PoliticoDonald Trump replaces John Bolton with US hostage negotiator Robert O’Brien as national security adviser

Unlike Bolton, O’Brien is not a big name in the intelligence and national security world

New appointment comes as Trump faces a number of crises in the Middle East, as well as possible nuclear talks with North Korea

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Robert O'Brien pictured at a court in Sweden. Photo: AP

Published: 10:22pm, 18 Sep 2019Updated: 4:08am, 19 Sep 2019

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Caitlin Oprysko and Natasha Bertrand on politico.com on September 18, 2019.

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he would appoint US hostage negotiator Robert O’Brien to replace John Bolton as his national security adviser.

“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!” Trump tweeted.

O’Brien was among a list of five contenders Trump named the day before, a list that had apparently been narrowed from about 15 in the days immediately after Bolton’s ousting.

Unlike Bolton, O’Brien is not a big name in the intelligence and national security world – Fred Fleitz, Bolton’s former chief of staff who was also considered for the post, said he knew next to nothing about O’Brien except that he “seems to have pretty good credentials on paper”.