David Priess
Senior Fellow at Michael V Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security
Dr David Priess has been the Director of Intelligence for the US national security-focused start-up Bedrock Knowledge since 2023 and a Senior Fellow at the Michael V Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security since 2021. Previously, Dr Priess served at the CIA as an intelligence officer, manager, and daily intelligence briefer (1998-2004) and at the State Department as a desk officer during the Bill Clinton and George W Bush presidencies. During the Bush administration, he briefed the President’s Daily Brief to senior officials for more than a year. He has taught at George Mason University, George Washington University, and Duke University and has written two books: The President’s Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America’s Presidents from Kennedy to Obama; and How To Get Rid of a President: History’s Guide To Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives. Dr Priess received his PhD in political science from Duke University.
Updated: March 27, 2025