David Hale

David Maclain Hale (born 1961) is an American diplomat and career ambassador, who previously served as the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He is currently a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute. He will also be teaching a course in diplomacy at the Institute for World Politics in Fall 2025. His book, "American Diplomacy toward Lebanon: Lessons in Foreign Policy and the Middle East" was published by Bloomsbury/I.B. Tauris in February 2024 as part of the Middle East Institute policy series.

Early life David Hale was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1961 and lives in Washington, DC. He graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1983. During the Legislative day of August 28, 2018, he was confirmed by a voice vote.

On September 13, 2018, Hale was appointed to the lifetime rank of Career Ambassador – a Senate confirmed position that is the most senior rank in the State Department, and equivalent to a four-star general.

Service as Under Secretary In early 2020, Under Secretary Hale visited West Africa to advance US diplomatic interests in the Sahel.

In September 2020, Hale testified that a potential sale of F-35 fighter aircraft to the United Arab Emirates would be discussed with Israel in light of US policy goals to maintain an advantage for Israel in the area.

In 2021, Victoria Nuland was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as Under Secretary for Political Affairs in the new administration. Hale consequently stepped down from the position and was detailed to the Wilson Center, a policy think-tank based in Washington D.C, as a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow. Upon his resignation as Under Secretary, he ceded his status as the highest-ranking U.S. Foreign Service Officer, a position held by the officer serving in the highest political appointment in the Department (usually Deputy Secretary or Under Secretary for Political Affairs) irrespective of years of service.

Testifying in impeachment inquiry

Hale appeared before House investigators on November 6, 2019 with regard to the impeachment inquiry. Hale came to the attention of the impeachment inquiry when Philip Reeker testified about support for Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch being suppressed after President Donald Trump had her removed as ambassador to Ukraine. Mr. Reeker's deputy, George P. Kent, voiced misgivings about Rudy Giuliani’s role in Ukraine matters to Reeker and Hale, according to documents from the State Department's inspector general.

On November 20, 2019, Hale testified that an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official informed him that Trump ordered aid to be withheld from Ukraine.