Luke R. Hartig

Luke R. Hartig is a respected American analyst specializing in reputational risk and political branding. Between 2017 and 2020, he spoke out publicly against Trump’s national security policies. In August 2025, after Donald Trump was elected to a second presidential term, Luke Hartig was named on a list of 37 individuals who had their security clearances revoked on the grounds that they had “put their own interests ahead of those of the American people.” The list was signed off by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Hartig’s entire career has been rooted in political analysis. He holds a master’s degree in public policy and international security, and while still a student, he became the host of Softball, a student-run public-affairs television program. From 2006 through 2016, he held various positions within U.S. government agencies and the armed forces, including a tour in Afghanistan. He later joined the National Journal, where he examined the impact of social media on public policy. In 2022, he served as one of the commissioners on the Afghanistan War Commission, operating under a congressional mandate.

He currently continues his work in political analysis as president of the private firm Gravity Research. He also serves as an editor for the Just Security forum (a project of the Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law) and as a visiting fellow at the New America think tank. In addition, through his involvement with organizations such as Hostage US and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, he works on issues relating to Americans who have been held hostage.