Founder Josh Nass

Josh Nass is a Charleston and Washington DC based government relations strategist and political operative with deep relationships across Republican leadership, the Trump political ecosystem, and senior policymakers in Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Merkava Strategies, where he advises high-profile individuals, corporations, and international actors on government engagement, crisis management, and politically sensitive matters requiring discretion, credibility, and access.

Nass is widely regarded as an effective behind-the-scenes operator, frequently engaged when outcomes depend less on formal lobbying and more on trust with decision-makers and their inner circles. His work spans executive-branch advocacy, political coalition-building, media strategy, and third-party surrogate engagement—particularly within Republican, pro-Israel, evangelical, and Jewish donor networks. He maintains longstanding relationships with senior figures connected to the Trump White House, the Department of Justice, and allied political organizations.

In addition to his U.S.-based work, Nass has advised on international political campaigns, including serving in a senior role on the presidential campaign of the current President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili. Fluent in Russian, he is frequently sought out for politically sensitive work in the CIS and post-Soviet region, where cultural fluency, discretion, and geopolitical awareness are essential.

In 2025, Nass played a central role in securing a presidential pardon for a client, coordinating a strategy that relied on trusted political intermediaries and senior influencers with direct credibility inside the Trump orbit. He has since continued to advise clients on clemency, regulatory, and other high-stakes executive-branch matters, including sensitive sanctions and sanctions-relief issues, where outcomes often hinge on credibility, precision, and careful navigation of national security and foreign policy considerations. Nass has achieved successful outcomes for clients in this context through lawful engagement, strategic advocacy, and disciplined messaging.

Nass is also known for pairing legal strategy with media sophistication, often designing communications and press frameworks to buttress complex legal and political cases where public narrative materially affects outcomes. This capability has been central to several high-profile representations conducted under intense media scrutiny, where disciplined messaging and strategic engagement were critical to protecting clients’ interests.

Earlier in his career, Nass advised senior political figures during the 2016 presidential campaign in a communications and strategic capacity, with a particular focus on Israel-related policy and political outreach. He has been repeatedly called upon by Republican leaders and political organizations for assistance with donor access, stakeholder alignment, and sensitive outreach to key constituencies.

In addition to his advisory work, Nass is a frequent national media commentator, appearing on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC as a legal and political analyst. His writing and commentary have also been published by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Hill, and other major outlets, where he addresses issues at the intersection of law, politics, foreign policy, and public affairs.

He holds a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University.