Jake Sullivan's Role in Shaping Biden's Foreign Policy
President Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has acknowledged struggling with sleep as he reflects on U.S. foreign policy decisions, including the Israel-Hamas conflict. Sullivan, who serves as Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School, shared his insomnia in an interview with the New Yorker's David Kirkpatrick, published in the July 27, 2026 issue.
The article, titled How Biden Enabled Israel's Aggression Toward Gaza, And Iran, highlights internal administration debates. Sullivan, often the final adviser to brief Biden before decisions, told Kirkpatrick, "I've lain awake many nights thinking about what the U.S. might have done differently."
Backlash and Professional Consequences
Sullivan faces criticism from groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which urged Harvard to revoke his appointment in a March 2025 letter. CAIR accused him of "failing up" and disregarding Palestinian casualties. Unlike some progressive voices, Sullivan has not accused Israel of genocide nor aligned with Hamas's goals, distinguishing his stance from figures like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The Washington Free Beacon sought comment on the timing and nature of Sullivan's sleep issues, but his office did not immediately respond. Sullivan's Harvard profile lists courses on national security decision-making and artificial intelligence geopolitics, a contrast to speculation about his personal struggles.
Medical experts note that chronic sleep issues can signal broader health concerns. A recent Washington Post report linked reduced sleep to increased amyloid beta accumulation, a marker of Alzheimer's disease. However, policy analysts suggest Sullivan's insomnia may stem from the weight of decisions like maintaining U.S. support for Israel during the Gaza conflict.
"Communicating clearer red lines to Israel might have eased tensions," said one former Pentagon official, speaking anonymously. "But forcing concessions could have empowered Iran-backed groups like Hamas." Sullivan's dilemma reflects a broader debate within Democratic foreign policy circles: balancing moral critiques of Israeli actions with strategic interests in the region.
At 49, Sullivan's resume, Yale summa cum laude, Rhodes Scholar, Supreme Court clerk, showcases elite credentials. Yet his current role advising Morgan Stanley and D.E. Shaw alongside academia offers little respite. Colleagues describe him as introspective but pragmatic, avoiding the overt anti-Israel rhetoric of allies like Ben Rhodes.
As Sullivan navigates this terrain, his sleepless nights may symbolize a larger tension: the cost of upholding a foreign policy that prioritizes counterterrorism over immediate humanitarian concerns. Whether this self-reflection aids future decisions, or hinders them, remains uncertain.