Trump Names Robert O’Brien As Bolton’s Replacement

CNBC reports:

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has tapped Robert O’Brien to become his next national security advisor, replacing John Bolton. The post, which does not require Senate confirmation, comes with a staff of several hundred specialists from the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. intelligence agencies.

O’Brien will become the fourth national security advisor to serve Trump, following the departures of John Bolton and three-star Army generals Michael Flynn and H.R. McMaster.

Trump has said he fired Flynn for lying to the FBI and Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with foreign officials, while the president was reportedly frustrated with McMaster’s detailed reports on national security matters.

The BBC reports:

Mr O’Brien served as a major in the US Army Reserve. Former President Bush appointed him in 2005 to serve as a representative to the UN general assembly. While at the UN, he worked with Mr Bolton, who was then the ambassador.

Under former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, Mr O’Brien also served as co-chair of the state department’s Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan.

In his role as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Mr O’Brien works with families of US hostages and advises on related issues, including recovery policies.

I am pleased to announce that I will name Robert C. O’Brien, currently serving as the very successful Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department, as our new National Security Advisor. I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2019