Morgan Murphy

Morgan Murphy is an American author and United States Navy Reserve captain who served as national security advisor to Senator Tommy Tuberville. He previously worked as a press secretary to the secretary of defense. Murphy was a candidate in the Republican primary for the 2026 United States Senate election in Alabama before withdrawing in early March and endorsing Barry Moore.

Early life and education Morgan Murphy was born in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and grew up in Birmingham.

He received an MBA from the University of Oxford, where he was a member of Exeter College

Career Journalism Murphy began his career after Rupert Murdoch took note of the student newspaper Murphy edited while at Birmingham–Southern College. The resulting internship at the New York Post led to his first major byline in 1994. In 1996, Murphy joined Vanity Fair after meeting Graydon Carter in an elevator at Condé Nast. From 1998 to 2000, Murphy worked as a reporter for Forbes under Jim Michaels, and regularly covered small business, entertainment, and the automotive sectors. In 2000, he joined Southern Living and served as the magazine's food critic, executive editor, and national spokesman. The magazine’s parent company, Time Inc., later published four of Murphy's five books.

He has appeared on the Travel Channel's American Grilled, The Today Show, Fox & Friends, Fox News, CNN, SiriusXM, Food Talk, Car Talk, NPR, the Speed Channel, and QVC.

Military Murphy joined the United States Naval Reserve in 1999, and has since served on five continents. In 2010, he was called to Afghanistan, where he served in Operation Enduring Freedom as the director of Media Outreach for the International Security Assistance Force and briefed General David R. Petraeus, 40 general officers, and two ambassadors on a daily basis. In November 2012, he was assigned to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Politics In March 2020, Murphy was recalled to Washington to work for Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, serving as his traveling press secretary, moderating town halls with Esper and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and helping the department respond to COVID-19, the BLM riots, and election security. Murphy was promoted to captain by the Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite on October 13, 2020. After President Trump fired Mark Esper on November 9, Murphy continued as press secretary to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller until January 20, 2021.

Murphy was the national security adviser to Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. He presented Tuberville with the highly controversial strategy of stalling scores of senior military nominations in an attempt to stop a new Defense Department policy that helps to ensure access to abortions for service members.

Personal life Birmingham-Southern College which honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013. The car was a one-of-a-kind creation by General Motors' chief designer Harley Earl, under the direction of the company's chairman and chief executive officer, Alfred P. Sloan. When Murphy purchased the car, it was in disrepair and its provenance was unproven. He conducted a three-year restoration effort, and in November 2013, he offered the car for sale through an RM Auctions and Sotheby's "Art of the Automobile" sale. The auction houses called it "one of the most famous and iconic cars of both American and English society", and suggested the car should sell for between $500,000 and $800,000. The launch was backed by more than $1 million in venture capital. In late 2010, Murphy toured the country in a vintage Cadillac to promote the site's launch (and had nine Cadillacs in his possession). was named the gold humor book of the year by the American Library Association. Off the Eaten Path: Favorite Southern Dives and 150 Recipes that Made Them Famous Off the Eaten Path: Second Helpings: Tasty eats and delicious stories from the South's less-traveled trails Bourbon & Bacon: The Ultimate Guide to the South's Favorite Food Groups Off the Eaten Path: On the Road Again: More Unforgettable Foods and Characters from the South's Back Roads and Byways