible Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. In 2018, Nunes released a memo about the FBI. In 2021, President Trump gave Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Devin Nunes was born on October 1, 1973, in Tulare, California. His family owned a dairy farm in Tulare County. They sold the farm in 2006 and bought another one in Iowa.
Nunes has Portuguese family roots from the Azores. When he was 14, he started his own small business by buying and selling young cattle.
He earned an Associate of Arts degree from the College of the Sequoias in 1993. He then went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural business in 1995 and a master's degree in agriculture in 1996. After college, he returned to farming.
In 1996, at age 23, Nunes was elected to the College of the Sequoias Board. This made him one of the youngest community college trustees in California's history. He served on the board until 2002. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Nunes to a role in the United States Department of Agriculture.
Time in U.S. Congress

Becoming a Representative
In 1998, Nunes first ran for a seat in Congress but did not win. In 2002, he ran again for a new district in California, the 21st congressional district. He won the Republican nomination and then the general election. He was 29 years old when he became a U.S. Representative.
Nunes was reelected several times. After the 2010 census, his district was renumbered as the 22nd. He continued to win elections in this district. His closest race was in 2018 against Andrew Janz.
In December 2021, Nunes left his position in the House of Representatives. He resigned to become the chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group.
Committee Work
In 2015, Nunes became the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee oversees the intelligence agencies of the U.S. government.
He was also a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. This committee deals with taxes and other money-related laws.
Political Views
Devin Nunes is known for being a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. The Los Angeles Times described him as a firm defender of Trump in Congress.
Energy and Environment
Nunes has supported policies that would increase the exploration and production of fossil fuels. He also supported expanding the number of nuclear power plants.
He has stated that global warming is "nonsense." During a drought in California in 2014, he said it was caused by water restrictions from environmental laws, not climate change. He supported bills to change water policies in California.
Money and Taxes
Nunes has supported ideas for a consumption tax, which is a tax on what people buy, not what they earn. He also voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which lowered many taxes.
Healthcare
Nunes helped create the "Patients' Choice Act" in 2009. This bill aimed to change how health insurance works. He has been against the Affordable Care Act and voted to repeal it.
Immigration
Nunes supported President Trump's order that temporarily banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. He called it a "common-sense security measure."
Intelligence and Surveillance
Nunes opposed the international agreement with Iran about its nuclear program. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he oversaw an investigation into the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya. The committee found no wrongdoing by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
He supported extending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This law allows the government to collect communications from foreigners without a warrant.
COVID-19 Pandemic
In March 2020, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nunes encouraged healthy people to go to restaurants. This advice was different from what health experts were recommending. He later clarified his comments, saying he meant using drive-throughs. He also said that closing schools was "way overkill."
Personal Life
Devin Nunes married Elizabeth Tamariz, an elementary school teacher, in 2003. They have three daughters. Nunes is a practicing Catholic.
Honors and Awards

President Donald Trump awarded Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 4, 2021. This is one of the highest civilian awards in the United States. The White House praised Nunes for his work related to investigations during Trump's presidency.
Nunes has also received honors from other countries:
Grand-Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, Portugal (2013)
Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania, Romania (2017)