W. Jonathan Rue

Jonathan Rue is an adjunct senior fellow with the defense program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and an advisory partner at MVP Ventures. Previously, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He had responsibility for developing and gaining Secretary approval of the annual Defense Planning Guidance, conducting force planning assessments to identify strategic and operational risks to the National Defense Strategy and programmed Joint Force, and advancing the Secretary’s priorities in the AUKUS trilateral security agreement. He also led OSD Policy’s participation in the Replicator process.

Previously, Jonathan was the Chief of Staff to the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he advised the Director and CAPE leadership on project planning and execution, stakeholder engagement, and aligned CAPE leaders and managers to drive the Director’s priorities. Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Jonathan spent nearly 5 years in the United States Senate, finishing his time there as the National Security Advisor to Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. He spearheaded the Senator’s legislative and oversight agenda as a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and was responsible for the passage of numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation. Prior to that, he was a legislative advisor in Headquarters Marine Corps and a senior policy advisor at The Punaro Groups, a defense and aerospace strategic consulting firm. Jonathan is also a former active-duty Marine Officer and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Jonathan received a MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and ABs in History and Political Science from The University of Georgia. He is a two-time recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and a 2016 Brimley Fellow at CNAS.