John Cooper

John Cooper

Former Senior Advisor, Communications

John Cooper was a senior advisor for communications at The Heritage Foundation.

This expert is no longer a staff member at The Heritage Foundation.

As senior advisor for communications, John Cooper provided trusted advice and counsel to Heritage leadership on communications and media relations issues, helping advance the messaging and policy objectives of The Heritage Foundation.

In this role, he also managed press strategy and outreach for key Heritage initiatives, including the Oversight Project, its Border Security and Immigration campaign team, and more. He also handled media operations for Heritage’s high-profile visiting fellows, including former acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan, former acting ICE Director Tom Homan, and former CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder. He was also responsible for helping protect and promote Heritage’s brand and reputation, through sustained engagement on social media and in national and state media, and regular commentaries in the Daily Signal and external outlets.

Cooper has worked in communications and media relations for more than a decade, in both the public and private sector. From 2010 to 2014, he served as a public affairs officer in the Air Force, where he achieved the rank of captain. He handled press relations and communications efforts for the F-22 Raptor at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

During his time in the Air Force, Cooper planned and executed events with reporters from outlets such as The New York Times, CBS News, and The New Yorker. Upon leaving active duty, he served in the Air Force Reserve for several more years, assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

Before joining Heritage in October 2016, Cooper was press secretary for Concerned Veterans for America, a veterans advocacy group based in Northern Virginia. While there, he focused on helping reporters highlight systemic problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs and policy solutions to ensure veterans receive the care they deserve.

Cooper’s analysis has been featured in outlets such as FoxNews.com, The Washington Free Beacon, and Military Times. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Cedarville University in Ohio and a master’s degree in American government from Regent University.

In his free time, he bikes and hikes around the area, trekking down to the Shenandoah and George Washington national forests to take in what he considers the best views in Virginia.

He currently resides in northern Virginia with his wife, Ali and son, Caleb.

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