Here Are Top Contenders For Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor Post

US President Donald Trump has shortlisted five people for the post of his probable National Security Advisor after he fired NSA Bolton, saying he “disagreed strongly” with many of his suggestions. The five names are- Robert O’Brien, Ric Waddell, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, Fred Fleitz and Keith Kellogg, the White House announced on Tuesday. O’Brien is currently serving as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the Department of State while Major Gen Waddell was Deputy National Security Adviser to Trump in 2017-2018. 

Army Gen. Kellogg serves as the national security adviser to US Vice President Mike Pence. Fleitz is a former CIA analyst and worked as chief of staff for Bolton. Lisa Gordon-Hagerty is the current undersecretary for nuclear security at Department of Energy and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The White House further clarified that it’s not the final list and other candidates are also being considered for the post.To quote Trump, “John is known as a tough guy. He’s so tough he got us sent to Iraq that’s tough.”

The US President added that he shared a very good relationship with Bolton, but he wasn’t getting along with people in the administration that Trump considered important.

John Bolton was appointed in April 2018 and became the third national security advisor to leave Trump’s side. Earlier, Michael Flynn and H R McMaster resigned as US NSAs.  

(With PTI inputs)