Clifford D. May (born 1951) is an American journalist, editor, political activist, and foreign policy analyst with a long and distinguished career in international relations, journalism, communications, and politics. He is the founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a prominent neoconservative think tank focused on national security and counterterrorism, established shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Under his leadership, FDD has become one of the nation's most highly regarded policy institutes and a sought-after voice on national security issues. May previously served as the Republican National Committee's Director of Communications. He is also a signatory of the Project for the New American Century, Co-Director of the Alliance for Research and National Security, and Chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger's Policy Committee. May hosts the Foreign Podicy podcast at FDD and contributes as the weekly 'Foreign Desk' columnist for The Washington Times. His work emphasizes advocacy for robust defense policies and has positioned him as a key figure in neoconservative circles, including professional collaborations such as partnerships with Sarah Stern.