[2][3] Born in New Orleans, Fontaine holds a BA in international relations from Tulane University and an MA in International affairs from Johns Hopkins University SAIS.

Between 2003 and 2004, he was the associate director for Near Eastern Affairs at the White House National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration.

[4] Fontaine served as a foreign policy advisor to the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign from 2004 to 2008[5] and later became the Senate Armed Services Committee's minority deputy staff director.

[7] Fontaine was also an adjunct professor at Georgetown SFS' security studies program.

[9] In 2024 Fontaine released "Lost Decade: The U.S. Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power" with his co-author Robert D.