Ned Price
Spokesman for the United States Department of State
In office
January 20, 2021 – March 17, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyJalina Porter
Vedant Patel
Preceded byMorgan Ortagus
Succeeded byMatthew Miller
Personal details
Born (1982-11-22) November 22, 1982
EducationGeorgetown University (BS)
Harvard University (MPA)

Edward Price[1] (born November 22, 1982)[2][3] is an American political advisor and former intelligence officer who serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and previously was the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2021 to 2023. He worked at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2006 until 2017.

In February 2017, Price published a controversial op-ed piece in The Washington Post,[4][5][6] outlining his decision to retire from the CIA rather than work in the Trump administration.[7][8][9][10]

Early life and education

Price grew up in Dallas, where he graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas,[11] the son a Christian mother and a Jewish father.[12] He was a contributing member of The ReMarker and remains involved with their annual campouts in a supervisory role. He then graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University, where he studied international relations at the School of Foreign Service.[13] He chose this university and field of study in anticipation of joining the CIA after graduation.[14] He later earned a master's degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.[15]

Career

Price live blogging at the White House in 2014

Early in his career, Price worked as an intelligence analyst. His focus was on the detection and disruption of possible terrorist attacks against the United States and its interests. In 2013, Mother Jones quoted Price defending the CIA financing research on climate change, in the face of opposition from Republican lawmakers[16] who had described the CIA unit as "a waste of resources" and "spying on sea lions".[17][18] Later in his CIA career, he was loaned to the National Security Council, serving as its spokesperson and as a Special Assistant to President Barack Obama.[19] Price discusses his experiences working under President Obama in West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House (2018).[20]

Price is a co-founder and previously served as Director of Policy and Communications at National Security Action, a 501(c)(4) registered lobby group along with several former Obama national security advisors.[21]

Op-ed piece

In a February 2017 Washington Post op-ed piece, Price described mounting concerns over Donald Trump, first when he was candidate, then prior to inauguration, and then as the sitting president. Price described his initial concern when Trump blithely dismissed the opinions of senior intelligence officials during a debate with rival candidate Hillary Clinton. Price then described how demoralized he and fellow CIA officials felt when newly inaugurated President Trump used a visit to CIA headquarters for campaign-style self-promotion.[7] Finally, Price reflected on how Trump removed senior intelligence officials from the "principal's committee", and expressed concern that by ignoring their advice he was putting public safety at risk.[9]

In his op-ed, Price had pointed out that he had loyally served in both Republican and Democratic administrations.[4]

In an article published in Politico on July 14, 2017, Price expressed concerns related to the appointment and continued hold of a security clearance of President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. In the article, Price reviewed the extensive vetting that he had experienced to gain a security clearance, which lasted approximately a year, and compared that to the security clearance granted to Kushner. Discussing the disclosures of the developing information related to Kushner's apparent involvement in a Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election, Price said: "I am confident in saying that my clearance would have been immediately revoked had I, as a career CIA officer, been accused of a fraction of these activities."[22]

Biden administration

Ned Price in February 2021

On January 20, 2021, Price assumed office as the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State in the Biden administration;[23] he is the first openly gay person in this post.[24]

In March 2021, Price stated that the U.S. has "serious concerns" about the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into war crimes committed during the 2014 War in Gaza.[25] Price stated that the ICC has "no jurisdiction over this matter" and is "unfairly" targeting Israel,[26] His statement is consistent with Trump's executive order 13928, which denies the jurisdiction of ICC over the United States and its allies.[27]

Price also raised concerns when he used the "America First" trope of Donald Trump to justify ban on vaccine raw materials to India.[28][29][30][31][32][33]

On February 6, 2022, Price engaged in a heated exchange with Associated Press (AP) reporter Matt Lee over the Biden administration's claims about Ukraine.[34] In the exchange, which was widely circulated, Price said that Russia was planning to stage an attack as a pretext for war; he provided no evidence to support the assertion, despite multiple questions from the AP reporter.[34] On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine after a series of attempted pretexts.[35]

In December 2022, Ned Price said that Azerbaijan's blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh has serious humanitarian consequences and called on Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the Lachin corridor.[36]

Price resigned as Department Spokesperson on March 17, 2023, and shortly thereafter took up his current role as Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Blinken.[21]

Personal life

Price is openly gay and identifies as Jewish, though he rarely attends synagogue.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Price, Edward (May 24, 2023). "I didn't think I'd ever leave the CIA. But because of Trump, I quit". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ Lippman, Daniel (November 22, 2018). "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Ned Price, director of policy and communications at National Security Action, Georgetown professor and NBC contributor". Politico. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ Kelly, Mary Louise (February 23, 2017). "Disgusted By Trump, A CIA Officer Quits. How Many More Could Follow?". NPR. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Rozsa, Matthew (February 21, 2017). "National Security Council spokesman quits CIA, writes scathing editorial in Washington Post". Salon.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  5. ↑ Sharman, Jon (February 23, 2017). "CIA analyst quits after 11 years because of Donald Trump's 'disturbing' behaviour". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Trump effect: CIA 'terrorist hunters' to quit in opposition to president". Middle East Eye. February 23, 2017. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Price, Ned (February 20, 2017). "I didn't think I'd ever leave the CIA. But because of Trump, I quit". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Departing CIA official blasts Trump in Washington Post op-ed". The Boston Globe. February 24, 2017. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "A CIA analyst just very publicly resigned because of Trump". The Daily Dot. February 21, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  10. ↑ Logan, Bryan (February 20, 2017). "CIA analyst resigns, calls Trump's actions in office 'disturbing'". Business Insider. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ Price, Edward (February 21, 2017). "I quit my CIA career because of Trump". Dallas News.
  12. 1 2 Deutch, Gabby (December 15, 2022). "Ned Price leans into his Jewish values". Jewish Insider. Retrieved January 26, 2023. The son of a Jewish father and a Christian mother...Price identifies as Jewish
  13. ↑ "SOLD OUT: Global Forum: Ned Price". World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Disgusted By Trump, A CIA Officer Quits. How Many More Could Follow?". NPR. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Ned Price". Truman Project. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  16. ↑ Mooney, Chris; Liebelson, Dana (July 17, 2013). "CIA Backs $630,000 Scientific Study on Controlling Global Climate". Mother Jones. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  17. ↑ Sheppard, Kate (August 10, 2011). "The CIA's Weather Underground". Mother Jones. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ Power, Stephen (October 6, 2009). "Sen. Barrasso Equates CIA Climate Center to 'Spying on Sea Lions'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  19. ↑ "BREAKING: CIA Analyst Resigns Over Trump's 'Disturbing' Actions, But There's A MAJOR Problem". The Political Cult. February 21, 2017. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  20. ↑ "West Wingers: 9780143133292 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  21. 1 2 "Ned Price". U.S. Department of State.
  22. ↑ Price, Ned (July 14, 2017). "Why Does Jared Kushner Still Have a Security Clearance?". Politico Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  23. ↑ Johnson, Chris (January 16, 2021). "Ned Price tapped by Biden team as first-ever out gay State Dept. spokesperson". Washington Blade. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  24. ↑ Finnegan, Connor (February 2, 2021). "State Department's 1st openly gay spokesperson sends signal to the world, advocates say". ABC News. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  25. ↑ "U.S. has 'serious concerns' about ICC ruling on Israel war crime probe". www.msn.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  26. ↑ Cohn, Alicia (March 3, 2021). "Biden admin: International Criminal Court 'unfairly' targeting Israel". TheHill. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Executive Order 13928—Blocking Property of Certain Persons Associated With the International Criminal Court | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  28. ↑ "U.S. defends restrictions on export of COVID-19 vaccine raw materials amid India's request to lift ban". The Hindu. PTI. April 23, 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved April 24, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. ↑ "COVID-19 crisis: 'Priority to vaccinate Americans first,' US defends export ban on vaccine raw materials to India". Firstpost. April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Price of America First: How US Export Ban Hurt Covid-Scarred 'Friend' India". www.news18.com. April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  31. ↑ Jaiswal, Priya (April 23, 2021). "US defends restrictions on export of COVID-19 vaccine raw materials amid India's request to lift ban". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  32. ↑ Bunch, Will (April 25, 2021). "Biden's 'America First Lite' policies on vaccine sharing, refugees are awful look for U.S. | Will Bunch". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Mostly Sweet with Touch of Spice: Jaishankar's Well-timed US Visit 'Solidified' Strategic Alliance". www.news18.com. May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  34. 1 2 "Heated exchange between State Dept official, veteran reporter". MSNBC. February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Russia says rebels need help in possible war pretext as Ukraine president pleads for peace - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Azerbaijan Rejects Accusations Of Karabakh Blockade". barrons.com. Agence France-Presse. December 15, 2022.
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