Deputy National Security Advisor

Executive position in the United States of America

Deputy National Security Advisor

Incumbent
Andy Baker and Robert Gabriel Jr.

since May 23, 2025

Executive Office of the President
Member of| National Security Council
Homeland Security Council
Reports to| President of the United States
United States National Security Advisor
Appointer| President of the United States
Constituting instrument| National Security Presidential Memorandum[1]
Formation| 1961
First holder| Walt Rostow
Website| wh.gov/nsc

The United States Deputy National Security Advisor is a member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and the United States National Security Council, serving under the President's National Security Advisor.

Among other responsibilities, the Deputy National Security Advisor often serves as Executive Secretary to the National Security Council Principals Committee, and as chairman of the National Security Council Deputies Committee. The role changes according to the organizational philosophy and staffing of each White House and there are often multiple deputies to the National Security Advisor charged with various areas of focus.[2][3]

As of May 2025, Andy Baker and Robert Gabriel Jr. are serving as deputy national security advisors.

## List of Principal Deputies

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

|

No.  | Picture  | Name  | Term  | President

|
|
|
|

1  |  | Walt Rostow | 1961  | John F. Kennedy
2  |  | Carl Kaysen | 1961–1963
3  |  | Robert Komer | 1965  | Lyndon B. Johnson
4  |  | Francis M. Bator | 1965–1967[4]
5  |  | Richard V. Allen | 1969  | Richard Nixon
6  |  | Alexander Haig | 1970–1973
7  |  | Brent Scowcroft | 1973–1975  | Gerald Ford
8  |  | William G. Hyland | 1975–1977
9  |  | David L. Aaron | 1977–1981  | Jimmy Carter
10  |  | James W. Nance | 1981–1982  | Ronald Reagan
11  |  | Robert McFarlane | 1982–1983
12  |  | John Poindexter | 1983–1985
13  |  | Donald Fortier | 1985–1986
14  |  | Peter Rodman | 1986
15  |  | Colin Powell | 1986–1987
16  |  | John Negroponte | 1987–1989
17  |  | Robert Gates | 1989–1991  | George H. W. Bush
18  |  | Jonathan Howe | 1991–1993
19  |  | Sandy Berger | 1993–1997  | Bill Clinton
20  |  | James Steinberg | 1997–2001
21  |  | Stephen Hadley | 2001–2005  | George W. Bush
22  |  | Jack Dyer Crouch II | 2005–2007
23  |  | James Jeffrey | 2007–2008
24  |  | Thomas E. Donilon | 2009–2010  | Barack Obama
25  |  | Denis McDonough | 2010–2013
26  |  | Tony Blinken | 2013–2015
27  |  | Avril Haines | 2015–2017
28  |  | K. T. McFarland | 2017  | Donald Trump
29  |  | Ricky L. Waddell | 2017–2018
30  |  | Mira Ricardel | 2018
31  |  | Charles Kupperman | 2019
32  |  | Matthew Pottinger | 2019–2021
33  |  | Jonathan Finer | 2021–2025  | Joe Biden
34  |  | Alex N. Wong | 2025  | Donald Trump

## List of Additional Deputy National Security Advisors

[edit]

Aside from the principal deputy, since the September 11 attacks, there have been some cases of other deputy-level positions created with an additional specifier title and alternate role. These include:

Bush administration

* Wayne A. Downing (2001–2002) for Combatting Terrorism
* David McCormick (2006–2007) for International Economic Affairs[5]
* Michele Davis (2005–2006) for Strategic Communications
* Corry Schiermeyer (2006–2007) acting for Strategic Communications
* Mark Pfeifle (2007–2009) for Strategic Communications
* Juan Zarate (2005–2009) for Combating Terrorism
* Elliott Abrams (2005–2009) for Global Democracy Strategy

Obama Administration

* John O. Brennan (2009–2013) for Homeland Security
* Ben Rhodes (2009–2017) for Strategic Communications
* Caroline Atkinson (2011-2015) for International Economic Affairs
* Lisa Monaco (2013–2017) for Homeland Security
* Wally Adeyemo (2015–2016) for International Economics[6]

Trump Administration

* Dina Powell (2017–2018) for Strategy
* Nadia Schadlow (2018) for Strategy
* Victoria Coates (2019–2020) for Middle East and North African Affairs

Biden Administration

* Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall (2021–2025) for Homeland Security & Counterterrorism
* Anne Neuberger (2021–2025) for Cyber and Emerging Technology
* Daleep Singh (2021–2022) for International Economics
* Mike Pyle (2022–2024) for International Economics
* Daleep Singh (2024–2025) for International Economics[7]

Trump Administration

* Andy Baker
* Robert Gabriel Jr.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Security Presidential Memorandum–4 of April 4, 2017" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-04-07.
2. ^ NSPD-1 – Organization of the National Security Council System, 13 February 2001
3. ^ Center for American Progress Organization of the National Security Council System, 13 January 2017
4. ^ Foreign Relations of the United States 1964–68, Vol. XV, 23 February 2009
5. ^ "David H. McCormick".
6. ^ "Leadership & Staff | About CSIS | CSIS". www.csis.org. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
7. ^ "Former official Daleep Singh to return to White House". Reuters.