Robert C. O'Brien

Last updated

Robert C. O'Brien
Robert C. O'Brien.jpg
O'Brien in 2018
27th United States National Security Advisor
In office
September 18, 2019 –January 20, 2021
Preceded by John Bolton
Succeeded by Jake Sullivan
Rank US-O4 insignia.svg Major
Unit Judge Advocate General's Corps

Robert Charles O'Brien Jr. [1] [2] (born June 18, 1966) [1] is an American attorney who served as the twenty-seventh United States national security advisor from 2019 to 2021. He was the fourth and final person to hold the position during the 1st presidency of Donald Trump. He is currently the chairman of the American Global Strategies firm advising companies on international politics, the U.S. government, and crisis management. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

O'Brien was born in Los Angeles and raised in Santa Rosa, California, where he attended Cardinal Newman High School. [4] He won a Rotary scholarship to study at the University of the Free State in South Africa in 1987. [5] He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1989, and a Juris Doctor from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1992.[ citation needed ]

Early career

From 1996 to 1998, O'Brien was a legal officer with the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. [6] O'Brien was a major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army Reserve.

Private practice

O'Brien was the California managing partner of the law firm Arent Fox LLP for seven years. [6] [7] [8]

O'Brien was a founding partner, along with former federal judge Stephen Larson, of the Los Angeles boutique law firm Larson O'Brien LLP, which they established in January 2016. [9] O'Brien retired from the firm when he was appointed national security advisor. [10]

George W. Bush and Obama administrations

O'Brien with Condoleezza Rice in 2007 Condoleezza Rice and Robert O'Brien.jpg
O'Brien with Condoleezza Rice in 2007

O'Brien was nominated by President George W. Bush as the U.S. alternate representative to the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly during 2005–06. [11]

O'Brien was co-chairman of the U.S. Department of State's Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan, launched in December 2007, which "promoted the rule of law" in Afghanistan by training judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. He continued this role during the first term of the Obama administration. [12] [13]

On July 31, 2008, President Bush announced his intention to appoint O'Brien to serve in his administration as a member of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, an advisory committee on issues involving antiquities and cultural matters, for the remainder of a three-year term which expired on April 25, 2011. [12] [13]

Mitt Romney 2012 campaign

In October 2011, O'Brien was named to Mitt Romney's advisory team as co-chair of the International Organizations Work Group. [14]

2016 presidential election

Later, in May 2015, he became an adviser on foreign policy and national security affairs for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's presidential campaign. [15] [16] After Walker left the race, O'Brien advised Ted Cruz's campaign. [16] During the time he advised Cruz's presidential campaign, he said: "It's clear that Vladimir Putin just doesn't like [Hillary Clinton], and is going to do what he can to help Donald Trump." [17]

Trump administration (2017–2019)

O'Brien sworn in as presidential envoy for hostage affairs in 2018. Secretary Pompeo Officiates the Swearing-in Ceremony for Robert C. O'Brien as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (29640486768).jpg
O'Brien sworn in as presidential envoy for hostage affairs in 2018.

In 2017, O'Brien was under consideration by the Donald Trump administration to serve as secretary of the navy. [18] The Orange County Register editorial board endorsed O'Brien to serve in this position. [19] Later in the administration, O'Brien advocated publicly for a larger Navy and visited several U.S. shipyards. [20] [21]

From May 25, 2018 to October 3, 2019, O'Brien served as the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. [22] [12] He was given the rank of ambassador one year after his appointment. [23] As envoy for hostage affairs, O'Brien attended the trial of the American rapper ASAP Rocky, on assault charges, in Stockholm, Sweden, telling reporters "The president sent me here, so it's totally appropriate. I also help free people that are held by governments, so unjustly detained Americans." [24] O'Brien had written the Swedish government warning of "negative consequences" if the case was not resolved. [25] The Swedish government and court rejected political pressure in the case, citing rule-of-law principles; the rapper was ultimately convicted of assault, and sentenced to time served. [26]

In 2018, as envoy for hostage affairs, O'Brien helped obtain the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who had been held prisoner for two years in Turkey, raising U.S.-Turkish tensions. [27] O'Brien was also involved in obtaining the release of Danny Burch, an American oil worker held in Yemen for a year, and who ultimately received an Oval Office meeting with President Trump. [28] In June 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded O'Brien the rank of chevalier in the Legion d'honneur, in part for his assistance in helping to rescue two French hostages kidnapped abroad. [29]

National security advisor

National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien (left) in the White House Situation Room during the U.S. military raid on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019. President Trump Watches as U.S. Special Operations Forces Close in on ISIS Leader (48967991042).jpg
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien (left) in the White House Situation Room during the U.S. military raid on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.
O'Brien, Trump and Mike Pompeo with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in November 2019. President Trump and the First Lady Visit with the President of Turkey and Mrs. Emine Erdogan (49061400651).jpg
O'Brien, Trump and Mike Pompeo with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in November 2019.
Trump, O'Brien and Jared Kushner with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, India, February 2020 President Trump and the First Lady in India (49579269012).jpg
Trump, O'Brien and Jared Kushner with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, India, February 2020
O'Brien prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City in 2020. J Kushner & NSC O'Brien visit Aug. Sep 2020 (50287402761).jpg
O'Brien prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City in 2020.
O'Brien (center) speaks to soldiers of the 19th Special Forces Group during the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., June 5, 2020 Soldiers hear from National Security Advisor.jpg
O'Brien (center) speaks to soldiers of the 19th Special Forces Group during the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., June 5, 2020
Milun Trivunac, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of Serbia (sitting left), Richard Grenell, Special US Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations (standing right), Eset Berisha, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo (sitting right) 4T0A1674 (49413330273).jpg
Milun Trivunac, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of Serbia (sitting left),
Richard Grenell, Special US Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations (standing right),
Eset Berisha, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo (sitting right)

Appointment

O'Brien took office as the twenty-seventh United States national security advisor on September 18, 2019. President Trump appointed O'Brien to succeed John Bolton, who resigned earlier that month. [30] A few days later, O'Brien announced that Matthew Pottinger would become the deputy national security advisor, [31] replacing Charles Kupperman in that role. O'Brien was seen as a traditional foreign policy conservative rather than a firebrand. [32]

Early in his tenure, O'Brien accompanied Vice President Mike Pence to meet Turkish President Recep Erdogan in efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdish forces in Syria after the U.S. abruptly withdrew military forces that stood between Turkish and Kurdish forces. [33]

In December 2019, O'Brien defended Trump's decision to pardon Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was accused by several fellow Navy SEAL members of his platoon of shooting unarmed civilians who posed no threat and of murdering an injured 17-year-old ISIS fighter, but who was convicted of only "wrongfully posing for an unofficial picture with a human casualty". [34] [35]

After the Trump administration's January 2020 drone strike against Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and commander of its Quds Force, O'Brien defended the intelligence the administration used to justify the killing, arguing that Soleimani had been planning attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic installations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. [36]

The National Security Council under O'Brien focused on China; he aligned himself with Peter Navarro, a fellow hardliner on China. [37] He threatened sanctions against China if it moved to pass a national security law that pro-democracy activists believed would undermine freedom in Hong Kong. [38] O'Brien also criticized China for its actions amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, [39] and oversaw an increase in U.S. and allied military activity intended to guarantee freedom of navigation. [40] O'Brien criticized China's government, saying in a speech that "The Chinese Communist Party is Marxist-Leninist," and "The party General Secretary Xi Jinping sees himself as Josef Stalin’s successor." [41] In the same speech, he asserted: "Together with our allies and partners, we will resist the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to manipulate our people and our governments, damage our economies, and undermine our sovereignty." [42]

When many other intelligence officials who had been involved in briefing Trump on national security characterized Trump as inattentive, O'Brien disputed the characterization, saying Trump was "laser-focused on the issues at hand and asks probing questions throughout the briefings — it reminds me of appearing before a well-prepared appellate judge and defending the case." [43]

In May 2020, after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, O'Brien rejected that there was systemic racism in U.S. police forces. [44]

In an article published on July 12, 2020, three weeks after the release of his predecessor's book The Room Where It Happened , O'Brien defended Trump's record on China, stating that "the United States continues to stand against the Chinese Communist Party’s coercive population-control policies, especially as they are aimed at the Uighurs." [45]

COVID-19 pandemic

O'Brien was involved in early deliberations about reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early March 2020, O'Brien and Alex Azar advised Trump to halt travel from Europe, disagreeing with several other Trump advisors, including Steve Mnuchin and Larry Kudlow. [46] According to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, O'Brien counseled Trump that, "This will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency...This is going to be the roughest thing you face." [47]

In May 2020, O'Brien said of China's handling of the pandemic: "The cover-up that they did of the virus is going to go down in history along with Chernobyl." [48] In December 2020, O'Brien explained in an interview that China "absolutely could have done more" when it came to COVID-19 and that "the Chinese loss of credibility will be very difficult for them to overcome". [49]

Controversy over Russian disinformation efforts

Brian Murphy, who was acting chief of intelligence at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from March 2018 until August 2020, alleged that he was instructed "to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran." [50] [51] [52] Chad Wolf, who was acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, alleged that O'Brien had suppressed assessments of Russian interference. [53] John Cohen, who was under secretary of intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security during Barack Obama's presidency, stated "By blocking information from being released that describes threats facing the nation... undermines the ability of the public and state and local authorities to work with the federal government to counteract the threat." [50] [51] [54] [55]

Kosovo-Serbia talks

A summit at the White House between Kosovo and Serbia was organized by Richard Grenell and scheduled for September 3 and 4, 2020. [56] Grenell, along with O'Brien, co-hosted the talks. [56] On September 4, the agreements were signed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti. [56] [57] The signing ceremony took place in the Oval Office at the White House in the presence of US President Donald Trump on September 4, 2020. [57] Kosovo awarded O'Brien the Presidential Medal of Merit for his work on the effort. [58]

Abraham Accords

O'Brien was in office when the United States brokered the Abraham Accords, under which United Arab Emirates (UAE), and later Bahrain, Morocco, Oman, and Sudan, normalized diplomatic relations with Israel. In August 2020, O'Brien said that Trump should be eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize after the initial Israel-UAE agreement. [59] O'Brien served as part of a U.S.-Israeli delegation on the first commercial flight from Israel to the UAE on August 31, 2020. [60] The UAE and Israel moved to establish full diplomatic ties after Israel agreed to suspend a plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. [61] O'Brien had advocated for other Arab and Muslim countries to join the accords. [62] Trump awarded O'Brien, along with six other top aides, the National Security Medal for his role in achieving the agreement. [63]

End of Trump administration

After losing the November 2020 election to Joe Biden, Trump attempted to contest the election result and remain in power. [64] O'Brien was among the small number of senior Trump administration officials to acknowledge Biden's victory, [64] saying on November 16, 2020, that he would oversee a "very professional transition" by NSC to President-elect Biden's incoming administration. [65] [66] O'Brien remained National Security Advisor until Trump's term expired on January 20, 2021. [64] In 2023, O'Brien reportedly was subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of the special counsel investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. [64]

Taiwan

On March 21, 2023, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen presented O'Brien with the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon, in recognition of his contributions to Taiwan-US relations. [67] [68] At the time, O'Brien was leading a task force from the Global Taiwan Institute.

Post-Trump administration

2024 presidential election

In late 2020 and 2021, O'Brien was seen as a possible "dark horse" contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. [69] [70] In November 2020, O'Brien said he is "fully focused on my current job" but added: "I'm not going to make a Shermanesque statement about never running under any circumstances." [71] That month, Politico reported that O'Brien had discussed the possibility of a presidential candidacy with friends and associates. O'Brien's visits to early states in the primary process, including New Hampshire and Iowa, fueled further speculation. Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Steele questioned O'Brien's viability as a candidate given his lack of name recognition or distinct electoral niche. [72]

An article published in The American Conservative suggested that O'Brien's reported presidential aspirations are a way to build his stature for a future appointment as Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense, adding: "O'Brien remains in Trump's good graces, as well as staying in good standing in Washington's foreign policy community." [73]

Private sector

In July 2022, O’Brien was elected chairman of the board of directors of the Richard Nixon Foundation, which operates the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. [74]

In 2021, O'Brien established a consulting firm, American Global Strategies, advising companies on international and U.S. politics. [75] The firm does not disclose its clientele, but said that it did not engage in lobbying and was not required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). [76] The firm announced a partnership with Skyline Capitol, headed by former Utah U.S. Representative Chris Stewart, in 2023. [77]

Personal life

Raised a Catholic, O'Brien converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his twenties. [78] His wife, Lo-Mari O'Brien, is of Afrikaner descent, [79] and he is reportedly fluent in Afrikaans. [5] The couple raised three children: Margaret, Robert and Lauren. His son Robert died in an accidental drowning in 2015. [80] [81]

Books

O'Brien is the author of the 2016 book While America Slept: Restoring American Leadership to a World in Crisis. Writing in Foreign Policy , Daniel Runde said, "While America Slept is the 2016 equivalent of Richard Nixon's The Real War." A former colleague from the George W. Bush administration, Runde summarized O'Brien's views as follows:

Robert writes from a series of beliefs and assumptions that I also hold: a deep belief in American Exceptionalism, that peace comes through strength, that the United States is stronger when it partners with its allies and when America is a reliable friend to its allies, that the greatness of America comes from a people that respect tradition and the rule of law, and that (yes) we are the good guys and there are some bad guys out there. [82]

In The Hill , Bart Marcois, a retired foreign service officer, wrote, "If you're wondering what trends and events will drive President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy, you need to read While America Slept, by Robert O'Brien." [83]

Other reviews were more critical. Alex Ward, the associate director in the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, noted that "O'Brien's book is frustrating because it starts with the assumption that all of Obama's foreign policy choices are bad and assumes the reader believes this as well...[H]is analysis, while passionately and decently argued, missed the bigger picture through the partisan fog." [84] The book is broadly critical of the Obama administration's security and foreign policies. [17] [85]

While national security advisor, O'Brien edited the manuscript "Trump on China: Putting America First," which was a compilation of speeches about China by senior administration officials. [86]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bolton</span> American lawyer and diplomat (born 1948)

John Robert Bolton is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United States National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Townsend</span> American lawyer (born 1961)

Frances M. "Fran" Fragos Townsend is an American lawyer and business executive who served as Homeland Security Advisor to United States President George W. Bush from 2004 to 2007, and was formerly the executive vice president for corporate affairs, corporate secretary, and compliance chief officer for Activision Blizzard, until September 2022, due to Microsoft acquiring Blizzard for $75 billion. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism. In 2008, Townsend joined CNN as a contributor, but later switched over to CBS where she is a national security analyst for them. Townsend was president of the Counter Extremism Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Rice</span> American politician and diplomat (born 1964)

Susan Elizabeth Rice is an American diplomat, policy advisor, and public official. As a member of the Democratic Party, Rice served as the 22nd director of the United States Domestic Policy Council from 2021 to 2023, as the 27th U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013, and as the 23rd U.S. national security advisor from 2013 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Kushner</span> American businessman (born 1981)

Jared Corey Kushner is an American businessman, investor, and former government official. He is the son-in-law of president-elect Donald Trump through his marriage to Ivanka Trump, and served as a senior advisor to Trump from 2017 to 2021. He was also Director of the Office of American Innovation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yousef Al Otaiba</span> United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States

Yousef Al Otaiba is the current United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States and Minister of state. Previously Al Otaiba served as non-resident ambassador to Mexico. His father is Petroleum magnate Mana Al Otaiba, who served as the president of OPEC a record six times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas E. Donilon</span> American National Security Advisor

Thomas Edward Donilon is an American lawyer, business executive, and former government official who served as the 22nd National Security Advisor in the Obama administration from 2010 to 2013. Donilon also worked in the Carter and Clinton administrations. He is now Chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute, the firm's global think tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Flynn</span> U.S. Army general and former U.S. National Security Advisor (born 1958)

Michael Thomas Flynn is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who was the 24th U.S. national security advisor for the first 22 days of the first Trump administration. He resigned in light of reports that he had lied regarding conversations with Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. Flynn's military career included a key role in shaping U.S. counterterrorism strategy and dismantling insurgent networks in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, and he was given numerous combat arms, conventional, and special operations senior intelligence assignments. He became the 18th director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in July 2012 until his forced retirement from the military in August 2014. During his tenure he gave a lecture on leadership at the Moscow headquarters of the Russian military intelligence directorate GRU, the first American official to be admitted entry to the headquarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Hook</span> American lawyer and government official (born 1968)

Brian H. Hook is an American diplomat, lawyer and government official. In 2021, he joined Cerberus Capital Management as vice chairman for global investments. He is an adjunct professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antony Blinken</span> American lawyer and diplomat (born 1962)

Antony John Blinken is an American lawyer and diplomat currently serving as the 71st United States secretary of state. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. Blinken was previously national security advisor to then–Vice President Joe Biden from 2009 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Sullivan</span> American attorney and politician (born 1976)

Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan is an American attorney serving since 2021 as the U.S. National Security Advisor. He previously served as Director of Policy to President Barack Obama, National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Hillary Clinton at the U.S. Department of State. Sullivan also served as senior advisor to the U.S. federal government at the Iran nuclear negotiations and senior policy advisor to Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, as well as visiting professor at Yale Law School. On November 23, 2020, President-elect Biden announced that Sullivan would be appointed the United States National Security Advisor. He took office on January 20, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliott Broidy</span> American venture capitalist and Republican fundraiser

Elliott B. Broidy is an American former unregistered lobbyist and businessman. From 2005 to 2008, he served as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and deputy finance chairman of the RNC from 2017 to 2018. He pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered foreign agent working for Chinese and Malaysian interests in October 2020.

Victoria Curtin Gardner Coates is an American art historian, blogger and political consultant. She served as Senior Advisor to Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette in 2020 and later was appointed to run the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. She served on the United States National Security Council, originally as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Assessments before getting promoted to Deputy National Security Advisor upon the nomination of Robert C. O'Brien.

U.S. foreign policy during the presidency of Donald Trump was noted for its unpredictability and reneging on prior international commitments, upending diplomatic conventions, embracing political and economic brinkmanship with most adversaries, and stronger relations with traditional allies. Trump's "America First" policy pursued nationalist foreign policy objectives and prioritized bilateral relations over multinational agreements. As president, Trump described himself as a nationalist and a globalist while espousing views that have been characterized as isolationist, non-interventionist, and protectionist, although the "isolationist" label has been disputed, including by Trump himself, and periods of his political career have been described by the alternative term "semi-isolationist." He personally praised some populist, neo-nationalist, illiberal, and authoritarian governments, while antagonizing others, even as administration diplomats nominally continued to pursue pro-democracy ideals abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Pottinger</span> American journalist, Marine Corps officer, and former government official (born 1973)

Matthew Forbes Pottinger is an American former journalist and U.S. Marine Corps officer who served as the United States deputy national security advisor from September 22, 2019 to January 7, 2021. Previously Asia director on the National Security Council since 2017, his tenure was unusual among senior aides serving under President Trump for its length, given an administration marked by high turnover. Pottinger worked to develop the Trump administration's policies towards China.

George Aref Nader is a Lebanese-American consultant, lobbyist, political adviser, and repeat sex offender. He has repeatedly acted as an unofficial liaison between United States politicians and the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and as a lobbyist for private security firm Blackwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Kupperman</span> American government official (born 1950)

Charles Martin Kupperman is a former United States Deputy National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump, a position he held from January to September 2019. He also was the acting United States National Security Advisor for eight days in September 2019 between John Bolton and Robert C. O'Brien.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Ortagus</span> Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State

Morgan Deann Ortagus is an American television commentator, financial analyst, and political advisor who served as spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2019 to 2021 during the Trump administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avi Berkowitz</span> American attorney and political adviser (born 1988)

Avrahm Berkowitz is an American attorney and political adviser who served as the Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations from 2019 to 2021. He was an advisor to Jared Kushner in the Trump administration, and worked on the Trump peace plan and the Abraham Accords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Nesheiwat</span> American politician

Julia Nesheiwat is an American academic and former government official who served as the 10th homeland security advisor in the Trump administration from 2020 to 2021. She also served in the Bush and Obama administrations.

Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates. Since 2016 he has served as the National Security Advisor of UAE. At the same time he manages a business portfolio, which supports national security interests and the UAE's opaque corporate sector. He chairs G42. The 2021 Pandora Papers revealed how he and his wife use shell companies to conceal their wealth.

References

  1. 1 2 Hubbell, Martindale (June 2004). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: California (Volume 2, A-R, 2004). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN   9781561606009.
  2. ↑ "Robert Charles O'Brien". State Bar of California. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  3. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer (October 12, 2021). "Trump National Security Adviser O'Brien Starts Consulting Firm". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ Riechmann, Deb; Superville, Darlene (September 18, 2019). "Trump names Santa Rosa native as national security adviser". Sonoma Index-Tribune . Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Robert O'Brien attended 'routinely racist' university in apartheid South Africa". The Guardian. September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Robert C. O'Brien". Larson O'Brien LLP. Archived from the original on September 19, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  7. ↑ Lee, Alfred (May 12, 2014). "Firm Heads to Westside to Link With Tech Scene". Los Angeles Business Journal . Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  8. ↑ Martin, Timothy W. (May 29, 2014). "Deadline Is Set to Help S&P Prepare Its Defense in U.S. Fraud Lawsuit". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Back to the Courtroom". Larson O'Brien LLP. June 19, 2017. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  10. ↑ "O'Brien appointed National Security Adviser". Larson O'Brien LLP (Press release). September 19, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Presidential Nomination: Robert Charles O'Brien". whitehouse.gov . Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2017– via National Archives.
  12. 1 2 3 "Robert O'Brien biography". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Personnel Announcement". whitehouse.gov . Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2019– via National Archives.
  14. ↑ Halperin, Mark (October 6, 2011). "Romney Consolidates". The Page. Time . Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  15. ↑ Johnson, Eliana (May 11, 2015). "Walker Lands Key Romney Foreign Policy Hand". National Review . Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  16. 1 2 O'Toole, Molly (September 18, 2019). "Robert O'Brien is an unlikely pick for Trump's national security advisor". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Donald Trump replaces John Bolton with a hostage negotiator". The Economist . September 19, 2019. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Why Robert C. O'Brien Would Be an Excellent Choice for Secretary of the Navy". The National Interest. March 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Robert O'Brien ideal candidate to lead U.S. Navy". Orange County Register. March 3, 2017. Archived from the original on April 23, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  20. ↑ Seligman, Lara (September 22, 2020). "How Robert O'Brien helped steer the Pentagon toward a bigger Navy". POLITICO. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  21. ↑ Mannino, Gabrielle (October 21, 2020). "National security adviser visits Maine naval installations at BIW, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard". newscentermaine.com. News Center Maine. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  22. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov . Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2018– via National Archives.
  23. ↑ Sherman, Jake; Palmer, Anna; Lippman, Daniel; Ross, Garrett; Okun, Eli (May 23, 2019). "Pelosi lights up Trump". Politico. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  24. ↑ Zeballos-Roig, Joseph. "Meet Robert C. O'Brien, Trump's new national security adviser and a former hostage negotiator who monitored A$AP Rocky's trial in Sweden". Business Insider. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  25. ↑ Ockerman, Emma (September 18, 2019). "Trump Just Hired the Guy He Sent to Free A$AP Rocky as His New National Security Adviser". Vice. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  26. ↑ Christina Anderson and Alex Marshall, ASAP Rocky Guilty of Assault in Sweden but Won't Face Prison Time, New York Times (August 14, 2019).
  27. ↑ "Who is Robert O'Brien, Trump's national security adviser pick?". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  28. ↑ Kirby, Jen (March 6, 2019). "Trump just met with Danny Burch, an American who was held hostage in Yemen for 18 months". Vox. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  29. ↑ Bedard, Paul (June 28, 2022). "Trump aide receives French hero award created by Napoleon". Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  30. ↑ Crowley, Michael; Baker, Peter; Haberman, Maggie (September 18, 2019). "Robert O'Brien 'Looks the Part,' but Has Spent Little Time Playing It". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Trump's Asia expert Matt Pottinger to become deputy national security advisor". CNBC. September 23, 2019. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  32. ↑ Crowley, Michael; Baker, Peter; Haberman, Maggie (September 18, 2019). "Robert O'Brien 'Looks the Part,' but Has Spent Little Time Playing It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Vice President Pence: Turkey agrees to Syria ceasefire". ABC News. October 17, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  34. ↑ Philipps, Dave (July 2, 2019). "Navy SEAL Chief Accused of War Crimes Is Found Not Guilty of Murder" . The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  35. ↑ Dugyala, Rishika (December 29, 2019). "National security adviser defends Trump's handling of war crimes case". Politico. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  36. ↑ Forgey, Quint (January 7, 2020). "O'Brien says Soleimani was conspiring to attack U.S. facilities". Politico. Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  37. ↑ Bender, Michael; Lubold, Gordon (April 29, 2020). "On Coronavirus, National Security Threats, O'Brien Picks His Spots". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  38. ↑ Knutson, Jacob (May 24, 2020). "Top Trump aide says U.S. likely to impose sanctions if China moves ahead with Hong Kong law". Axios. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  39. ↑ "US official says initial trade deal still possible but Trump will not ignore Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. Reuters and Associated Press. November 24, 2019. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  40. ↑ Zheng, Sarah (May 16, 2020). "Why is China resisting an independent inquiry into how the pandemic started?". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  41. ↑ Lippman, Daniel (June 24, 2020). "Trump national security adviser compares Xi Jinping to Josef Stalin". Politico. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  42. ↑ Lubold, Gordon (June 24, 2020). "White House National-Security Adviser Warns of China's Bid to 'Damage Our Economies'". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  43. ↑ Barnes, Julian E.; Goldman, Adam (May 21, 2020). "For Spy Agencies, Briefing Trump Is a Test of Holding His Attention". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  44. ↑ Devan Cole; Sarah Westwood (May 31, 2020). "National security adviser: 'I don't think there's systemic racism' in US police forces". CNN. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  45. ↑ O'Brien, Robert C. (July 12, 2020). "Trump will continue to punish China for its horrifying anti-Uighur campaign". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  46. ↑ "Trump's move to block travel from Europe triggered chaos and a surge of passengers from the outbreak's center". The Seattle Times. May 23, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  47. ↑ Costa, Robert; Rucker, Philip (September 9, 2020). "Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was 'deadly' and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans". Washington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  48. ↑ Mueller, Eleanor. "Trump adviser compares China's handling of coronavirus to Chernobyl". POLITICO. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  49. ↑ Kazianis, Harry (December 7, 2020). "NSA Robert C. O'Brien Sounds Off on Coronavirus, North Korea and China". 19FortyFive. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  50. 1 2 "Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Federal Elections" (PDF). National Intelligence Council (NIC). March 10, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  51. 1 2 Behrmann, Savannah (September 24, 2020). "Acting DHS secretary: White supremacy is 'most persistent and lethal threat' internally to US". USA Today . Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  52. ↑ Siegel, Benjamin; Margolin, Josh; Bruggeman, Lucien (September 9, 2020). "Whistleblower details alleged politicization of intelligence at DHS: Complaint filed with watchdog includes claims of interference in intelligence". ABC News . Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  53. ↑ Shesgreen, Deirdre; Wu, Nicholas (September 9, 2020). "Intelligence whistleblower says he was pressured to downplay threats from Russia, white supremacists". USA Today . Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  54. ↑ Margolin, Josh; Bruggeman, Lucien; Steakin, Will; Karl, Jonathan (September 1, 2020). "DHS withheld July intelligence bulletin calling out Russian attack on Biden's mental health: The Trump campaign has repeatedly engaged in a similar line of attack". ABC News . Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  55. ↑ Barr, Luke (September 8, 2020). "Russia spreading disinformation about Biden's mental health: DHS: A previously planned release was withheld by DHS". ABC News . Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  56. 1 2 3 Kelly, Laura, Maggie; Chalfant, Morgan (September 4, 2020). "US brokers economic breakthrough for Serbia, Kosovo". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  57. 1 2 Ballhaus, Rebecco; Pancevski, Bojan (September 4, 2020). "Serbia, Kosovo Agree to Normalize Economic Relations". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  58. ↑ "Kosovo awarding Trump its highest honor after Serb economic deal". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. September 17, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  59. ↑ "UAE and Israel announce they're establishing ties; Israel suspending annexation". The Times of Israel. August 13, 2020. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  60. ↑ "US delegation leads historic flight from Israel to UAE to discuss new ties". ABC News. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  61. ↑ "The Israel-UAE Deal Is Trump's First Unambiguous Diplomatic Success". Foreign Policy. August 14, 2020. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  62. ↑ "National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on 'very courageous' deal between Israel and UAE". PBS NewsHour. PBS. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  63. ↑ "Trump gives awards to top aides for Arab-Israeli deals". Reuters. December 24, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  64. 1 2 3 4 Carol E. Lee and Dareh Gregorian, Ex-national security adviser Robert O'Brien is subpoenaed by special counsel in Trump probes, NBC News (February 10, 2023).
  65. ↑ Niedzwiadek, Nick (November 16, 2020). "Trump national security adviser vows 'professional transition' of power". Politico. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  66. ↑ Easley, Jonathan (November 16, 2020). "Trump national security adviser vows 'professional transition' of power". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  67. ↑ "President Tsai confers decoration on former White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien". english.president.gov.tw. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  68. ↑ "Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon". Twitter. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  69. ↑ Hewitt, Hugh (October 18, 2020). "Opinion - The 2024 race begins for Republicans on Nov. 4". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  70. ↑ Drucker, David (August 9, 2021). "Dark horse 2024 contender Robert C. O'Brien steps up 2022 activity for GOP". Washington Examiner. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  71. ↑ Axelrod, Tal (November 25, 2020). "O'Brien on 2024 talk: 'There's all kinds of speculation out there'". TheHill. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  72. ↑ Lippman, Daniel (November 24, 2020). "Trump's national security adviser floats a 2024 bid with friends". POLITICO. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  73. ↑ Mills, Curt (January 1, 2021). "Robert C. O'Brien, Who Covets the Presidency, Builds Ties to the Hindu Right". The American Conservative. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  74. ↑ "Ambassador Robert C. O'Brien Elected Chairman of the Richard Nixon Foundation". Richard Nixon Foundation. July 21, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  75. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer (October 12, 2021). "Trump National Security Adviser O'Brien Starts Consulting Firm". Bloomberg.com.
  76. ↑ Schnell, Mychael (October 12, 2021). "Trump national security adviser Robert O'Brien launches consulting firm". The Hill. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  77. ↑ Tomco, Brigham (January 31, 2024). "Chris Stewart announces partnership with Robert O'Brien in new government affairs firm". Deseret News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  78. ↑ "New national security adviser worked on Romney presidential campaign". Deseret News. September 18, 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  79. ↑ Romboy, Dennis (October 30, 2020). "Meet the highest ranking Latter-day Saint in the Trump administration". Deseret News. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  80. ↑ Megerian, Chris (September 18, 2019). "Trump names Robert C. O'Brien as new national security advisor". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  81. ↑ Mr. Robert Christopher O'Brien – Obituary. Legacy.com. 2015.
  82. ↑ "Review: "While America Slept"". Foreign Policy. September 16, 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  83. ↑ "America's wake-up call". The Hill. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  84. ↑ "While Critics Wept: #Reviewing While America Slept". The Strategy Bridge. January 9, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  85. ↑ "Factbox: Trump's new national security adviser, in his own words". Reuters. September 18, 2019. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  86. ↑ O'Brien, Robert (2020). Trump on China: Putting America First (PDF). Retrieved February 26, 2021– via National Archives.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.