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3. Who Is Morgan Ortagus, Trump's Envoy Expected in Beirut on Thursday?

On January 3, 2025, US President Donald Trump appointed Morgan Ortagus as Deputy Special Envoy for Peace in the Middle East. Ortagus, who served as spokesperson for the US State Department during Trump’s first term (2017-2021), will be part of the team headed by Steve Witkoff, a close friend and trusted confidant of Trump.

Morgan Ortagus, who replaced Amos Hochstein, senior adviser to former President Joe Biden, is expected on Thursday in Beirut for an official visit that will likely be focusing on the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Amos Hochstein was the key negotiator of the November cease-fire that ended the devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Her visit occurs two weeks before the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Ortagus has demonstrated expertise in national security, foreign policy and business leadership. She served as spokesperson for the State Department under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during President Trump’s first term. From 2008 to 2010, Morgan Ortagus was assigned as a financial intelligence analyst at the US Department of the Treasury and also held the role of Deputy US Treasury Attaché in Saudi Arabia. She is also an intelligence officer in the US Navy Reserve. Morgan Ortagus began her government career as a public affairs officer at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where she spent several months in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2007.

In February 2021, she joined Adam Boehler’s team as a principal at Rubicon Founders, an entrepreneurial investment firm focused on building and growing businesses in the healthcare sector.

In the private sector, Morgan Ortagus founded EY's Geostrategic Business Group and served as head of international relations at Standard Chartered Bank within the Public Sector Group, handling portfolios in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. She was also a co-founder and CEO of GO Advisors and a national security contributor for Fox News.

Unstable Political Context in the Middle East

Ortagus' appointment comes amid an unstable regional context, where ceasefires declared in Gaza and southern Lebanon are not enough to resolve the ongoing tensions. Donald Trump stated that he expects Witkoff and Ortagus to work toward restoring "calm and prosperity" to the Middle East. "I expect great results, and quickly," he said.

Witkoff and Ortagus are also expected to work toward securing the historic peace agreement long advocated by Trump between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

According to the Israeli news site Jfeed, Ortagus is known for her outspoken support of Israel and her uncompromising stance on Iran, particularly regarding its nuclear program. During Trump’s first term, she played a key role in promoting the sanctions policy against Iran and supporting Washington’s backing of Tel Aviv on the international level.

Critique of Trump

Ortagus clashed with Trump during his first term but was able to join his team again, reportedly thanks to the mediation of her political ally, Senator Lindsey Graham. Trump said he chose to appoint her despite their differences because "she has strong Republican support."

Born on July 10, 1982, in Oviedo, Florida, Morgan Ortagus earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of South Florida. She later obtained an MBA and a Master of Public Administration from Johns Hopkins University, where she wrote an award-winning thesis on counter-insurgency research, graduating in May 2013 with dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Political Science. She also graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida Southern College. Ortagus converted to Judaism after marrying Jonathan Weinberger.