Anthony J. Tata

Since leaving public office, he has been a regular on Fox News. He is known for his avidly pro-Trump commentary. Tata is known for the his action thriller Threat series. He was appointed by President Trump to be the next Under Secretary of Defense for Policy on April 24, 2020.

Tata has also appeared on commentary panels on Fox News. In August 2018, he accused former CIA Director John Brennan of being a "clear and present danger" to the US and called Brennan a "communist" on Fox & Friends. In November, he defended President Donald Trump's decision to send troops to the southern border to block access by Central American migrants. On April 24, 2020 President Trump appointed General Tata to be the next Under Secretary of Defense for Policy replacing John Rood who resign from the position on February 2020.

In January 2013, North Carolina governor Pat McCrory appointed Tata as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. As Secretary he was responsible for leading the efforts to build a new Bonner Bridge that connects mainland North Carolina to the Outer Banks. He also led the state's efforts to revise the funding formula that expedited transportation construction. He resigned on July 28, 2015 to pursue his writing career and potentially pursue a run for congress. As Secretary of Transportation, he was also a member of the North Carolina Cabinet.

Tata had strained relationships with several members of the Wake County School Board, which shifted to a democratic majority during Tata's service. Opposition fell along party-lines. Citing concerns over his "leadership style" and his handling of student assignment issues in the large school district, Tata's contract was terminated after less than two years, in 2012. The decision to buy out Tata’s contract under a no-fault clause was controversial, with two local polls suggesting that a majority of Wake County voters and parents of children in the district opposed the decision to remove Tata.

100 percent of the proceeds from Tata's Threat series books have been donated to the USO Metro DC Hospital Services fund for Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As of 2010, $30,000 had been donated. His novel Besieged was listed by Publishers Weekly as a Top 10 Thriller/Mystery of 2017.

He is a former brigadier general in the United States Army, having served for 28 years in the military before retiring in 2009. From 2006 to 2007, he was Deputy Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan. Tata served two tours of duty at Fort Bragg in the 82nd Airborne Division. As the Chief of Plans for the 82nd Airborne Division, Tata led the planning effort for the largest airborne operation since World War II. He also was brigade commander in the 101st Airborne Division and Deputy Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division.

After retiring from active duty service, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the District of Columbia Public Schools from 2009 to 2010. In 2010, he was named Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System (in North Carolina). During his tenure, Wake County saw a 50% increase in the total number of schools above 70% academic proficiency, the addition of 15 STEM programs, improved services for more than 20,000 special education students, and achievement gains for low-income high school students. A study released by Harvard University, "Middle School Math Acceleration and Equitable Access to Eighth-Grade Algebra: Evidence From the Wake County Public School System," reported a marked improvement in accelerated math performance under Tata's leadership.

Tata, who is of Italian ancestry, has two children. He divorced his wife Tracy in April 1993. Tata had a protracted dispute with his wife, with an Army probe concluding he had "at least two" extramarital affairs in 1985 and 1992 while legally separated. In 2015, he was married to his third wife, Jodi.

In 1981, Tata received a Bachelor of Science at the United States Military Academy. He earned a Master of Arts in International Relations at the Catholic University of America, and a Master of Military Art and Science in Strategic Planning at the U.S. Army's School of Advanced Military Studies. Tata served as a National Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Anthony J. Tata (born September 7, 1959) (/ˈ t eɪ t ə / ), is a retired United States Army officer, author, and public servant. He was a brigadier general of the United States Army (1981–2009), and later served as a school district administrator for two large school districts in the District of Columbia and North Carolina. He served as Secretary of Transportation of North Carolina from 2013 to 2015 under Governor Pat McCrory.