Currently...
Hagar Hajjar Chemali is a political satirist, foreign policy expert, and host and creator of an award-winning world news show on YouTube called Oh My World! She worked in the U.S. government for 12 years in a range of senior national security and public affairs positions. She is a commentator and writer on national security and U.S. foreign policy, and is featured regularly on MSNBC, CNN, BBC, and Bloomberg. She is also CEO and Founder of Greenwich Media Strategies, an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center.
Government Spox
From 2015-2016, Chemali was Director of Communications and Spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations under President Obama. Prior to this position, she was Spokesperson for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Department of the Treasury where she handled all public affairs related to sanctions policy, illicit finance, and enforcement actions.
Middle East and Policy Sanctions
From 2010-2012, Chemali was Director for Syria and Lebanon at the National Security Council at the White House, where she advised on and coordinated the implementation of U.S. policy toward Syria and Lebanon. Chemali also worked at the Treasury Department as a Senior Policy Advisor on Asia and Middle East Policy Advisor in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes.
Nerd Cred
Chemali has a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs where she concentrated in International Security Policy and the Middle East. She focused specifically on counter-terrorism and conflict resolution. She is also a graduate of Barnard College where she majored in Political Science. She speaks English, French, Arabic and Italian.
On the More Personal Side
On the more personal side, Chemali, who is based in Connecticut, is a wife, mom of three, and is very active in her community. She is born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut to Lebanese parents from Beirut. She loves to write, dance (find her on TikTok!), and arrange flowers. And of course, talking is her favorite activity.
Her signature, “HHH,” comes from her maiden name – Hagar Hadi Hajjar. (Yes, “Hagar” and “Hajjar” rhyme, and yes, her parents actually named her that.)