Wardah Khalid Is Still Working At The US State Department Despite Her Long History Of Anti-Trump Activism, Pro-Islamic Immigration Advocacy, Donations To Democrats, And Jihadist Associations and Anti-Jewish Policy Positions
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) plays a pivotal role in shaping America’s foreign policy in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Within this bureau, Foreign Affairs Officer Wardah Khalid holds a position of influence, focusing on regional issues including refugee resettlement, counterterrorism, and U.S. relations with Israel, Palestinian affairs, and Muslim-majority nations.However, a detailed examination of Khalid’s public record—spanning her writings, media appearances, and political affiliations—reveals a pattern of partisan activism that clashes with the priorities of the current administration under President Donald Trump. Her documented anti-Trump rhetoric, pro-Democrat statements, financial support for Biden’s 2020 campaign, advocacy for unrestricted Islamic immigration from high-risk Islamic countries, and support for Palestinian statehood at the expense of U.S.-Israel relations raise serious concerns about her suitability for a role requiring impartial execution of national policy. For the State Department to align with the “America First” agenda, Khalid’s removal is warranted.
Khalid’s Political Role and Background: A Platform Abused For Islamic Influence
The U.S. State Department internal employee database shows that Wardah Khalid is still an active federal employee as of Tuesday, working as a foreign affairs officer in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA). Khalid also proudly displays this fact on her LinkedIn profile, which states she has held her position since 2023; additionally, Khalid’s LinkedIn also lists her Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Khalid’s work involves advising on regional affairs, human rights, and U.S. engagement with Muslim-American communities. The NEA oversees U.S. diplomacy with over 20 Middle Eastern and North African nations, handling sensitive issues like refugee policy, governance, and human rights. Khalid’s specific duties involve advising on regional political matters, which gives her input on policies affecting U.S. national security and alliances.
Prior to her State Department tenure, Khalid was a Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) from February 2021 to September 2023, where she facilitated the resettlement of unaccompanied Afghan minors following the disastrous 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. According to her Atlantic Council profile dated 2022, she served as senior policy adviser at the Office of Refugee Resettlement during the period when ORR was actively involved in Afghan resettlement efforts, as outlined in government documents like the ORR Policy Letter 22-02, dated February 18, 2022, which authorized resettlement assistance for Afghan nationals under the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (enacted September 30, 2021), providing “resettlement assistance and other benefits available to refugees and Afghan nationals who were paroled into the United States.” Her work at ORR focused on resettling Afghan minors post-2021, a process that coincided with heightened security risks following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and reports that many Taliban terrorists made it into the United States by pretending to be refugees.
Anti-Trump Partisanship: A Breach of Duty
As a federal employee, Khalid is bound by an oath to faithfully execute the policies of the elected President. Yet, her public statements and writings reveal a consistent opposition to Donald Trump’s agenda, particularly on immigration and Middle East policy, raising questions about her ability to serve impartially. Khalid was a vocal critic of Trump’s 2017 executive order restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen), designed to enhance national security by addressing terrorism risks. In a January 30, 2017 CGTN America interview, she described the travel ban as harmful to U.S. interests, emphasizing its impact on Muslim immigrants and refugees while downplaying its security rationale. She reiterated this stance in a March 6, 2017 CGTN appearance critiquing the revised ban. In a January 27, 2017 AP Article titled “A Mix of Despair and Resolve for US Muslims in Trump Era,” Khalid framed Trump’s policies as fostering fear among Muslims, aligning with partisan narratives over objective analysis.
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Khalid’s criticism of Trump extends beyond the travel ban. In a May 6, 2016, CNN op-ed, “Why American Muslims Should Look Beyond the White House,” Khalid labeled Trump the “most viciously anti-Muslim candidate,” urging Muslims to bypass the executive branch—a call to undermine the administration’s authority. On November 18, 2016, she told The Quint that minorities feared Trump’s presidency, echoing the “#NotMyPresident” sentiment. In a July 2020 Project Syndicate piece titled “Trump’s Hypocrisy on the Uighurs,” Khalid said, “Trump’s anti-Muslim views have weakened U.S. criticism of China’s human rights abuses against Uighurs… His hypocrisy undermines America’s moral authority.” In a November 2016, Guardian article titled “Trump’s victory has empowered racists – and left Muslim Americans fearful,” Khalid said, “I am worried that negative sentiment will grow because of Trump… His election has emboldened those with anti-Muslim views.”
In 2018, Wardah Khalid was a speaker and trainer at Netroots Nation, a progressive activist convention that expressed strong opposition to Donald Trump’s policies. Khalid participated in a session titled, “The Trump Threat Level: Resisting Dangerous National Security and Foreign Policies,” focusing on opposing Trump’s national security and foreign policy approaches. She also led a session called “From Protest to Policy Change: Congressional Advocacy 101,” drawing on her expertise as a policy analyst and activist specializing in U.S. Middle East foreign policy, refugees, immigration, and Islam in America. The original Netroots Nation profile detailing her contributions as a speaker at their conference has since been removed and scrubbed from the internet, although an archived version remains online. This is evidence that Wardah Khalid is actively trying to conceal her jihadist views so that she can remain undetected as an infiltrator inside the Trump administration that she passionately hates.
Khalid’s Pro-Democrat Statements and Donations:
Khalid’s radical islamic views should be no surprise given her praise for Democrat leaders and her financial contributions to Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records confirm Khalid donated $100 to Biden for President on August 31, 2020, and two $250 contributions on September 16, 2020—one to Biden for President and another to the Biden Victory Fund. These donations occurred during her congressional fellowship for Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), where she was employed as an intern from July 1 to September 30, 2020. Her FEC profile lists her as a “Congressional Fellow” in the “Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu” from Tomball, Texas, and records from Legistrom reveal congressional employment during the time of Khalid’s donation.
Khalid was also featured in an February 2016 NPR interview on Obama’s mosque visit that attacked President Trump’s national security polices. During the interview, Khalid stated, “President Obama’s visit to a Baltimore mosque affirmed that Muslims are part of America and countered anti-Muslim rhetoric… It’s a positive step toward inclusion.”
In an article for Middle East Eye titled, “US election 2020: Joe Biden’s plan for Muslim Americans is a good start but lacks specifics,” published on July 21, 2020, Khalid analyzed Biden’s newly released agenda for Muslim-American communities, praising it for “tackling longstanding concerns”. Khalid also expressed excitement that Trump was no longer President in a Truthout op-ed writing, “I was glad to support Joe Biden’s bid to elect Trump out of office.” Through her Poligon advocacy, Khalid highlighted support for Democrat member of Congress Illhan Omar by signing a statement on April 16, 2019, titled, “Progressive Leaders Unite to Denounce Trump’s Attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar,”
Khalid’s aberration for elected Democrats is so strong that she even attended Biden White House events during the Biden administration, including the Eid celebration in April 2023 as Poligon Board Chair, where administration officials were present.
Advocacy for Unrestricted Islamic Immigration:
A National Security Concern
Khalid’s career reflects a commitment to expanding immigration from Muslim-majority countries, often framing security-driven restrictions as discriminatory. This stance conflicts with the Trump administration’s emphasis on rigorous vetting to protect American citizens. As previously stated, Khalid founded the Poligon Education Fund in January 2017 and serves as its Board President. Poligon is described as a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization aimed at strengthening American Muslim engagement with Congress on issues like civil rights and foreign policy.
At Church World Service, Khalid served as Media Relations Manager for the Immigration and Refugee Program, organizing campaigns against Trump’s travel ban through press conferences and op-eds, as noted in her Scoville Fellowship profile. Khalid’s support for transforming America from within continued in a 2017 Women in Foreign Policy interview, where she argued that Muslims in government were needed to counter policies she deemed discriminatory. She implicitly criticized Trump’s immigration reforms, stating, “It wouldn’t be a good thing if every single Muslim in the government left, because there would be nobody to be the voice of reason or counter policy that isn’t good for national security and discriminates against people or violates their civil rights.”
Khalid also worked with the radical United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), where she conducted field work in Jordan on Palestinian refugee issues. UNRWA is an organization criticized for anti-Israel bias, and it was defunded in February 2025 via executive order by President Trump after it was revealed that UNRWA had ties to HAMAS. In his executive order, President Trump said, “UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State (Secretary) as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. UNHRC has protected human rights abusers by allowing them to use the organization to shield themselves from scrutiny, while UNESCO has demonstrated failure to reform itself, has continually demonstrated anti-Israel sentiment over the past decade, and has failed to address concerns over mounting arrears.”
Pro-Palestinian Activism: Undermining U.S.-Israel Relations
Khalid’s public advocacy for Palestinian statehood and criticism of U.S. support for Israel threatens America’s strategic alliance with our key Middle East ally Israel. Her work consistently prioritizes Palestinian interests, often at Israel’s expense, which conflicts with the Trump administration’s pro-Israel policies, such as the Abraham Accords. In a CNN opinion piece titled “Trump’s Jerusalem decision puts the Middle East on a knife’s edge”, Khalid wrote, “President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US Embassy there has put the Middle East on a knife’s edge… This move undermines U.S. credibility in the Arab world and peace efforts.” She further stated, “Trump’s action is a gift to extremists and a blow to moderates.”
According to her Asian American Journalists Association profile, Khalid has advised Congress, the White House, and the State Department on human rights issues related to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Her travels to Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel informed policy recommendations on Israeli settlements and reconstruction, as noted in her professional bios. Khalid also wrote a Haaretz op-ed , “On Palestinian Human Rights, We In America Need to Move From Talk to Action”. In the article, she said, “The U.S. must act on Palestinian human rights, not just talk… U.S. support for Israeli policies enables occupation and violations in Gaza and the West Bank.” In an Atlantic Council profile, she supported conditioning U.S. aid to Israel, writing, “We need accountability on human rights issues in Gaza and the West Bank… Condition aid to promote peace.”
The Case for Termination: Restoring State Department Integrity
Wardah Khalid’s documented activism, anti-Trump partisanship, advocacy for unrestricted Islamic immigration, and pro-Palestinian statehood disqualifies her from serving in a State Department tasked with implementing the Trump administration’s agenda. Her public record demonstrates a loyalty to Islamist ideological causes over US national interests, which is a breach of the impartiality required of career diplomats. To ensure the State Department reflects the priorities of secure borders, strong alliances, and America First principles, President Trump and Secretary Rubio must act decisively. Terminating Wardah Khalid’s employment is a necessary step in eliminating partisan and jihadi influence within the Trump administration, and restoring trust in U.S. foreign policy. The American people deserve a diplomatic corps that serves the nation, not personal agendas, and especially not an agenda of Sharia Supremacy.
