Sarah B. Rogers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 11th Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs | |
| Assumed office October 10, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth M. Allen |
| Personal details | |
| Education | |
Sarah B. Rogers is an American lawyer serving as the 11th United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs since October 10, 2025. [1] [2]
Rogers received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Dartmouth College in 2005. [3] She earned her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2008, where she served as a Staff Editor of the Journal of Transnational Law and was recognized as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. [3] In 2003, while an undergraduate, she gained her first exposure to public diplomacy as an intern and Nelson Rockefeller fellow in the Bureau of International Information Programs at the U.S. Department of State. [4]
Prior to her government service, Rogers worked as an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, where she represented clients in state, federal, and bankruptcy courts in a variety of complex commercial, securities, and insolvency-related litigation and regulatory matters. [5] She also worked in-house for Philip Morris International, managing litigation and regulatory issues related to tobacco products. [5] [2]
In May 2016, Rogers joined Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors in their New York office as a senior associate and was promoted to partner in September 2025. [5] [6] At the firm, she focused on high-stakes advocacy, representing clients such as the National Rifle Association, major tobacco manufacturers, and investors and executives in the artificial intelligence industry. [7]
She litigated a winning Supreme Court appeal in 2024 under the First Amendment, challenging the "debanking" of disfavored speakers by hostile regulators in the case NRA v. Vullo. [7] [6] Rogers also spearheaded challenges to social media censorship and the weaponization of law enforcement, including the successful appeal of the wrongful conviction of Douglass Mackey and cases involving the online censorship of Charlie Kirk. [7]
She served as a judge for the International Public Policy Forum, a high school debate competition. [5]
Rogers was nominated by President Donald Trump on February 12, 2025, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. [6] She was confirmed by the Senate on October 7, 2025, and sworn in on October 10, 2025. [8] In this role, she leads the Department of State's efforts to engage, inform, and understand foreign audiences, overseeing the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Bureau of Global Public Affairs. [9]
Rogers has emphasized the use of public diplomacy to advance U.S. interests, including countering censorship, promoting free speech, and leveraging technology like AI for efficient messaging. [10] She has highlighted initiatives such as exchange programs like Fulbright and engagement in events like Expo Osaka to build partnerships and showcase American excellence. [10]
In December 2025, Rogers recorded a viral video from a European hotel room, criticizing European and UK speech laws by reciting statements that had led to investigations or jail time in those regions. [11] She accused the Global Disinformation Index of using U.S. taxpayer funds to promote censorship, leading to visa denials for five European individuals involved in tech regulation and disinformation efforts. [12] [13]
In January 2026, Rogers warned the UK government that "nothing is off the table" in response to threats to ban the social media platform X over AI-generated sexualized deepfakes. [14] [15] [16] [17]
Rogers has expressed concerns over global censorship trends, including Australia's proposed hate speech bill and mass arrests of pro-Palestinian supporters in the UK. [18] In a January 2026 interview, she discussed her views on free speech, tracing them back to her experiences with the early internet and as a prolific commenter on Gawker. [19]
On January 28, 2026, Rogers spoke at the Meridian International Center's Insights@Meridian program, discussing public diplomacy's role in advancing democratic values and countering censorship. [20] [21]
Rogers has been sharply critical of British and EU policies on freedom of speech. [11] In December 2025, her viral video led to accusations of interfering in European affairs. [11] On January 15, 2026, she posted a reply to X user "National Socialists of TikTok" disputing that non-white immigration to Germany was the fault of Jews, stating that Germans were to blame for "import[ing] barbarian rapist hordes". [22] [23]
Rogers married in 2009. [19] She has described herself as a product of the early internet era and was a prolific commenter on Gawker. [19]