After abruptly firing John Bolton as National Security Advisor (NSA), US President Donald Trump on September 18 named Robert C. O’Brien as the new NSA. O’Brien has been serving as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department. Trump took to Twitter to say that he is pleased to make the announcement and expressed his confidence that Robert will do a great job.

Trump fires Bolton

Last week, the US President had ousted Bolton because of strong disagreements with him on important foreign policy matters. Before Bolton was sacked, he was scheduled to hold a press briefing on terrorism where a statement on Trump’s decision to abandon talks with the Taliban leaders at Camp David was expected. Bolton, appointed in April 2018, was the third NSA, after Michael Flynn and H R McMaster, in Trump’s regime who got sacked.

Read: 'John Bolton Made Some Very Big Mistakes': US President Trump

“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House,” Trump tweeted on September 10. “I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” he added. "John is known as a tough guy. He's so tough he got us sent to Iraq that's tough. But he's somebody that I actually had a very good relationship with, but he wasn't getting along with people in the administration that I consider very important," Trump said. He had also announced that he will name the new NSA next week. “I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”

Read: Iran Urges US To ‘put Warmongers Aside’ After Bolton's Departure

Shortlisted candidates

Robert O'Brien was among the five short-listed candidates for the NSA position along with Ric Waddell, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, Fred Fleitz and Keith Kellogg. While the White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham had claimed that the names mentioned for NSA position were not exhaustive and there were other names for consideration, Trump praised O’Brien saying, “I think he's fantastic.”

Read: Donald Trump Shortlists Five People For National Security Advisor

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