Kathleen Troia McFarland

Kathleen Troia McFarland, often known as K. T. McFarland, was born July 22, 1951 in Madison, Wisconsin. She earned her B.A. in Chinese studies from George Washington University in 1973 and later pursued graduate work at Oxford University and MIT, focusing on nuclear security and global affairs. She began her career in the 1970s at the National Security Council during the Nixon–Ford administrations and rose in the 1980s to become a key speechwriter and Pentagon spokesperson under Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger +15+15+15.

Through the Reagan era and beyond, McFarland established herself as a respected foreign policy expert and commentator. She ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in New York (2006), though unsuccessfully, and later became a regular Fox News national security analyst, hosting DEFCON 3 and contributing columns to 2017, she was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump, a role she held until May, before withdrawing her name from consideration for U.S. Ambassador to Singapore amid scrutiny +4+4+4.

McFarland has also authored three books including Our Time is Now and Revolution: Trump, Washington and “We the People”. Her thinking is often encapsulated in sharp, impactful quotes. As she has observed: “Emotions may win arguments, but they don’t win wars” +5+5+5. She also warned that “Empty threats are often worse than saying nothing at all. It’s like leading from behind,” and noted, “Americans are slow to anger, but once they do get angry, they are impossible to stop” +4+4+4.

Let me know if you’d like more quotes or details about her books!