President Donald Trump has nominated Aaron Lukas to serve as the next Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI), positioning him as the second-highest official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). If confirmed, Lukas would serve as deputy to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Lukas brings over two decades of national security and foreign policy experience, including extensive work in diplomacy, intelligence, and strategic policy. A career Foreign Service Officer, Lukas has been with the U.S. Department of State for over 21 years, holding various senior diplomatic and national security roles.
During Trump’s first term, Lukas worked as an intelligence aide to then-Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell in 2020, playing a key role in intelligence oversight and operations. He also served as Deputy Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council (NSC) in the final year of Trump’s administration, a critical time for U.S. policy toward NATO allies and strategic competition with Russia.
Earlier in his career, Lukas served as Chief Speechwriter & Strategic Adviser at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (2002-2004) and spent six years as a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, where he focused on international relations, security policy, and economic affairs. His work in foreign policy began with his time as Director of the Prague Office for Students for Central & Eastern Europe from 1993 to 1995.
Lukas holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Affairs from The George Washington University (1998) and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from Texas A&M University (1993).