President Trump officially has his new national security adviser.
A week after announcing the exit of John Bolton, Trump said Wednesday his new national security adviser is Robert O'Brien, who currently serves as U.S. hostage envoy. Trump in July sent O'Brien to Sweden amid rapper A$AP Rocky's assault trial.
Trump last week said he asked for Bolton's the resignation because he "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions," although Bolton disputed Trump's characterization of his exit and said he offered his resignation. O'Brien, who now replaces Bolton, will be Trump's fourth national security adviser in fewer than three years.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In his tweet announcing the news, Trump said he has "worked long & hard with Robert," although The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reports Trump "didn't really know him" but "liked his portfolio." The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Trump "liked the look of" O'Brien, which the Journal wrote is a "key condition for many Trump appointments."
Trump himself, however, has downplayed the importance of the national security adviser job.
"It's a lot of fun to work with Donald Trump," Trump said last week. "And it's very easy, actually, to work with me. You know why it’s easy? Because I make all the decisions. They don't have to work."
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
