Elliott Abrams is an American lawyer, diplomat, author, and foreign policy official known for his extensive service in multiple Republican administrations over four decades. Born in 1948 into a Jewish family in New York City, he was educated at Harvard College, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law School. Abrams began his career on Capitol Hill, working on the staffs of Senators Henry "Scoop" Jackson and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He gained prominence as Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs during the Reagan administration, where he was involved in the Iran-Contra affair and pleaded guilty to withholding information from Congress, for which he was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. Under George W. Bush, he served as Senior Director for Near East and North African Affairs at the National Security Council from 2002 to 2005, where he was a key neoconservative figure coordinating Iraq policy from the White House. He then served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Global Democracy Strategy from 2005 to 2009 and as Special Assistant to the President overseeing Middle East policy. During the Trump administration, Abrams was Deputy National Security Advisor and Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela. A prominent neoconservative foreign policy strategist, he is known for his hawkish views on Latin America and the Middle East, staunch support of Israel, and advocacy for democracy promotion and human rights, though his record has drawn criticism for perceived contradictions between rhetoric and actions. He is currently a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and chairs both the Tikvah Fund's Board of Trustees and the Vandenberg Coalition.