The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor (abbreviated NSA, or sometimes ANSA to avoid confusion with the abbreviation of the National Security Agency), serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. This person serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the President.
The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the United States Senate. As such, they are not connected to the bureaucratic politics of the Departments of State and Defense, and are therefore able to offer independent advice. The power and role of the National Security Advisor varies from administration to administration.
In times of crisis, the National Security Advisor operates from the White House Situation Room, updating the President on the latest events of a crisis.
The current holder of the post is Stephen Hadley, who succeeded Condoleezza Rice upon her appointment to Secretary of State by President George W. Bush in 2005.
List of National Security Advisors and the Presidents under whom they served:
| Name | Term | President |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Cutler | 1953–1955 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Dillon Anderson | 1955–1956 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| William Jackson | 1956 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Robert Cutler (2nd time) | 1957–1958 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Gordon Gray | 1958–1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| McGeorge Bundy | 1961–1966 | John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson |
| Walt Rostow | 1966–1969 | Lyndon Johnson |
| Henry Kissinger | 1969–1975 | Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford |
| Brent Scowcroft | 1975–1977 | Gerald Ford |
| Zbigniew Brzezinski | 1977–1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| Richard V. Allen | 1981–1982 | Ronald Reagan |
| William P. Clark, Jr. | 1982–1983 | Ronald Reagan |
| Robert McFarlane | 1983–1985 | Ronald Reagan |
| John Poindexter | 1985–1986 | Ronald Reagan |
| Frank Carlucci | 1986–1987 | Ronald Reagan |
| Colin Powell | 1987–1989 | Ronald Reagan |
| Brent Scowcroft (2nd time) | 1989–1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| Anthony Lake | 1993–1997 | Bill Clinton |
| Sandy Berger | 1997–2001 | Bill Clinton |
| Condoleezza Rice | 2001–2005 | George W. Bush |
| Stephen Hadley | 2005–present | George W. Bush |
