Brett McGurk

National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa (2021-2025)

Current: Global Affairs Analyst, CNN; Partner, Lux Capital

As Biden’s National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, McGurk provided diplomatic cover for coordinated continued military support for Israel, cheered on Israel’s military actions and aid blockades, and dismissed reports of starvation in Gaza. 

During a November 2023 panel held by the Institute for Strategic Studies, McGurk endorsed collective punishment, stating that “the surge in humanitarian relief, the surge in fuel, the pause in fighting, will come when hostages are released.”

McGurk and his aides also cast doubt on reports from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of starvation in northern Gaza because the warnings did not comport with Israel’s version of events, according to reporting from Reuters. 

Like Sullivan, McGurk enacted policies which violated the Leahy Law, as well as Section 620I and Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act.