J.D. Maddox

Photo of J.D. Maddox
Titles and Organizations

Adjunct Faculty
Schar School of Policy and Government

Contact Information

Biography

J.D. Maddox is an internationally recognized expert on the subjects of influence and political violence. He is the CEO of Inventive Insights LLC, a small national security consultancy, and is an adjunct professor of national security studies at George Mason University’s Schar School. He is also a frequent author of national security commentaries. J.D. recently developed the US Government’s premier counter-disinformation technology testing and implementation effort.

In 2021, J.D. ran a strong centrist campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates, asserting common principles of security, economic opportunity, and human dignity.

Prior to his role at Inventive Insights, J.D. served as a CIA branch chief, Deputy Coordinator of the U.S. Global Engagement Center, an advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and a U.S. Army Psychological Operations team leader. J.D. has participated as a leader in many of his generation’s most important national security operations, such as combating the terrorist group ISIL in Iraq, responding to the 9/11 attacks, and devising feasible solutions to disinformation. He also has regularly advised US Presidents, Members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries and other world leaders on high-consequence security issues, such as nuclear threats and counterterrorism operations. 

As an adjunct professor, J.D. teaches the graduate-level course "Disinformation and Policy Responses" at George Mason University, and has taught “National Security Challenges” since 2011. He has also lectured at Georgetown University, New York University, George Washington University, National Defense University, National Intelligence University, American University, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. Foreign Service Institute and more.

J.D.’s analytic insights have recently appeared in news media including MSNBC, Reuters, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘜𝘚𝘈 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, CBS 60 Minutes (upcoming), and more. He often speaks at national and international forums.

His policy scholarship has been published by 𝘓𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦, West Point’s Modern War Institute, George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, The University of Southern California’s 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦, George Mason University’s 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 & 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵, and elsewhere.