United States 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. The acting national security advisor has been Marco Rubio since May 1, 2025.

Infobox

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

Website

wh /nsc

Tables

· List

Image	Name		Start	End	Duration	Ref(s)	President
		William D. Leahy	January 22, 1946	July 26, 1947	1 year, 185 days			Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)

· List

Image	Name		Start	End	Duration	Ref(s)	President
		Sidney Souers	July 26, 1947	December 21, 1949	2 years, 148 days			Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
		James Lay	December 21, 1949	January 20, 1953	3 years, 30 days			Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)

· List

No.	Image	Name		Start	End	Duration	Ref(s)	President
1			Robert Cutler	March 23, 1953	April 2, 1955	2 years, 10 days			Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
2			Dillon Anderson	April 2, 1955	September 1, 1956	1 year, 152 days
–			William Jackson Acting	September 1, 1956	January 7, 1957	128 days
3			Robert Cutler	January 7, 1957	June 24, 1958	1 year, 168 days
4			Gordon Gray	June 24, 1958	January 13, 1961	2 years, 203 days
5			Mac Bundy	January 20, 1961	February 28, 1966	5 years, 39 days			John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
5			Mac Bundy	January 20, 1961	February 28, 1966	5 years, 39 days			Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
6			Walt Rostow	April 1, 1966	January 20, 1969	2 years, 294 days			Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
7			Henry Kissinger	January 20, 1969	November 3, 1975	6 years, 287 days			Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
7			Henry Kissinger	January 20, 1969	November 3, 1975	6 years, 287 days			Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
8			Brent Scowcroft	November 3, 1975	January 20, 1977	1 year, 78 days			Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
9			Zbig Brzezinski	January 20, 1977	January 20, 1981	4 years, 0 days			Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)
10			Richard Allen	January 21, 1981	January 4, 1982	348 days			Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)
–			James Nance Acting	November 30, 1981	January 4, 1982	35 days
11			William Clark	January 4, 1982	October 17, 1983	1 year, 286 days
12			Bud McFarlane	October 17, 1983	December 4, 1985	2 years, 48 days
13			John Poindexter	December 4, 1985	November 25, 1986	356 days
–			Alton Keel Acting	November 26, 1986	December 31, 1986	35 days
14			Frank Carlucci	January 1, 1987	November 23, 1987	326 days
15			Colin Powell	November 23, 1987	January 20, 1989	1 year, 58 days
16			Brent Scowcroft	January 20, 1989	January 20, 1993	4 years, 0 days			George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
17			Tony Lake	January 20, 1993	March 14, 1997	4 years, 53 days			Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
18			Sandy Berger	March 14, 1997	January 20, 2001	3 years, 312 days			Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
19			Condoleezza Rice	January 20, 2001	January 25, 2005	4 years, 5 days			George W. Bush (2001–2009)
20			Stephen Hadley	January 26, 2005	January 20, 2009	3 years, 360 days			George W. Bush (2001–2009)
21			James Jones	January 20, 2009	October 8, 2010	1 year, 261 days			Barack Obama (2009–2017)
22			Tom Donilon	October 8, 2010	July 1, 2013	2 years, 266 days
23			Susan Rice	July 1, 2013	January 20, 2017	3 years, 203 days
24			Michael Flynn	January 20, 2017	February 13, 2017	24 days			Donald Trump (2017–2021)
–			Keith Kellogg Acting	February 13, 2017	February 20, 2017	7 days
25			H. R. McMaster	February 20, 2017	April 9, 2018	1 year, 48 days
26			John Bolton	April 9, 2018	September 10, 2019	1 year, 154 days
–			Charlie Kupperman Acting	September 10, 2019	September 18, 2019	8 days
27			Robert O'Brien	September 18, 2019	January 20, 2021	1 year, 124 days
28			Jake Sullivan	January 20, 2021	January 20, 2025	4 years, 0 days			Joe Biden (2021–2025)
29			Mike Waltz	January 20, 2025	May 1, 2025	101 days			Donald Trump (2025–present)
–			Marco Rubio Acting	May 1, 2025	Incumbent	1 year, 19 days			Donald Trump (2025–present)