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Victoria Coates
Victoria Coates
from Wikipedia

Victoria Curtin Gardner Coates is an American conservative political advisor. She served as senior advisor to United States Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette in 2020 and later was appointed to run the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. She served on the United States National Security Council, originally as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Assessments before getting promoted to Deputy National Security Advisor upon the nomination of Robert C. O'Brien.[1][2] She is vice president of the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, overseeing Project Esther.

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Coates was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where her father, Eugene Herr Gardner,[3] started an investment firm.[4] She is a distant descendant of Andrew Gregg Curtin, who served as Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War.[5]

She attended Lancaster Country Day School through 1986. After earning an undergraduate degree at Trinity College, Connecticut, she obtained a master's degree in art history from Williams College in 1992, and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, where she wrote a dissertation on Camillo Massimo.[6][7] She later taught at the university as an occasional adjunct instructor.[5]

Political career

[edit]

In the 2000s, she blogged mainly about foreign policy under the pen name "AcademicElephant" at the conservative blog RedState.[5][8] Her blog posts were read by aides of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who later recruited Coates to work as an advisor for his book, Known and Unknown: A Memoir, published in 2011.[5][9]

Coates served as an advisor to former Texas governor Rick Perry during his 2012 presidential bid.[10] She became an advisor to Ted Cruz in 2013 and his leading national security advisor during his 2016 presidential campaign.[5]

Her book David's Sling: A History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art was published early in 2016 by Encounter Books. The book covers ten European artists and their major works, including Michelangelo (David), Jacques-Louis David (The Death of Marat), and Picasso (Guernica).[11]

Trump administration

[edit]

Coates joined the White House when President Donald Trump took office in 2017 and became one of the president's longest-serving staffers. She was senior director at the National Security Council for the Middle East and North Africa, and in 2019, Robert C. O'Brien promoted her to Deputy National Security Advisor. As deputy, she split her duties with fellow deputy Matthew Pottinger.[12]

In February 2020, Coates left the White House to become a senior advisor at the Energy Department.[13][14][15]

As an advisor to the Energy Secretary, Coates was based in Saudi Arabia as Washington struggled to deal with a global oil price crash threatening U.S. energy producers during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17]

In December 2020, Coates was appointed to run the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.[18] In January 2021, she was fired from the position by the acting CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media, Kelu Chao.[19][20]

The Heritage Foundation

[edit]

As a vice president at The Heritage Foundation, Coates oversees Project Esther. The task force that inspired Project Esther was primarily Christian and conservative. Project Esther seeks to counter pro-Palestinian activism in the United States and combat political activism, particularly by the left.[21]

Personal life

[edit]

Coates lives with her husband, George G. H. Coates Jr., a wine dealer [22] and chair of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives,[23] with their two children in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. They married while she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania.[5][24]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Victoria Curtin Gardner Coates is an American art historian and conservative specialist who served as for the in the administration, where she advanced policies including the Maximum Pressure Campaign against and the initiation of negotiations. She holds a Ph.D. in from the , with a focus on Italian Renaissance studies, following degrees from and Trinity College. Coates transitioned from academia and curatorial work to advisory roles, including as Director of for former Secretary of Defense and Advisor to Senator from 2013 to 2017. In the Trump administration, she joined the as Senior Director for Strategic Communications in 2017, contributing to the 2017 Strategy, before her promotion to deputy advisor in 2019; she later served as Senior Policy Advisor and Special Representative for the to Secretary of Energy in 2020. Her efforts supported diplomatic initiatives normalizing relations between and several Arab states, amid a broader realignment in Middle Eastern alliances. Coates has held senior fellowships at institutions such as the Center for Security Policy and the , focusing on threats from , , and issues. She faced unsubstantiated media speculation in 2020 that she authored the anonymous New York Times op-ed and book A Warning criticizing Trump, allegations she denied, leading to her reassignment from the NSC amid the controversy. Currently, she serves as Vice President of the Kathryn and Institute for and at The , influencing conservative policy agendas on international affairs.

Early Life and Education

Academic Background and Intellectual Formation

Victoria Coates received a degree in from Trinity College in , graduating in 1990. She then pursued graduate studies at in , earning a in in 1992. Coates completed her doctoral training at the , obtaining a PhD in in 1998 with a specialization in art. Her dissertation and academic focus emphasized cultural history, examining the historical contexts and symbolic significance of artworks. This period of study equipped her with expertise in the evolution of artistic traditions amid political and philosophical shifts in . Her intellectual formation as a cultural historian integrated art historical analysis with broader inquiries into Western civilization's foundational elements, particularly the role of in fostering creative expression, as later reflected in her scholarly arguments tracing democracy's influence across key artworks from antiquity to the . This academic grounding in empirical analysis of and historical causation provided a distinctive lens for her subsequent explorations of and .

Pre-Government Career

Academic and Advisory Roles

Victoria Coates earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1990. She later obtained a Ph.D. in the history of art from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Italian Renaissance art, with her dissertation focusing on Camillo Massimo, a 19th-century Italian nobleman and art collector who assembled significant holdings of classical antiquities and Renaissance works. Following her doctoral work, Coates served as a consulting curator at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she contributed to curatorial efforts drawing on her expertise in Renaissance and classical art. Transitioning from academia to policy advisory, Coates joined the 2012 presidential campaign of Governor as a foreign policy advisor, providing counsel on international affairs amid Perry's brief bid for the Republican nomination. By 2013, she had become a senior advisor for national security policy to U.S. Senator (R-TX), assisting with legislative and strategic matters related to defense and . This role extended to Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign, where Coates served as a key advisor, leveraging her analyses of historical parallels between democratic and cultural achievements to inform positions on global strategy.

Government Service

Roles in the Trump Administration

Victoria Coates joined the Trump administration in January 2017 as senior director for strategic assessments on the (NSC). She held this position until June 2017, contributing to evaluations of long-term threats including and geopolitical risks. Following this, Coates advanced within the NSC, serving as a senior policy advisor and eventually as deputy assistant to the president and for affairs, a role she maintained from mid-2017 until early 2020. In these capacities, she focused on strategic communications, policy coordination on regional stability, and countering Iranian influence. In February 2020, Coates transitioned from the NSC to the Department of Energy (DOE), where she served as senior policy advisor to Secretary . Her DOE responsibilities included advising on matters intersecting with , such as Middle East dynamics affecting global energy markets and sanctions enforcement against adversarial regimes. She remained in this position through the end of the Trump administration in 2020.

Post-Trump Government Positions

Following the conclusion of her service as Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Energy in 2020, Coates was appointed President of the Broadcasting Networks (MBN) on December 22, 2020. MBN, a component of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, oversees Arabic-language outlets including television and Radio Sawa, aimed at promoting U.S. interests and countering adversarial narratives in the . The networks broadcast to over 22 countries, reaching tens of millions of viewers and listeners annually through television, radio, and digital platforms. Coates's tenure extended briefly beyond the January 20, 2021, inauguration of President , but she was dismissed on January 22, 2021, by Michael Abramowitz, the acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The removal stemmed from anonymous allegations—circulated in media reports and —that falsely implicated her in authoring the 2019 book A Warning by "Anonymous," a claim the and subsequent investigations debunked, as the true author was Miles Taylor, a former Department of official. Coates received no prior formal notification of her termination and described the action as politically motivated, highlighting the rapid purge of Trump-era appointees in independent agencies. No further U.S. government positions have been held by Coates since her MBN dismissal, with her subsequent career focusing on non-governmental roles in policy research and advocacy.

Think Tank Leadership and Advocacy

Heritage Foundation Contributions

Victoria Coates joined in August 2022 as a senior fellow focused on and . She was promoted to Vice President of the Kathryn and Institute for and effective August 1, 2023, where she leads efforts to develop policy recommendations prioritizing American prosperity, security, and global . In this capacity, Coates emphasizes threats from the , drawing on her prior government experience to advocate for strategies in , critical minerals, and competition with the . Under her leadership, the Davis Institute advanced the "Chinese Handcuffs" project, launched in early 2024, which documents China's dominance in production and critical mineral supply chains through a four-part series. The initiative argues that U.S. policies restricting domestic inadvertently strengthen China's strategic leverage, recommending expanded American production of clean, plentiful to counter this dependency. Coates has testified before on these issues, highlighting the need for the Department of Energy to actively compete with in global markets. Coates also oversees Project Esther, initiated by Heritage in 2024 to address antisemitism and proxy threats to the Jewish state originating from Iran and its allies. The project frames these challenges as extending beyond Israel to Western civilization, promoting policies to counter ideological and terrorist networks enabling such attacks. Her work at Heritage integrates expertise in the Middle East, Africa, and homeland security to support conservative foreign policy visions, including frameworks for Republican administrations.

Involvement in Policy Initiatives

Coates serves as Vice President of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Institute for and at , where she directs efforts to formulate policy recommendations prioritizing U.S. security interests in regions including the , , and against Chinese influence. In this capacity, she has testified before on topics such as threats and strategies, including a September 13, 2023, appearance before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability emphasizing the need for robust countermeasures against adversarial regimes. A key initiative under her oversight is Project Esther, launched by in 2024 as a multifaceted strategy to combat amid rising incidents following the October 7, 2023, attacks on . The project advocates for legislative actions to defund institutions tolerating antisemitic activities, legal challenges against entities providing material support to terrorist groups disguised as advocacy, and cultural campaigns to reframe pro-Palestinian protests as extensions of antisemitic networks linked to and its proxies. It includes forming a to Combat Antisemitism and targets universities, nonprofits, and media outlets for enabling what Heritage describes as hybrid warfare against Western civilization. Project Esther has drawn criticism from outlets like and Al Jazeera, which portray it as a partisan effort to equate legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with support, thereby aiming to dismantle pro-Palestinian organizing through financial and legal pressures—claims Heritage refutes by grounding the initiative in documented spikes in antisemitic violence and foreign influence operations. Coates has publicly defended the project, linking it to broader imperatives such as countering Iranian proxy threats that extend beyond to allies like . Beyond Project Esther, Coates contributes to Heritage's advocacy for extending the , which she helped negotiate during her government service, through policy papers urging further normalizations to isolate and promote regional stability. She also supports initiatives tying U.S. policy to reducing dependence on adversarial suppliers, drawing on her prior Department of Energy experience. These efforts align with Heritage's series, though her specific authorship in the 2025 edition focuses on chapters emphasizing deterrence against and .

Intellectual Contributions and Views

Publications and Key Arguments

Victoria Coates has authored several books and contributed numerous policy articles and op-eds, primarily focusing on the intersections of art, democracy, national security, and foreign policy. Her major publications include David's Sling: A History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art (Encounter Books, 2016), which examines ten canonical European artworks to illustrate how artistic achievement has historically reinforced democratic principles and free societies' triumphs over tyranny. In the book, Coates argues that creative excellence and human freedom are interdependent, using works like Michelangelo's David to symbolize the sling of intellect and moral resolve as tools against authoritarian threats, drawing parallels to modern geopolitical challenges. She posits that these artifacts commemorate societies exerting political and economic influence through liberty, countering narratives that undervalue Western cultural heritage. Coates's more recent book, The Battle for the : How and America Can Win (Encounter Books, 2024, foreword by Senator ), frames the Israeli-Palestinian conflict not as a localized but as part of a broader ideological struggle against radical Islamist ideologies seeking 's destruction. She contends that 's founding as a post-Holocaust justifies its defensive actions, rejecting accusations of "settler colonialism" by emphasizing historical Jewish ties to the land and the strategic imperative of U.S. alliance with against shared threats like . Key arguments include the necessity of military resolve to deter aggression, the expansion of the to isolate adversaries, and cultural critiques of Western self-doubt that undermine support for , urging America to prioritize this partnership for mutual security gains. In policy writings, Coates has advocated for aggressive measures against Iran's nuclear program, arguing in a 2025 that a targeted on facilities could neutralize the threat accumulated over 25 years, rejecting false dichotomies between and force as peace-through-strength requires decisive action to protect U.S. and Israeli interests. She has criticized U.S. engagement policies under Obama and Biden, claiming in a 2023 Heritage commentary that Iranian infiltration of nuclear negotiations via proxies has endangered global stability, necessitating a return to maximum pressure sanctions and designations of the Revolutionary Guard as terrorists. On the , Coates co-authored pieces promoting their expansion for stabilization, emphasizing economic and diplomatic incentives to counter Iranian influence while prioritizing U.S. homeland defense in broader strategies. These arguments consistently underscore deterrence, alliance-building with like-minded states, and skepticism toward multilateral concessions that empower adversaries.

Positions on National Security and Foreign Policy

Victoria Coates advocates a centered on American interests, prioritizing deterrence against revisionist powers like and while insisting on reciprocal commitments from allies. As Vice President of the Kathryn and Institute for and at , she emphasizes viewing all challenges through the lens of strategic competition with , including vulnerabilities in , capabilities, and border security. She supports leveraging U.S. energy dominance to counter Chinese influence, proposing reforms to enhance the Department of Energy's role in this competition. On , Coates characterizes the regime's proxy network, including and , as waging an existential war against Western civilization through antisemitic campaigns and destabilization efforts, as evidenced by coordinated attacks post-October 7, 2023, and funding of global protests. She recommends direct confrontation of Iranian influence, including support for targeted strikes on nuclear facilities without escalating to full war, drawing from precedents like Israel's operations, and opposes policies that enable Iranian drones to or oil sales to . During the Trump administration, where she served as and Senior Director for and the , Coates helped implement maximum pressure sanctions and the to isolate Iran. Regarding NATO and European allies, Coates defends the Trump-era push for burden-sharing, arguing that outdated post-World War II structures fail to address current threats like Russia, with U.S. defense spending at 3.5% of GDP exceeding European averages and allies falling short of agreed 3.5% collective targets for war plans. She rejects characterizations of this approach as isolationist, advocating updated alliances focused on diplomacy and economic incentives, such as in Ukraine, rather than indefinite aid without reciprocity. Coates views the U.S.- alliance as a against shared threats, particularly Iranian proxies, proposing a shift from traditional aid to equal-footing collaboration on defense, border security, and countering ideological narratives like "settler colonialism" that undermine both nations. She praises Trump administration actions, including the embassy move to and Golan Heights recognition, as bolstering Israel's security and regional peace via normalization deals. In her 2025 book The Battle for the Jewish State, Coates argues that Iran's "little Satan" strategy extends to eroding Western support for through campus and institutional influence.

Controversies and Criticisms

Accusations of Authorship and Reassignments

In February 2020, rumors intensified within the Trump administration accusing Victoria Coates, then serving as deputy national security adviser for the on the , of being the anonymous author of a September 2018 New York Times and the subsequent book A Warning (published under the same ), both of which portrayed to President Trump's by purported senior officials. These speculations, amplified by figures including trade adviser , lacked evidence and were fueled by internal rivalries, with Navarro later compiling a 15-page memo in early 2020 reiterating the unsubstantiated claims against Coates. Coates's attorney explicitly denied any involvement in the or book, asserting no connection to the anonymous writings. The rejected the rumors as baseless, with senior officials stating that Coates's planned reassignment predated the heightened speculation and was not punitive. On , 2020, Coates was transferred to the Department of Energy as a senior adviser to Secretary , a move framed by administration sources as a strategic shift to leverage her expertise rather than a response to the authorship allegations. Agents representing the anonymous author dismissed claims implicating Coates as originating from "uninformed idiots," further undermining the accusations at the time. The allegations resurfaced in April 2020 following the publication of A Warning, prompting Coates to reiterate her denial through legal representation, emphasizing that she had no role in either the or the book. In October 2020, former Department of chief of staff Miles Taylor publicly revealed himself as the true author of the anonymous works, confirming the accusations against Coates as erroneous and highlighting how intra-administration leaks and personal animosities had propagated false narratives without verification. Navarro's persistent for the theory, despite its debunking, drew internal for lacking substantiation and contributing to administrative . In January 2021, shortly after the Biden administration's , Coates—nominated to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media—was removed from her interim role, with reports noting the prior accusations against her as having been "falsely" leveled despite their role in earlier political tensions. The episode underscored vulnerabilities to unverified claims in high-stakes environments, where anonymous sourcing and rival-driven speculation, often amplified by media outlets with institutional biases toward critiquing Trump-era figures, can precipitate personnel shifts absent concrete proof.

Broader Critiques and Defenses

Critics of Coates' advocacy, particularly during her tenure in the Trump administration, have contended that her support for measures like withdrawing from the nuclear deal and maximum pressure campaigns escalated tensions without yielding sustainable diplomatic gains. Outlets aligned with establishment views, such as , highlighted her role as an outspoken deal opponent, implying her influence contributed to policy shifts perceived as ideologically driven rather than pragmatically calibrated. Similarly, her defense of Trump-era adjustments in European alliances—urging greater burden-sharing on defense spending—has been labeled radical by analysts, who argue it undermines transatlantic unity against shared threats like . Coates has countered such critiques by emphasizing empirical failures of prior approaches, such as the deal's expiration of key restrictions by October 2025 without curbing Tehran's nuclear advances or proxy aggressions, which she attributes to naive multilateralism. In analyses, she advocates "," including targeted strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as a non-binary alternative to unchecked proliferation or endless negotiations, citing the program's 25-year threat to and allied security. On , she has maintained that overcommitment subsidizes allies' underinvestment— members collectively spent only 1.47% of GDP on defense in 2016 before Trump's pressure, rising to 2.02% by 2024—insisting self-reliance fosters genuine partnership rather than dependency. Skepticism regarding Coates' qualifications persists due to her PhD and initial entry into via conservative blogging under the pseudonym "AcademicElephant" in the 2000s, with detractors questioning the depth of expertise for roles like NSC deputy. Her leadership in Heritage's Project Esther, aimed at countering and ideological challenges to , has faced accusations from progressive sources of stifling Palestinian advocacy in the US, framing it as part of a broader conservative agenda to marginalize dissent on Middle East . Defenders within conservative circles, including former principals like , praise Coates' analytical rigor and strategic insight, crediting her service across administrations—from Perry's Energy Department to Cruz's campaign—for bridging intellectual and operational . She positions her worldview as neither dovish nor purely hawkish but "owl-like," prioritizing realist threats like China's incursions over outdated neoconservative interventions, as articulated in her oversight of Heritage's portfolio since 2023. Proponents argue her unconventional background enhances causal clarity, unburdened by bureaucratic , evidenced by successes like the ' resilience five years post-signing amid regional volatility.

Personal Life

Family and Personal Interests

Victoria Coates is married to George G. H. Coates Jr., a wine dealer who serves as chairman of the for the for Public Policy Alternatives. The couple wed while Coates pursued graduate studies at the . They have two children: a daughter named Gardner and a son named Gowen. The family divides its time between Chestnut Hill in and . Coates shares her Philadelphia residence with her husband, children, and dogs.

References

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