Theodore (Ted) R. Johnson is a senior advisor at New America, leading its Us@250 initiative marking the nation’s semiquincentennial in 2026. He is also a columnist for The Washington Post and a retired Commander in the United States Navy, which included service as a White House Fellow and as speechwriter to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Prior to New America, Ted was a senior director at the Brennan Center for Justice where he undertook research on race, democracy, and American identity, and a national security research manager at Deloitte. He is the author of two books – When the Stars Begin to Fall (2021) and If We Are Brave (2024). He holds degrees from Hampton University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.
