Fall 2025 Fellow
David Simas is the Managing Director of Research and Impact at Emerson Collective, where he develops research projects and distributes findings and analysis in service of Emerson’s priorities including democracy, immigration, education, and climate.
A native of Taunton, Massachusetts, David began his political career elected to the Taunton School Board in 1993 and the Taunton City Council in 1997 and 1999, where he served as President of the Council. David was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in 2007. He then joined President Obama’s administration in 2009 as Deputy Assistant to the President, working with senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe.
In 2012, he served as Director of Opinion Research for President Obama’s reelection campaign. Following the reelection, Mr. Simas returned to the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach.
In 2016, President Obama selected Mr. Simas to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Obama Foundation. He then became the President of the Obama Foundation in 2021. At the Foundation, Simas directed the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and began building the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago.
Mr. Simas holds a B.A. in political science from Stonehill College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He is the son of two Portuguese immigrants and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Shauna, and their two daughters.
Study Group: “Trumpism After Trump: Rebranding the Revolution for a New Political Era”
The slogans remain. The man is leaving. As hundreds of candidates take the stage in 2025 and 2026, we confront a central question: Can the Trump movement outlive Trump himself? This study group explored how politicians in both parties repackage MAGA messaging—on borders, elites, identity, and grievance—without the brand’s revolutionary founder and leader.
Fall 2025 Semester Recap
David Simas said this about his experience at USC’s Center for the Political Future: “There were so many students who were hungry to learn more than the theory. They engaged with all the Fellows about the practical, day-to-day, real aspects of government and politics, and it was an amazing thing to be a part of.”
USC students in David’s study group shared this about their experience:
“I learned about the sociopolitical and economic conditions that politicians (and their respective campaigns) can capitalize on to mobilize constituents and influence voting behavior accordingly. In the context of Trumpism, it was especially eye-opening to learn how mass media and information technology has changed the way people perceive politics with echo chambers and personalized algorithms giving every individual a different outlook on the modern-day political landscape. My favorite part of the study group was seeing all of the unique data and polling that Simas collects through his personal work, which gave us a different perspective from the statistics published in mass media.”
Troy Nevil, Political Science
“I gained a deeper understanding of how Trumpism continues to shape American politics beyond any single election cycle. The conversations pushed me to think critically about authoritarianism, political identity, media influence, and the long-term implications for democracy. My favorite part was the open, thoughtful dialogue with students from diverse backgrounds and hearing directly from David Simas. I often left each session sharing what I learned with my peers at USC Price, sparking meaningful conversations that motivated us to think more deeply about our role as the next generation of public leaders.”
Kristina Sabad, Public Policy
David shared his thoughts on the importance of politics, his first political experience, his advice for having respectful political discourse, and what he appreciates about CPF in his “Quick Takes: Q&A with CPF Fellow David Simas” video.