Josh Hodges is a seasoned national security and foreign policy expert with nearly two decades of experience across the White House, Congress, the executive branch, international development, and business. His career has been defined by tackling some of the more challenging problems facing national security, advancing U.S. strategy in the Western Hemisphere, and urging efforts to counter the economic and geopolitical influence of the People’s Republic of China.
Hodges served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council (NSC), where he led U.S. initiatives to expose and push back on China's malign activity across the Americas and the Caribbean. In that role, he was the U.S. government’s lead on regional economic strategies designed to reduce dependency on China-backed financing until Trump left office in January 2021.
In the 118th Congress, Hodges returned to Capitol Hill as National Security Advisor to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, holding Congress’s most senior national security staff position. During his tenure, Congress played a more assertive role in foreign policy considerations and he helped shape priorities in response to multiple global crises, including support for Israel, countering expanding Russian aggression, U.S.-China strategic competition, and security threats from the southern border.
He has also served as Deputy Senior Director for Information Statecraft at the NSC, acting Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at USAID, and held senior positions at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. He has also served at the Inter-American Development Bank on the President’s executive team supporting U.S. private sector investment strategies designed to increase U.S. business opportunities and reduce dependency on China-backed financing.
With deep experience at the intersection of diplomacy, development, and defense, he is recognized for his expertise at crafting thoughtful courses of action that combat America’s adversaries’ ambitions and secure U.S. interests in an era of renewed great power competition.
Hodges has chaired interagency working groups, testified before Congress, and developed whole-of-government responses to emerging threats. He was raised in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish, he holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a B.A. in International Affairs from LSU.
Commissioner Hodges was appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson for a term expiring December 31, 2026.