Joseph is the 1990 valedictorian of Muskegon Catholic Central High School, according to MLive Muskegon Chronicle archives. At Muskegon Catholic Central, he won an array of academic honors. As a 17-year-old high school senior, he won a National Citizen Bee and a $7,000 scholarship.

He went on to an illustrious career in academics and public policy, and was a Truman Scholar at Princeton University.

Among his academic accolades was a trip to Rotary Fellowship at the Universitat Salzburg in Austria. The trip was the topic of a 1993 story in the Chronicle, and was also mentioned in an alumni biography on the Princeton website. The university has since removed the biography but an internet archive remains accessible.

"I really have a strong interest in government and international affairs," Joseph told the Chronicle's Loretta Robinson in 1993. "It's my commitment to public service. I want to make a difference in life, and the best way to do this is a career in this, helping to shape our nation and foreign policy."

Joseph and his parents were natives of India who moved to Muskegon from West Germany when he was only 6 months old, according to the 1993 article.

Joseph worked for senators and government agencies, and most recently was director of nuclear non-proliferation on the White House National Security Council staff.

He apologized for his tweets in a statement emailed to Politico.com Tuesday night.