Login
Login

Homeland Security Advisor

{{Short description|Senior aide in the U.S. National Security Council}}

{{Infobox US Cabinet

| post = Assistant to the President for Homeland Security

| insignia = The White House logo under Trump 2.0.jpg

| insigniasize = 150px

| incumbent = Stephen Miller

| image = File:Stephen Miller (54361384084) (cropped).jpg

| incumbentsince = January 20, 2025

| member_of = National Security Council
Homeland Security Council

| department = Executive Office of the President
Homeland Security Council

| appointer = President of the United States

| reports_to = President of the United States
White House Chief of Staff
United States National Security Advisor

| constituting_instrument = Homeland Security Act 2002

| first = Tom Ridge

| formation = 2001

| deputy = Anthony Salisbury

| website =

| body =

}}

The assistant to the president for homeland security, commonly referred to as the Homeland Security Advisor, is a senior aide in the National Security Council, based in the West Wing of the White House, who serves as principal advisor to the president of the United States on homeland security and counterterrorism issues.

The Homeland Security Advisor is also a statutory member of the United States Homeland Security Council. Serving at the pleasure of the President, the Homeland Security Advisor does not require Senate confirmation for appointment to the office.

History

In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush announced the creation of the interim Office of Homeland Security as a cabinet-level office in a speech to a joint session of Congress.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/bushaddress_092001.html |title=Text: President Bush Addresses the Nation |date=September 20, 2001 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=January 18, 2017}} He appointed Tom Ridge as its first director. The Homeland Security Council was formally created on October 5, 2001, replacing the Office of Homeland Security.

Under the George W. Bush administration, the Homeland Security Advisor was independent of the National Security Council, residing within the Homeland Security Council. Under the Obama administration, while the Homeland Security Council remained, the Advisor held the title of Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, subordinating the position to the national security advisor.

At the start of the Trump administration, the position of Homeland Security Advisor, occupied by Tom Bossert, was elevated to the rank of Assistant to the President, making it equal in rank to the National Security Advisor. However, after clashes with the National Security Advisor, John Bolton, the position returned to the rank of Deputy Assistant to the President and was subordinate to the National Security Advisor.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-to-name-douglas-fears-as-white-house-homeland-security-adviser-1527890411?emailToken=8d654a446165e3ebb04fa96ce23f328flBC6KbQ6X9xYMOol3MJe/TiP88grA/i3ZNUUIPD1stZ+otohhrer3L4bCZrwE/kzEkmWYsABtjM+AdVEJ7R83reyGq78zWYUbxmAR94W6IlFUVtXZ2Rw2TL1Jc3/K7AyRDY7IkSRN9jrgDinoUpebA%3D%3D&reflink=article_copyURL_share|title=Donald Trump to Name Douglas Fears as White House Homeland Security Adviser|last=Volz|first=Dustin|date=1 June 2018|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=2 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602041111/https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-to-name-douglas-fears-as-white-house-homeland-security-adviser-1527890411?emailToken=8d654a446165e3ebb04fa96ce23f328flBC6KbQ6X9xYMOol3MJe%2FTiP88grA%2Fi3ZNUUIPD1stZ+otohhrer3L4bCZrwE%2FkzEkmWYsABtjM+AdVEJ7R83reyGq78zWYUbxmAR94W6IlFUVtXZ2Rw2TL1Jc3%2FK7AyRDY7IkSRN9jrgDinoUpebA%3D%3D&reflink=article_copyURL_share|archive-date=2 June 2018|url-status=live}}

And most recently under the Biden administration, the Homeland Security Council remained. The Homeland Security Advisor (Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall) concurrently held the title and served as the Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, subordinating the position to the National Security Advisor.

List of homeland security advisors

{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}|Democratic|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}|Republican|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend2|{{party color|Independent (politician)}}|Independent|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

class="toccolours"

|{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting capacity.}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
No.

! class="unsortable" |Image

!colspan=2 |Name

!Start

!End

!Duration

!colspan=2 |President

1

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Tom|Ridge}}

|{{dts|October 8, 2001}}

|{{dts|January 24, 2003}}

|{{ayd|2001|9|20|2003|1|24}}

|rowspan=4 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|rowspan=4 |{{sortname|George W.|Bush}}
(2001–2009)

2

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}};" |

|John Gordon

|{{dts|April 30, 2003}}

|{{dts|July 28, 2004}}

|{{ayd|2003|4|30|2004|7|28}}

3

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Fran|Townsend|Frances Townsend}}

|{{dts|July 28, 2004}}

|{{dts|March 30, 2008}}

|{{ayd|2004|7|28|2008|3|30}}

4

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Ken|Wainstein|Kenneth L. Wainstein}}

|{{dts|March 30, 2008}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2009}}

|{{ayd|2008|3|30|2009|1|20}}

5

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}};" |

|{{sortname|John|Brennan|John O. Brennan}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2009}}

|{{dts|January 25, 2013}}

|{{ayd|2009|1|20|2013|1|25}}

|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |

|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Barack|Obama}}
(2009–2017)

6

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Lisa|Monaco}}

|{{dts|January 25, 2013}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2017}}

|{{ayd|2013|1|25|2017|1|20}}

7

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Tom|Bossert}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2017}}

|{{dts|April 10, 2018}}

|{{ayd|2017|1|20|2018|3|10}}

|rowspan=5 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|rowspan=5 |{{sortname|Donald|Trump}}
(2017–2021)

bgcolor="#e6e6aa"

|–

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Rob|Joyce}}
{{small|Acting}}

|{{dts|April 10, 2018}}

|{{dts|May 31, 2018}}

|{{ayd|2018|4|10|2018|5|31}}

8

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Doug|Fears}}

|{{dts|June 1, 2018}}

|{{dts|July 12, 2019}}

|{{ayd|2018|6|1|2019|7|12}}

9

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Peter|Brown|Peter J. Brown}}

|{{dts|July 12, 2019}}

|{{dts|February 7, 2020}}

|{{ayd|2019|7|12|2020|2|7}}

10

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Julia|Nesheiwat}}

|{{dts|February 20, 2020}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2021}}

|{{ayd|2020|2|21|2021|1|20}}

11

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Liz|Sherwood-Randall|Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2021}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2025}}

|{{ayd|2021|1|20|2025|1|20}}

|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Joe|Biden}}
(2021–2025)

12

|90px

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Stephen|Miller|dab=political advisor}}

|{{dts|January 20, 2025}}

|Incumbent

|{{ayd|2025|1|20}}

|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |

|{{sortname|Donald|Trump}}
(2025–present)

=Titles=

  • Assistant to the President for Homeland Security (September 20, 2001 – July 28, 2004)
  • Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (July 28, 2004 – January 20, 2009)
  • Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017)
  • Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (January 20, 2017 – May 31, 2018)
  • Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (June 1, 2018 – January 20, 2021)
  • Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor (January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025)
  • Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor (January 20, 2025 – present)

See also

References

{{reflist}}

{{Homeland Security Advisors}}

{{EOP agencies}}

{{United States intelligence agencies}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Assistants to the president of the United States