Jeffrey M. Prescott

Jeffrey M. Prescott is the 13th U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and an American career diplomat with longstanding ties to the foreign policy establishment of the Democratic Party and the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Beginning his career as a human rights attorney, Prescott entered the international policy arena early through Yale Law School, where he directed the China Law Center and played a key role in developing academic exchange programs with Beijing.

His transition into federal government service occurred during the Obama administration: in 2010, he joined the office of Vice President Joseph R. Biden, rapidly ascending to become one of his principal foreign policy advisors. Prescott initially oversaw the Asia portfolio before being promoted to Deputy National Security Advisor. He later moved to the White House National Security Council, serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iran, Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf States.

Following the conclusion of the Obama administration and throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, Prescott repeatedly criticized the White House’s foreign policy direction, accusing the Republican administration of eroding alliance structures, diminishing the role of diplomacy, and curtailing U.S. global influence. His public statements placed particular emphasis on criticizing the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which he characterized as an abandonment of American global leadership. Notably, this rhetoric aligned closely with the positions of National Security Action (NSA), a policy advocacy organization founded by former Obama administration officials, where Prescott served as chair.