National Security Advisor (United States)

The National Security Advisor, officially known as the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, serves as the top advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. This person serves on the National Security Council within the President's Executive Office.

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
Official portrait of Secretary Marco Rubio.jpg
Incumbent
Marco Rubio
Acting

since May 1, 2025
Executive Office of the President
Member ofNational Security Council
Homeland Security Council
Reports toPresident of the United States
AppointerPresident of the United States
Constituting instrumentNational Security Presidential Memorandum[1]
Formation1953
First holderRobert Cutler
DeputyDeputy National Security Advisor
Websitewh.gov/nsc

The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President, and does not have to be approved by the United States Senate. The current acting National Security Advisor is U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

List of National Security Advisors

No. Portrait Name Term of office[2] President(s) served under
Start End Days
1 Robert Cutler (1895–1974) March 23, 1953 April 2, 1955 740 Dwight D. Eisenhower
2 Dillon Anderson (1906–1974) April 2, 1955 September 1, 1956 519
Acting 75px William Harding Jackson (1901–1971)[3][4][5] September 1, 1956 January 7, 1957 128
3 Robert Cutler (1895–1974) January 7, 1957 June 24, 1958 533
4 75px Gordon Gray (1909–1982) June 24, 1958 January 13, 1961 934
5 75px McGeorge Bundy (1919–1996) January 20, 1961 February 28, 1966 1865 John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
6 75px Walt Whitman Rostow (1916–2003) April 1, 1966 January 20, 1969 1025
7 75px Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) January 20, 1969 November 3, 1975 2478 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
8 75x75px Brent Scowcroft (1925–2020) November 3, 1975
(first appointment)
January 20, 1977 444
9 75px Zbigniew Brzezinski (1928–2017) January 20, 1977 January 20, 1981 1461 Jimmy Carter
10 75px Richard V. Allen (1936–2024) January 21, 1981 January 4, 1982 348 Ronald Reagan
Acting James W. Nance.png James W. Nance (1921–1999)[6] November 30, 1981 January 4, 1982 37
11 75px William P. Clark, Jr. (1931–2013) January 4, 1982 October 17, 1983 651
12 75px Robert McFarlane (1937–2022) October 17, 1983 December 4, 1985 779
13 75px John Poindexter (1936–) December 4, 1985 November 25, 1986 356
14 75px Frank Carlucci (1930–2018) December 2, 1986 November 23, 1987 356
15 75px Colin Powell (1937–2021) November 23, 1987 January 20, 1989 424
16 75px Brent Scowcroft (1925–2020) January 20, 1989
(second appointment)
January 20, 1993 1461 George H. W. Bush
17 75px Anthony Lake (1939–) January 20, 1993 March 14, 1997 1514 Bill Clinton
18 75px Sandy Berger (1945–2015) March 14, 1997 January 20, 2001 1408
19 75px Condoleezza Rice (1954–) January 22, 2001[7] January 25, 2005[7] 1464 George W. Bush
20 75px Stephen Hadley (1947–) January 26, 2005[7] January 20, 2009 1455
21 75px James L. Jones (1943–)[8] January 20, 2009 October 8, 2010 626 Barack Obama
22 75px Thomas E. Donilon (1955–)[9] October 8, 2010 July 1, 2013[10] 997
23 75px Susan Rice (1964–)[10] July 1, 2013[10] January 20, 2017 1299
24 75px Michael Flynn (1958–) January 20, 2017 February 13, 2017 24 Donald Trump
Acting 75px Keith Kellogg (1944–) February 13, 2017 February 20, 2017 7
25 75px H. R. McMaster (1962–) February 20, 2017 April 9, 2018 412
26 75px John Bolton (1948–) April 9, 2018 September 10, 2019 520
Acting 75px Charles Kupperman (1950–) September 10, 2019 September 18, 2019 8
27 75px Robert O’Brien (1966–) September 18, 2019 January 20, 2021 490
28 Jake-Sullivan-WH.png Jake Sullivan (1976–)[11] January 20, 2021 January 20, 2025 1461 Joe Biden
29 Official portrait of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (cropped 3).jpg Mike Waltz (1974–) January 20, 2025 May 1, 2025 101 Donald Trump
Acting File:Official portrait of Secretary Marco Rubio.jpg Marco Rubio (1971–) May 1, 2025 Incumbent 261

     Denotes acting

National Security Advisor (United States) Media

References

  1. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  2. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  3. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  4. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  5. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  6. Weisman, Steven R. (1982-01-02). "REAGAN REPLACING SECURITY ADVISER, OFFICIALS REPORT" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/02/us/reagan-replacing-security-adviser-officials-report.html. Retrieved 2020-11-25. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 The National Security Advisor and Staff: p. 33.
  8. The Office of the President Elect (December 1, 2008). "Key members of Obama-Biden national security team announced". Press release. http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/key_members_of_obama_biden_national_security_team_announced/. Retrieved December 1, 2008. 
  9. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Scott Wilson and Colum Lynch (June 5, 2013). National security team shuffle may signal more activist stance at White House. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tom-donilon-resigning-as-national-security-adviser-susan-rice-to-replace-him/2013/06/05/b296f36a-cdd3-11e2-8f6b-67f40e176f03_story.html. 
  11. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).