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Former national security adviser John Bolton was advised to purge potentially biased holdovers from the Obama administration from the Trump White House, according to a top Republican in Congress. House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes said on Thursday that he warned Bolton, whom Democrats want to testify in the Senate impeachment trial against President Trump, of an anti-Trump spying operation by members of the National Security Council. The California congressman also said he told H.R. McMaster, who preceded Bolton, and Robert O'Brien, the current national security adviser, to take steps to cull what he called a "den of thieves."...

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he does not care if Iran agrees to negotiate with the United States. The comments came after his National Security Adviser, Robert O’Brien, suggested Iran would have no choice but to agree to talks. O’Brien, an interview with Fox News, said the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure campaign” was working, adding, “Iran is being choked off, and Iran is going to have no other choice but to come to the table.” In a Twitter post later on Sunday, Trump cited O’Brien’s interview and replied, “Actually, I couldn’t care less if they negotiate. Will be...

The Pensacola attack that killed three US sailors and wounded eight others including two members of law enforcement is still not being called an "act of terrorism" by either President Trump or Defense Secretary Mark Esper. US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien also not flat out saying there was a terrorist attack but telling CBS..... The attack was called an "act of terrorism" by local Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz.... Information is leaking out of the investigation of the attack now firmly in the hand of the FBI. The FBI is saying it is operating: "with the presumption that this was...

The U.S. President Donald Trump did not oppose a deal struck between the Syrian Kurdish-led forces, Russia and the Syrian government in Damascus to protect against a Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria, the commander of the force said as his fighters battled a new push by Ankara-backed fighters to seize a strategic border town. The commander of the Kurdish-led forces, Mazloum Abdi, said Trump essentially gave the go-ahead for the deal in a phone call Monday. The Kurds’ deal, announced Sunday, came after Trump ordered U.S. troops to step aside as Turkey launched its attack last week. Under the agreement,...

President Trump has played this out perfectly. By isolating Turkish President Recep Erdogan, and effectively leaving him naked to an alliance of his enemies, Erdogan is now urgently asking for the U.S. to mediate peace negotiations with Kurdish forces. This request happens immediately after President Trump signed an executive order [See Here] triggering the sanction authority of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Erdogan called the White House requesting an urgent phone call with President Trump. After President Trump talked to Kurdish General Mazloum Kobani Abdi, the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, President Trump then discussed the options available to...

On Friday, a source told Fox News that a National Security Council (NSC) staffer had spoken about Trump’s July 25th phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “multiple” people outside of the NSC, and had characterized the call as “outrageous.” This occurred before the whistleblower’s complaint had been submitted. This development had been reported to then-senior National Security Council (NSC) leadership. According to Fox: The development comes as Fiona Hill, a former special assistant to the president who worked on European and Russian affairs, is set to give a deposition next week. Fox News has reached out to Hill...

U.S. President Donald Trump picked U.S. hostage negotiator Robert O’Brien on Wednesday as his fourth White House national security adviser, turning to a low-key choice for the position after the boisterous tenure of John Bolton.

LOS ANGELES — President Trump on Wednesday announced he intends to name the administration's envoy for hostage negotiations, Robert O'Brien, as his next national security adviser. "I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!" Trump tweeted. 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! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2019 O'Brien will...

President Trump announced in a tweet on Wednesday that he will name Robert O’Brien to succeed 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​,” the president said. “I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!​”​ ​The announcement comes a day after Trump released the five finalists on his list and called O’Brien “fantastic.”