Eric Trager is a prominent Jewish American expert on Middle Eastern politics, specializing in Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. He is a native of Queens, New York.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in government with language citations in Arabic and Hebrew from Harvard University in 2005. While at Harvard, Trager studied abroad at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. After graduating, he worked as a research assistant at the Washington Institute from 2005 to 2006. From 2006 to 2007, Trager was an Islamic Civilizations Fulbright fellow in Egypt, where he studied at the American University in Cairo and received his MA in Arabic studies with a concentration in Islamic studies. From 2007 to 2013, he pursued his PhD in political science at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing his research on Egyptian opposition parties.

Trager’s career has spanned academia, think tanks, and government. He has held positions as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, and the University of California. He was the Esther K. Wagner Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy until 2017, where his work focused on Egyptian politics and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Trager has been critical of the organization. His 2016 book, Arab Fall: How the Muslim Brotherhood Won and Lost Egypt in 891 Days, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s decision-making process beginning with the 2011 Arab Spring. In the book, he assesses the current state of Egyptian politics and the potential for the Muslim Brotherhood to reemerge.

Trager has also written about Qatar’s role in the Middle East, specifically Doha’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran. In 2017, he argued that the Muslim Brotherhood was at the root of the Qatar crisis in the Gulf.

Trager has served as a professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. He worked for Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from November 2017 to December 2018. He then served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, working for Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) from December 2018 to January 2023 and for Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) from January 2023 onward.

Trager has expressed support for Israel. After October 7, 2023, Trager began reposting comments on his X account from Senators on the Armed Services Committee that criticized the Biden administration’s policies in the Middle East. These criticisms included the administration’s handling of the Gaza pier operation, its withholding of aid to Israel, and its appeals for a ceasefire. He also criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

On January 8, 2025, it was reported that President-elect Donald Trump nominated Trager to serve as the National Security Council Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa in the second Trump administration.

Trager lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and son.

Sources: “Eric Trager,” Foreign Policy Research Institute.
“Eric Trager,” Jewish Book Council.
“Eric Trager,” Legistorm.
“Eric Trager,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
“Eric Trager,” U.S. House of Representatives.
Laura Kelly, “Trump expected to appoint Eric Trager as Middle East director for National Security Council,” The Hill, (January 8, 2025).
Marc Rod, “Eric Trager to fill top Middle East slot on Trump’s National Security Council,” Jewish Insider, (January 8, 2025).