National Security Advisor
While living in Manhattan in the 1990s, Morgan joined the U.S. Navy Reserves as an ensign. Over his 24-year career in the USN, Morgan has served on five continents and held key roles with national leaders.
As a senior fellow with the America First Policy Institute, Morgan works with the nation’s foremost political thought leaders to protect the United States. Prior to joining AFPI, Morgan served as the national security advisor to United States Senator Tommy Tuberville, a member of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee and Seapower subcommittee. Murphy advised the senator on matters of national defense, foreign policy, intelligence, nuclear energy, and space.
In 2020, Captain Murphy was recalled to active duty to work for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In that role, Murphy became Dr. Mark Esper’s traveling press secretary amid an intense times in our nation’s history. In addition to helping the department address the outbreak of COVID-19, the launch of Operation Warp Speed, the civil unrest of the summer of 2020, and election integrity, Murphy also wrote and directed an 8-part series to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, working with Jay Leno, Lee Majors, and Jon Voight. With the appointment of Christopher Miller as Acting Secretary of Defense, Murphy served as a direct advisor and accompanied the secretary on trips to Afghanistan, Qatar, Djibouti, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malta, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Indonesia, Germany, England, Scotland, Guam, the Philippines, and numerous other domestic locations including Hawaii and Alaska.
Murphy’s prior deployments include a 2010-2011 tour of Afghanistan where he served as the director of media outreach for the war, briefing General David Petraeus, two ambassadors, and 30+ flag officers on a daily basis.
Captain Murphy’s decorations include the Joint Meritorious Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Freedom Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Medal, among others.
Some Cool Facts
By the numbers
Newspaper Writer and Magazine Editor
Morgan began his professional writing career for his college newspaper, The Hilltop News. When he rose to editor-in-chief in 1993, he put a nude on the front page in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (this followed in the footsteps of his father, Mike Murphy, who had served as the editor-in-chief of the college yearbook 23 years prior and likewise had his publication banned because of an errant nude).
Rupert Murdoch saw the issue and said, “Whoever the kid is editing that paper, I’ll give him a job.” That kid was Morgan. He landed an internship with The New York Post. His first major magazine article appeared in Esquire in 1995 and he joined the staff of Vanity Fair in 1996 as a special projects assistant. In 1998, he moved to Forbes and was the first reporter to estimate the net worth of J.K. Rowling.
In 2000, Morgan moved back to his hometown, becoming the travel editor, food critic, and national spokesman of Southern Living. In 2007, he was named executive editor.
Book Author
Morgan co-published his first book, I Love You, Now Hush, with Southern humorist Melinda Rainey Thompson in 2010. A he-said, she-said book of humor, it met with critical acclaim and won the gold award for humor from the American Library Association.
In 2011, Murphy published his first cookbook, “Off the Eaten Path,” A collection of his 150 favorite recipes from his favorite restaurants across the South. The book sold more than 100,000 copies and featured a forward by Fannie Flagg.
In 2013, Murphy followed up with a sequel, “Second Helpings,” which featured an additional 150 recipes from 65 restaurants. Murphy traveled to each and the book is full of his photography from the road. “Second Helpings” also sold more than 100,000 copies and landed Murphy on Fox & Friends, the Today Show, and many others.
“Bourbon & Bacon,” Murphy’s guide to his two favorite food groups, followed in 2014. And his final book in the “Off the Eaten Path” series, “On the Road Again,” debuted in 2015. It immediately hit #1 on Amazon and Publisher’s Weekly upon launch.