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National Security Advisor (United States) facts for kids

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Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
Jake-Sullivan-WH.png
Incumbent
Jake Sullivan

since January 20, 2021
Executive Office of the President
Member of National Security Council
Homeland Security Council
Reports to President of the United States
Appointer President of the United States
Constituting instrument National Security Presidential Memorandum
Formation 1953
First holder Robert Cutler
Deputy Deputy National Security Advisor

The assistant to the president for national security affairs (APNSA), commonly referred to as the national security advisor (NSA), is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at the West Wing of the White House. The national security advisor serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all national security issues. The national security advisor participates in meetings of the National Security Council (NSC) and usually chairs meetings of the principals committee of the NSC with the secretary of state and secretary of defense (those meetings not attended by the president). The NSA also sits on the Homeland Security Council (HSC). The national security advisor is supported by NSC staff who produce classified research and briefings for the national security advisor to review and present, either to the NSC or the president. The national security advisor is appointed by the president and does not require confirmation by the United States Senate. An appointment of a three- or four-star general to the role requires Senate confirmation to maintain that rank in the new position.

Role

The influence and role of the national security advisor varies from administration to administration and depends not only on the qualities of the person appointed to the position, but also on the style and management philosophy of the incumbent president. Ideally, the national security advisor serves as an honest broker of policy options for the president in the field of national security, rather than as an advocate for his or her own policy agenda.

The national security advisor is a staff position in the Executive Office of the President and does not have line or budget authority over either the Department of State or the Department of Defense, unlike the secretary of state and the secretary of defense, who are Senate-confirmed officials with statutory authority over their departments. The national security advisor is able to offer daily advice (due to the proximity) to the president independently of the vested interests of the large bureaucracies and clientele of those departments.

In times of crisis, the national security advisor is likely to operate from the White House Situation Room or the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (as on September 11, 2001), updating the president on the latest events in a crisis situation.

History

President Bush meets with General Colin Powell, General Scowcroft, Secretary James Baker, Vice President Quayle... - NARA - 186429
President George H. W. Bush meets in the Oval Office with his NSC about Operation Desert Shield, 1991

The National Security Council was created at the start of the Cold War under the National Security Act of 1947 to coordinate defense, foreign affairs, international economic policy, and intelligence; this was part of a large reorganization that saw the creation of the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency. The Act did not create the position of the national security advisor per se, but it did create an executive secretary in charge of the staff. In 1949, the NSC became part of the Executive Office of the President.

Robert Cutler was the first national security advisor in 1953, and held the job twice, both times during the Eisenhower administration. The system has remained largely unchanged since then, particularly since President John Kennedy, with powerful national security advisors and strong staff but a lower importance given to formal NSC meetings. This continuity persists despite the tendency of each new president to replace the advisor and senior NSC staff.

President Richard Nixon's national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, enhanced the importance of the role, controlling the flow of information to the president and meeting with him multiple times per day. Kissinger also holds the distinction of serving as national security advisor and secretary of state at the same time from September 22, 1973, until November 3, 1975. He holds the record for longest term of service (2,478 days); Michael Flynn holds the record for shortest term, at just 24 days.

Brent Scowcroft held the job in two non-consecutive administrations: the Ford administration and the George H. W. Bush administration.

List

     Denotes acting
Image Name Start End Duration President
Robert Cutler (cropped).jpg Cutler, RobertRobert Cutler March 23, 1953 April 2, 1955 2 years, 10 days Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dillon-Anderson.jpg Anderson, DillonDillon Anderson April 2, 1955 September 1, 1956 1 year, 152 days
William Harding Jackson.jpg Jackson, WilliamWilliam Jackson
Acting
September 1, 1956 January 7, 1957 128 days
Robert Cutler (cropped).jpg Cutler, RobertRobert Cutler January 7, 1957 June 24, 1958 1 year, 168 days
Gordon Gray - Project Gutenberg etext 20587.jpg Gray, GordonGordon Gray June 24, 1958 January 13, 1961 2 years, 203 days
McGeorge Bundy.jpg Bundy, MacMac Bundy January 20, 1961 February 28, 1966 5 years, 39 days Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy
Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson
Advisors, Walt Rostow - NARA - 192543 (cropped).jpg Rostow, WaltWalt Rostow April 1, 1966 January 20, 1969 2 years, 294 days
Henry Kissinger.jpg Kissinger, HenryHenry Kissinger January 20, 1969 November 3, 1975 6 years, 287 days Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon
Ford, GeraldGerald Ford
Major General Brent Scowcroft in October 1973.jpg Scowcroft, BrentBrent Scowcroft November 3, 1975 January 20, 1977 1 year, 78 days
Zbigniew Brzezinski, 1977.jpg Brzezinski, ZbigZbig Brzezinski January 20, 1977 January 20, 1981 4 years, 0 days Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
Richard V. Allen 1981.jpg Allen, RichardRichard Allen January 21, 1981 January 4, 1982 348 days Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
James W. Nance.png Nance, JamesJames Nance
Acting
November 30, 1981 January 4, 1982 35 days
William patrick clark.png Clark, WilliamWilliam Clark January 4, 1982 October 17, 1983 1 year, 286 days
Robert Mcfarlane IAGS.jpg McFarlane, BudBud McFarlane October 17, 1983 December 4, 1985 2 years, 48 days
Admiral John Poindexter, official Navy photo, 1985.JPEG Poindexter, JohnJohn Poindexter December 4, 1985 November 25, 1986 356 days
Alton Keel 1986.jpg Keel, AltonAlton Keel
Acting
November 26, 1986 December 31, 1986 35 days
Frank Carlucci official portrait.JPEG Carlucci, FrankFrank Carlucci January 1, 1987 November 23, 1987 326 days
ColinPowell.JPEG Powell, ColinColin Powell November 23, 1987 January 20, 1989 1 year, 58 days
Brent Scowcroft.jpg Scowcroft, BrentBrent Scowcroft January 20, 1989 January 20, 1993 4 years, 0 days Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
Anthony Lake 0c175 7733.jpg Lake, TonyTony Lake January 20, 1993 March 14, 1997 4 years, 53 days Clinton, BillBill Clinton
Official Portrait of United States National Security Advisor Samuel Richard "Sandy" Berger.jpg Berger, SandySandy Berger March 14, 1997 January 20, 2001 3 years, 312 days
Condoleezza Rice cropped.jpg Rice, CondoleezzaCondoleezza Rice January 20, 2001 January 25, 2005 4 years, 5 days Bush, George W.George W. Bush
Stephen Hadley Natl Security Advisor bio photo.jpg Hadley, StephenStephen Hadley January 26, 2005 January 20, 2009 3 years, 360 days
James L. Jones 2.jpg Jones, JamesJames Jones January 20, 2009 October 8, 2010 1 year, 261 days Obama, BarackBarack Obama
National Security Advisor Donilon.jpg Donilon, TomTom Donilon October 8, 2010 July 1, 2013 2 years, 266 days
Susan Rice official photo.jpg Rice, SusanSusan Rice July 1, 2013 January 20, 2017 3 years, 203 days
Michael T Flynn.jpg Michael Flynn January 20, 2017 February 13, 2017 24 days Trump, DonaldDonald Trump
Keith Kellogg 2000.jpg Kellogg, KeithKeith Kellogg
Acting
February 13, 2017 February 20, 2017 7 days
H.R. McMaster ARCIC 2014.jpg McMaster, H. R.H. R. McMaster February 20, 2017 April 9, 2018 1 year, 48 days
John R. Bolton official photo (cropped).jpg Bolton, JohnJohn Bolton April 9, 2018 September 10, 2019 1 year, 154 days
Reagan Contact Sheet C42578 (cropped).jpg Kupperman, CharlieCharlie Kupperman
Acting
September 10, 2019 September 18, 2019 8 days
Robert C. O'Brien.jpg O'Brien, RobertRobert O'Brien September 18, 2019 January 20, 2021 1 year, 124 days
Jake-Sullivan-WH.png Sullivan, JakeJake Sullivan January 20, 2021 Incumbent 3 years, 339 days Biden, JoeJoe Biden
Michael Waltz, official portrait, 116th Congress (cropped).jpg Waltz, MichaelMichael Waltz January 20, 2025 Incoming −27 days Trump, DonaldDonald Trump

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Consejero de Seguridad Nacional (Estados Unidos) para niños

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