FRANCES FRAGOS TOWNSEND

July 1, 2025 By: Joseph F. Dunford, Frances F. Townsend, and Michael J. Morell The US must lead in both open- and closed-source AI to counter China’s authoritarian tech and safeguard global norms. The United States is in a race it cannot afford to lose. China is rapidly gaining ground in artificial intelligence (AI), utilizing open-source models to disseminate powerful, low-cost AI systems rooted in authoritarian values globally. These models aren’t just competing – they’re s

Former Homeland Security advisor Fran Townsend joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and her investigation into the U.S. Secret Service's security failures. January 27, 2025 Watch: https://www.foxnews.com/video/6367833158112

Our investigation after the assassination attempt found deep systemic and cultural problems. By Janet Napolitano and Frances Fragos Townsend Jan. 22, 2025 at 1:13 pm ET Article: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-secret-service-and-the-presidents-life-iran-threats-reform-63855346?st=iUmEyA&reflink=article_imessage_share

October 8, 2024 Key Three: The United States needs a bipartisan strategy toward Iran that can be maintained across several administrations, one that works patiently and resolutely to counter Iran’s efforts to dominate the Middle East, drive the United States out, destroy Israel, and threaten Arab allies. Pressure to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and to halt its malign regional influence is crucial—but won’t work absent a strategic goal of new negotiations to address

The United States and China are locked in a high-stakes competition for global technological leadership. Central to this contest is artificial intelligence (AI), a domain not merely of public interest but of profound strategic importance. AI holds the potential to redefine national security paradigms, fuel economic engines, and propel the influence of democratic – or authoritarian – principles across the globe, depending on which country wins the tech race. As AI has catapult

Warmer relations with Beijing cannot be Washington's only objective Chinese President Xi Jinping (left, center) meets with President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate in California on Nov. 15. (Rao Aimin/Xinhua via Getty Images) By Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Frances F. Towsend and Michael J. Morell Posted December 19, 2023 at 6:00am In the realm of international diplomacy, where brief moments can lead to lasting consequences, U.S. leaders must remain steadfast in their commitment to win

The U.S. and its allies must embrace public-private partnerships that align tech policy and firms. By Joseph Dunford, Frances F. Townsend and Michael Morell Aug. 2, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. Imagine a world where every click, every search and every text is monitored and censored by a repressive government. Where global technology standards are not set by democratic governments, but by authoritarian regimes that prioritize repression and control over freedom. Unfortunately, such a sc

Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the aftershocks of that day continue to shape U.S. foreign policy, domestic security, and global affairs. Panelists examine the lasting implications of 9/11 and the national security challenges facing the United States today. Drawing on their extensive experience in government and policy, the speakers offer a historical perspective as we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of the attacks. The program will be preceded b

She discusses national security issues past and present – from terrorism to TikTok – and shares how she has gotten to live the American dream. Fran Townsend was a public servant for decades, from the courtroom to the Justice Department and eventually to the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In 2004, she was appointed Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, where she briefed President Bush daily. She discusses those briefings and reflects on how her family ha

Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Engagement at Nasdaq, introduces David Lawrence, RANE Founder and Chief Collaborative Officer, who...

Fran Townsend joins a panel of experts for Next World Forum in the capital of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. September, 2022.

Throughout my time as EVP of Corporate Affairs, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Activision Blizzard, Inc., I had...

"Iran’s Threat to the Homeland" with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Frances Townsend On September 21, 2022, United Against...

History tells us that ignoring a pattern of escalating aggression — a failure to deter — courts disaster. We appear to be on that path...

Technology connects our world, and the development of critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing is ...

... on Updating Designations Regarding American Officials and Individuals Supporting the Monafeghin Terrorist Group The Ministry of...

Both cyber and tech are playing an increasingly prominent role in debates about American national security. To what extent will they...

Amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, the world has witnessed the unparalleled role that U.S. technology plays in advancing the democratic ...

Iran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium and state-sponsored terrorism pose an immediate existential threat to humanity and must be ...