United States National Security Advisors

United States National Security Advisors
Post	National Security Advisor
Body	United States
Incumbent	Jake Sullivan
Incumbent since	March 1, 2021
Department	Executive Office of the President of the United States
Reports to	President of the United States
Appointer	President of the United States

Contents

United States National Security Advisors serve as the principal aide to the President of the United States on issues involving foreign policy, defense policy, and intelligence matters, advising presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. The National Security Advisor operates within the National Security Council (United States), coordinating between entities like the Department of State, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, and Department of Homeland Security. Over successive administrations—from Richard Nixon through Barack Obama to Donald Trump—the office has adapted to crises including the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, September 11 attacks, and the Iraq War.

Role and Responsibilities

The advisor synthesizes input from principals including the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Director of National Intelligence, and chairs meetings with deputies from Joint Chiefs of Staff, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and National Security Agency; they brief the President of the United States and prepare options for decisions such as covert action approvals like those overseen by the National Security Council (United States). Responsibilities involve crisis management during events like the Iran hostage crisis, coordination of sanctions with the United Nations Security Council, and liaison with allied counterparts in North Atlantic Treaty Organization summits and bilateral talks with leaders of United Kingdom, Russia, China, and India.

The advisor is appointed by the President of the United States without requiring confirmation by the United States Senate, a practice distinct from cabinet-level posts such as Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense. Term length typically coincides with the presidential term; notable transitions occurred under Dwight D. Eisenhower and abrupt changes under Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. Resignation precedents include departures by advisors during administrations of George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden.

Origins trace to presidential aides in administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and formalization under Harry S. Truman with establishment of the National Security Council (United States). The role expanded during the Cold War amid crises like the Korean War and policy doctrines such as the Truman Doctrine and Eisenhower Doctrine. Under Henry Kissinger during Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, the office assumed greater policy-making authority, while advisors like Zbigniew Brzezinski under Jimmy Carter emphasized geopolitical strategy with actors including Soviet Union, Afghanistan, and NATO. Post-Cold War advisors confronted challenges like Bosnian War, Rwandan genocide, and the rise of al-Qaeda culminating in policy responses to the September 11 attacks and the War in Afghanistan and Iraq War.

Prominent figures include Henry Kissinger, who served under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and negotiated with Soviet Union leadership and People's Republic of China; Zbigniew Brzezinski under Jimmy Carter who focused on Afghanistan and Soviet Union containment; Colin Powell who later became Secretary of State; Condoleezza Rice who advised George W. Bush during the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War; Susan Rice who served in the Barack Obama administration during interventions in Libya and policy toward Syria; and H.R. McMaster who took part in strategy debates over ISIL. Other influential advisors include Brent Scowcroft, Anthony Lake, Stephen Hadley, James L. Jones, Michael Flynn, John Bolton, Thomas E. Donilon, Susan M. Gordon, and Jake Sullivan.

The advisor chairs and convenes near-daily meetings of National Security Council (United States) principals and coordinates interagency policy reviews involving the Department of State, Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and Department of Homeland Security. They oversee National Security Staff processes for policy papers, crisis action planning during events such as the Iran–Contra affair and the Cuban Missile Crisis legacy planning, and interaction with congressional committees including the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Coordination extends to allied liaison offices, including the NATO diplomatic channel and bilateral security dialogues with Japan and South Korea.

Advisors have been focal points in controversies: Henry Kissinger faced scrutiny over Chile and Cambodia policies; Michael Flynn pled guilty to false statements about contacts with the Russian Federation during the 2016 transition; John Bolton clashed publicly with Donald Trump over Iran and North Korea policy; Susan Rice was criticized over the Benghazi attack briefings; and debates around advisors’ access to classified information have arisen during investigations by the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack and the Special Counsel (United States) inquiries. Critics question the advisor’s power relative to cabinet secretaries and the potential for personalization of policy seen in episodes involving Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Colin Powell.

Category:United States national security