My Story
How a 10-year-old door-to-door ‘joe’ canvassing for Reagan in 1980 ended up as an investigative reporter and consultant for major national security agencies.
Joe Kaufman is not just a lifelong Conservative; he’s a dynamic achiever on a mission to bring those values to the U.S. House of Representatives. He started in Republican politics as a 10-year-old when his grandmother took him campaigning door-to-door for Ronald Reagan and to the Reagan rallies held in New York.
At the University of Maryland (UMD), a deeply-felt anti-Semitic act by his freshman roommate (a swastika placed on their dorm room wall) galvanized Joe into life-long advocacy for the Jewish community. While at UMD, Joe was Assistant Producer for the legendary G. Gordon Liddy on his WJFK radio show. Their private conversations ranged from Liddy’s staunch support for Israel to why Jews like Chinese food.
After graduating in 1993, Joe relocated to South Florida where his political journey gained further momentum. He became a local Republican Party Committeeman; took on leadership roles in the Young Republicans; spent a weekend campaigning alongside then-VP Candidate Jack Kemp; held a writing position at Jeb Bush’s then-magazine Impact; and helped establish the first Florida chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Joe shared a Boca stage with future U.S. President Donald Trump when Trump was considering running in 2012, and Joe was one of only a handful of Candidates for Congress nationwide to endorse Trump prior to the 2016 Republican primary.
Today, Joe is a recognized figure in the counter-terrorism field as an investigative reporter contributing to various publications. He is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and writes for the Middle East Forum, a leading think tank on Middle Eastern affairs. He also leads the Joe Kaufman Security Initiative, a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to educating the public on issues concerning national security. His prescient warning about the likelihood of another attack after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing came exactly one month prior to 9/11. This underscores his deep understanding of the threats facing our nation.
Joe’s efforts have led to tangible victories against terror, including shutting down terror-linked charities and aiding in the arrest and imprisonment of individuals connected to terrorism. In a recent triumph, with the help of leaders from the Jewish and Hindu communities, Joe spearheaded the successful cancellation of a pro-Hamas conference planned in Coral Springs, Florida.
Joe’s personal life is as rich and fulfilling as his professional one. He shares his life with Emily, who brings her own unique cultural heritage from Peru and Israel into their family. Emily is a Spanish and Hebrew teacher at a prominent Boca Raton Yeshiva and a former teacher for Birthright. She is an advocate against bullying in schools. Together, Joe and Emily are raising an extraordinary 10-year-old daughter, ensuring she grows up with a strong sense of identity and purpose.