Richard Goldberg
US national security official and senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Trump administration NSC director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction 2019–2020
| Richard Goldberg
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Senior adviser, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; former White House and Illinois government official; Navy Reserve intelligence officer |
| Known for | Iran sanctions legislation; NSC director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction (2019–2020) |
| Website | FDD profile |
Richard Goldberg is a United States national security official, congressional aide and state government official who is a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). He was director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction on the White House National Security Council from 2019 to 2020 and worked on Iran sanctions in the office of Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois.[1][2] Between those jobs he was chief of staff to the Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, and in 2024–2025 he helped set up the White House National Energy Dominance Council.[1]
Career
Capitol Hill
FDD's biography says Goldberg was a staff associate on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and deputy chief of staff, senior appropriations associate and foreign policy adviser to Senator Mark Kirk. It says he was "the lead Republican negotiator for three rounds of sanctions targeting the Central Bank of Iran, the SWIFT financial messaging service, and entire sectors of the Iranian economy", and that he worked on US funding for Israeli missile-defence programmes including Arrow-3 and Iron Dome.[1]
Illinois, 2015–2017
Northern Public Radio reported on 12 June 2016 that Rauner had named Goldberg chief of staff, replacing Mike Zolnierowicz, and that he had been deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs and strategic initiatives since January 2015. It reported that before joining Rauner's 2014 campaign he had been deputy chief of staff to Senator Kirk and a National Security Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and that he was a Navy Reserve intelligence officer. The report also said that Democrats in the Illinois legislature had accused him of obstructing budget talks.[3]
On 10 July 2017 NBC Chicago reported that Goldberg was leaving the governor's office, which said he would be "transitioning back to foreign policy, national security and consulting".[4] FDD's biography says that as chief of staff he "spearheaded the first-ever state legislation to divest public pension funds from companies engaged in boycotts of Israel", which it says "sparked a nationwide initiative in state capitols".[1]
National Security Council, 2019–2020
RFE/RL described him as having been, in 2019 and 2020, "the director of the White House's National Security Council's Office of Countering Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction", while the US pressure campaign against Iran "was at its peak".[2][5] FDD's biography says he "helped coordinate key elements of President Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Iran" and that Iran imposed sanctions on him in August 2020 "for 'being actively involved in economic terrorism'".[1]
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Goldberg is a senior adviser at FDD, whose biography lists his expertise as Iran, Iran sanctions, Israel, sanctions and illicit finance, energy, China and nonproliferation.[1] On 13 January 2026 RFE/RL's Radio Farda interviewed him as an FDD senior adviser about what President Trump might do over Iran. Asked what Trump might do after Iran's crackdown on mass protests, he said "Nothing is off the table", listed US air power and long-range bombers among the options, and said "the regime is truly on the brink".[2]
Energy Dominance Council, 2024–2025
According to FDD, from the Trump–Vance transition in late 2024 Goldberg helped "conceive, establish, and operationalize" the White House National Energy Dominance Council and served as its senior counselor until August 2025. It says he was concurrently a national security and international affairs adviser to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.[1]
Positions held
| Years | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2014 | Staff, House Appropriations Subcommittee on State–Foreign Operations; adviser to Senator Mark Kirk (later deputy chief of staff) | [1][3] |
| 2014 | Senior adviser, Bruce Rauner's gubernatorial campaign | [4] |
| January 2015 – June 2016 | Deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs and strategic initiatives, Illinois governor's office | [3] |
| June 2016 – July 2017 | Chief of staff to Governor Rauner | [3][4] |
| 2019–2020 | Director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction, National Security Council | [2] |
| Late 2024 – August 2025 | Senior counselor, National Energy Dominance Council; adviser to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum | [1] |
| Current | Senior adviser, Foundation for Defense of Democracies | [1] |
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Richard Goldberg, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hannah Kaviani, Richard Goldberg: 'Nothing Is Off The Table' For Trump's Response In Iran, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 13 January 2026, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Rauner Names New Chief Of Staff; Lottery Director Leaves, Northern Public Radio (WNIJ and WNIU), 12 June 2016, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Shake-Up in the Governor's Office: Rauner Gets New Chief of Staff, NBC Chicago, 10 July 2017, accessed 10 November 2026.
- ↑ The Federalist Society, Richard Goldberg, speaker biography, accessed 10 November 2026.