Tony Blinken

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Tony Blinken
Deputy National Security Advisor
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 25, 2013
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Denis McDonough
Personal details
Born (1962-04-16) April 16, 1962
New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s) Evan Ryan
Alma mater Harvard University
Columbia University
Blinken, standing in blue shirt in back of room, during the Osama Bin Laden raid.

Antony John 'Tony' Blinken (born April 16, 1962) has been the Assistant to the President of the United States and Deputy National Security Adviser for President Barack Obama, since January 25, 2013.[1]

He had served as a Senior Fellow at the Center for New American Security, Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (from 2002 to 2008), and a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition team (from November 2008 to January 2009), among other positions.

Early life

Blinken was born in Yonkers, New York, to Jewish parents Judith and Donald Blinken. He attended Dalton School in New York City until 1971, when he moved to Paris, France, with his divorced mother and her new husband, Holocaust survivor and lawyer, Samuel Pisar. Pisar, who had survived both the Auschwitz and Dachau, strongly influenced his views.[2]

He attended Harvard University, where he edited the daily student newspaper and co-edited the weekly art magazine. After earning his Bachelors degree, Blinken compromised on his career interests and took an internship at The New Republic, an American commentary magazine focused on politics and culture.[3] He then earned his J.D. at Columbia Law School, and soon after, Blinken became active in Democratic politics, helping his father fundraise for Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign. All the while – during his academic pursuits and political activities – he played guitar in a band and organized film festivals.

Career

During the Clinton Administration in the 1990s, the then-assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs hired Blinken, and White House speechwriter Robert Boorstin brought Blinken into the National Security Council. By the time George W. Bush won the 2000 presidential election, Blinken was well-established in the American foreign policy establishment.[2]

In 2008, Blinken worked for the presidential campaign of Senator Joseph Biden.[4][5] He also helped craft U.S. policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Iranian nuclear program. In January 2013, President Obama appointed Blinken to the post of Deputy National Security Advisor. Blinken has also been a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, a foreign policy think tank.[2]

Personal life

Blinken, who is Jewish,[3] married to Evan Ryan in a bi-denominational ceremony officiated by a rabbi and priest at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Obama Taps Second Tier of Security Team, Bryan Bender, Boston Globe, December 23, 2008
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Antony "Tony" Blinken". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Antony Blinken steps into the spotlight with Obama administration role". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  4. ↑ Evan Ryan, WhoRunsGov, The Washington Post
  5. ↑ WEDDINGS; Evan Ryan, Antony Blinken, The New York Times, March 3, 2002
  6. ↑ Wedding announcement "WEDDINGS; Evan Ryan, Antony Blinken". The New York Times. March 3, 2002. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 

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