Jake Sullivan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jake Sullivan
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 28th United States National Security Advisor | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Jonathan Finer |
| Preceded by | Robert C. O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Michael Waltz |
| National Security Advisor to the Vice President | |
| In office February 26, 2013 – August 1, 2014 |
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| Vice President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Antony Blinken |
| Succeeded by | Colin Kahl |
| 26th Director of Policy Planning | |
| In office February 4, 2011 – February 15, 2013 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Anne-Marie Slaughter |
| Succeeded by | David McKean |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan
November 28, 1976 Burlington, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Maggie Goodlander
(m. 2015) |
| Education | Yale University (BA, JD) Magdalen College, Oxford (MPhil) |
Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan (born November 28, 1976) is an American lawyer and government official. From 2021 to 2025, he served as the U.S. National Security Advisor for President Joe Biden.
Before this important role, Sullivan worked in several key positions. He was a top advisor to President Barack Obama and also served as the National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Joe Biden. He also worked closely with Secretary Hillary Clinton at the U.S. Department of State. Sullivan was also involved in important talks about Iran nuclear negotiations. He taught at Yale Law School as a visiting professor.
In November 2020, President-elect Biden announced that Jake Sullivan would become the United States National Security Advisor. He officially started this job on January 20, 2021.
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Early life and education
Jake Sullivan was born in Burlington, Vermont, and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His family has Irish roots. His father was a professor and worked for a newspaper, and his mother was a high school guidance counselor.
Sullivan went to Southwest High School in Minneapolis, graduating in 1994. He was a very successful student. He was a Coca-Cola Scholar, a champion in debates, and the president of his student council. His classmates even voted him "most likely to succeed."
He studied at Yale University in the United States, focusing on international studies and political science. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors in 1998. Sullivan then won a Rhodes Scholarship, which allowed him to study at Magdalen College, Oxford in the United Kingdom. There, he continued to study international relations and earned a Master of Philosophy degree. Later, he earned a law degree from Yale Law School in 2003.
While at Yale, he was an editor for several important journals and the student newspaper. He also worked with the Yale Debate Association.
Early career
After law school, Sullivan worked as a law clerk for two important judges: Judge Guido Calabresi and then for Associate Justice Stephen Breyer at the U.S. Supreme Court.
After his clerkships, Sullivan returned to Minneapolis. He practiced law at a firm called Faegre & Benson. He also taught law as a part-time professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Later, he became the chief lawyer for Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, who helped him connect with Hillary Clinton.
Obama administration
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In 2008, Sullivan advised Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign. He then advised Barack Obama during his campaign. He helped prepare both Clinton and Obama for their debates. When Hillary Clinton became the Secretary of State, Sullivan became her deputy chief of staff and Director of Policy Planning. In this role, he traveled with her to 112 countries.
Sullivan also worked in the Obama administration as the National Security Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. He became Biden's main security aide in February 2013. In these jobs, he helped shape U.S. foreign policy for countries like Libya, Syria, and Myanmar.
In June 2014, it was announced that Sullivan would leave the administration to teach at Yale Law School.
Iran nuclear negotiations
In 2013, the Associated Press reported that U.S. officials had been secretly talking with Iranian officials. These talks were about whether an agreement could be reached on Iran's nuclear program. Jake Sullivan was one of the American officials who met with Iranian representatives in Oman.
These secret meetings helped prepare the way for an important agreement called the Geneva interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, also known as the Joint Plan of Action. This agreement was signed by Iran and several world powers in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 24, 2013. After this, Sullivan regularly attended meetings about the Iran nuclear negotiations as part of the U.S. team.
2016 Clinton presidential campaign
Sullivan was Hillary Clinton's main foreign policy advisor during her presidential campaign in 2016.
He was one of the few senior staff members who suggested that Clinton should spend more time campaigning in important states in the Midwest. Clinton did not win those states, which was a big reason for her defeat. After the election, Sullivan said he felt "a keen sense of responsibility" for Clinton's loss.
Macro Advisory Partners and Microsoft
After the Clinton campaign, Sullivan joined Macro Advisory Partners in January 2017. This company advises businesses on risks. He advised many companies, including Uber, Mastercard, and Lego. He also worked with large investment groups.
Between 2017 and May 2020, Sullivan was part of an advisory group for Microsoft. In 2020, he was paid for this work. Because he later helped create U.S. cybersecurity policy in the Biden administration, some people wondered if his past work might affect his new role.
National security advisor
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On November 22, 2020, Jake Sullivan was announced as Joe Biden's National Security Advisor. When he started, Sullivan said that the main goals for Biden's National Security Council (NSC) would be the COVID-19 pandemic and improving relations with China. He also said the Biden administration wanted to fix America's relationships with its allies, which he felt were damaged during the previous administration.
In September 2021, The Guardian newspaper noted that one of Sullivan's main ideas was to connect U.S. actions around the world to the lives of everyday Americans. He often used the phrase "a foreign policy for the middle class."
After the government in Afghanistan collapsed in 2021, Sullivan explained that the Afghan government fell because its forces "would not fight for Kabul and they would not fight for the country."
On September 28, 2021, Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia. They talked about the 2021 global energy crisis and the conflict in Yemen. They also discussed a possible deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
On October 6, 2021, Sullivan had an important meeting with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Zürich, Switzerland. They discussed many difficult parts of Chinese-American relations, including Taiwan, trade, and freedoms in Hong Kong. Even though they still had differences, both sides agreed to keep working together peacefully.
On October 25, 2021, Sullivan was told by Pentagon officials about all the military options to make sure Iran could not make a nuclear weapon.
On November 7, 2021, Sullivan said that the U.S. no longer aimed to change China's political system. He stated that the U.S. was not looking for a new Cold War with China but wanted to find a way for both countries to exist peacefully.
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On December 7, 2021, Sullivan warned that Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project would end if Russia invaded Ukraine.
2022
On January 14, 2022, Sullivan accused Russia of sending people into Ukraine to create a fake event. He said this would be a reason for Russia to invade Ukraine. Russia's foreign minister said this claim was "total disinformation."
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On February 11, 2022, Sullivan publicly warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was likely. He urged all Americans to leave Ukraine right away, saying there might be "no prospect of a U.S. military evacuation" once an invasion started. He stated that "Russia has all the forces it needs to conduct a major military action." The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.
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On March 13, 2022, Sullivan warned that NATO would respond fully if Russia attacked any NATO territory. He reportedly advised Ukrainian President Zelenskyy not to try to retake Crimea or attack the Crimean Bridge. This was due to fears that Russia might use a nuclear strike. Sullivan also reportedly limited Ukraine from using Western-supplied weapons for attacks on Russian territory.
On March 14, 2022, he warned China that it would face consequences if it helped Russia avoid sanctions.
2023
On July 6, 2023, President Joe Biden allowed the U.S. to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine. This was to help Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces. Sullivan defended this decision, saying that "Ukraine would not be using these munitions in some foreign land. This is their country they're defending."
On October 2, 2023, Sullivan wrote in Foreign Affairs that the Biden administration had "de-escalated crises in Gaza." He also noted that the Middle East was “quieter today than it has been in two decades.” Five days later, Hamas launched a large attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, starting the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.
On October 15, 2023, CNN's Jake Tapper asked Sullivan about Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and its effect on the people there. Sullivan said that the United States worked with Israel "to make sure that innocent Palestinians get access to [water and medicine and food] and are protected from bombardment."
On October 29, 2023, Sullivan said no to calls for a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He warned that any "humanitarian pause" to get hostages out of Gaza could help Hamas. He stated that "Israel has a right, indeed a responsibility, to defend itself against a terrorist group."
In late 2023, Sullivan wrote an article in Foreign Affairs about "The Sources of American Power."
2024
In January 2024, the Biden administration turned down Vladimir Putin's offer for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Sullivan told Putin's foreign policy advisor that the U.S. would not discuss a ceasefire without Ukraine being involved.
Also in January 2024, Sullivan met with Wang Yi in Bangkok for two days.
In March 2024, Sullivan warned Ukrainian officials to stop using their own weapons to attack targets inside Russia. This was due to concerns about how it might affect oil prices. U.S. officials had already limited Ukraine from using U.S.-provided weapons in Russia.
In May 2024, Sullivan expressed concern about Ireland, Norway, and Spain recognizing Palestine. He also noted Israel's increasing diplomatic isolation. He said that "we certainly have seen a growing chorus of voices, including voices that had previously been in support of Israel, drift in another direction."
On June 9, 2024, Sullivan stated that the rescue operation to free Israeli hostages from the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza was helped by intelligence support from the United States.
On August 29, Sullivan met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. This was part of a three-day trip. He had also spoken with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and General Zhang Youxia the day before. They discussed concerns about the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. This was the first visit to Beijing by a U.S. National Security Advisor in eight years.
During the Biden administration, Jake Sullivan and others helped connect officials and lawmakers who wanted to speak with the President, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
In January 2025, just before leaving his role as National Security Advisor, Sullivan warned that the next few years would be very important. He said they would determine if artificial intelligence leads to problems and whether China or America would lead in the AI race.
Personal life
Sullivan is married to Maggie Goodlander. She has been a representative for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2025. Maggie Goodlander also graduated from Yale. She was a former intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve. She also advised Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain on foreign policy. Jake and Maggie married in 2015. They live in Nashua, New Hampshire, and also have homes in Washington, D.C., and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
In April 2023, a man reportedly entered Sullivan's home in Washington D.C. around 3 am. The man left before Secret Service agents were alerted. Sullivan found the man because he was still working at the time.
Honors and awards
International honors
Sweden:
Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (2024)
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See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 2)
