Robert C. O'Brien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert C. O'Brien
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Official portrait, 2018
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| 27th United States National Security Advisor | |
| In office September 18, 2019 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | John Bolton |
| Succeeded by | Jake Sullivan |
| 2nd Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs | |
| In office May 25, 2018 – October 3, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | James C. O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Roger D. Carstens |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Charles O'Brien Jr.
June 18, 1966 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lo-Mari O'Brien |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Judge Advocate General's Corps |
Robert Charles O'Brien Jr. (born June 18, 1966) is an American lawyer. He served as the twenty-seventh National Security Advisor for the United States. This important role was during the first presidency of Donald Trump, from 2019 to 2021. He is now the leader of a company called American Global Strategies.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert O'Brien was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Santa Rosa, California. In 1987, he received a scholarship to study in South Africa. He earned a degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1989. Later, he received a law degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1992.
Early Career and Public Service
From 1996 to 1998, O'Brien worked as a legal officer. This was for the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. He also served as a Major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army Reserve.
Legal Work
Robert O'Brien was a managing partner at a law firm called Arent Fox LLP for seven years. He also helped start another law firm, Larson O'Brien LLP, in 2016. He left this firm when he became the National Security Advisor.
Roles in Government
President George W. Bush chose O'Brien to represent the U.S. at the United Nations General Assembly from 2005 to 2006. He also helped lead a program to improve justice in Afghanistan. This program trained judges and lawyers. He continued this work during the first part of the Obama administration.
Political Campaigns
In 2011, O'Brien joined Mitt Romney's team as an advisor for his presidential campaign. Later, in 2015, he advised Scott Walker's presidential campaign. After Walker left the race, O'Brien advised Ted Cruz's campaign.
First Trump Administration (2017–2019)
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In 2017, Robert O'Brien was considered for the role of Secretary of the Navy. He publicly supported a larger U.S. Navy.
From 2018 to 2019, O'Brien served as the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs. In this role, he worked to help free Americans held in other countries. He helped secure the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson from Turkey. He also helped free Danny Burch, an American oil worker held in Yemen. In 2022, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, honored O'Brien for his help in rescuing two French citizens.
National Security Advisor
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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)
Taking Office
O'Brien became the twenty-seventh United States National Security Advisor on September 18, 2019. President Trump chose him to replace John Bolton. O'Brien was known for his traditional conservative views on foreign policy.
Early in his time as advisor, O'Brien traveled with Vice President Mike Pence. They met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss a ceasefire in Syria.
Key Issues
The National Security Council under O'Brien focused a lot on China. He supported strong actions against China. He warned of possible penalties if China passed a new security law in Hong Kong. O'Brien also spoke out against China's actions in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. He said that the Chinese Communist Party was "Marxist-Leninist."
O'Brien was involved in early discussions about the COVID-19 pandemic. He advised President Trump to stop travel from Europe. He also criticized China's handling of the pandemic. He said their actions would "go down in history along with Chernobyl."
Peace Efforts
O'Brien helped organize a meeting between Kosovo and Serbia in September 2020. Agreements were signed at the White House. Kosovo later honored O'Brien for his work on this effort.
He was also in office when the United States helped create the Abraham Accords. These agreements led to several Arab and Muslim countries, like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. O'Brien was part of the first commercial flight from Israel to the UAE. President Trump awarded O'Brien the National Security Medal for his role in these agreements.
End of Term
O'Brien remained National Security Advisor until President Trump's term ended on January 20, 2021. After the 2020 election, O'Brien was one of the few senior officials to acknowledge the new president's victory. He said he would ensure a "very professional transition."
China and Taiwan
On January 20, 2021, the Chinese government placed restrictions on O'Brien. They also restricted 27 other Trump administration officials. These restrictions prevent them from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macau. They also limit businesses connected to them from working in China.
On March 21, 2023, the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, gave O'Brien an award. It was the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon. This was to recognize his help in improving relations between Taiwan and the U.S.
After the First Trump Administration
Future Political Speculation
After 2020, some people thought O'Brien might run for president in 2024. He visited states important for presidential campaigns, like New Hampshire and Iowa. However, he did not run for president. Some believe his actions were to build his reputation for a future role. This could be as Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense.
Other Roles
On February 11, 2025, President Trump appointed O'Brien to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.
In July 2022, O'Brien became the chairman of the board for the Richard Nixon Foundation. This foundation runs the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.
In 2021, O'Brien started his own consulting firm called American Global Strategies. This company advises businesses on international and U.S. politics.
Personal Life
Robert O'Brien was raised Catholic. He later joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his twenties. His wife, Lo-Mari O'Brien, is from South Africa. He can speak Afrikaans. They have three children.
Books
O'Brien wrote a book in 2016 called While America Slept: Restoring American Leadership to a World in Crisis. The book talks about his beliefs. These include a strong belief in American leadership and that peace comes from strength. It also says that the U.S. is stronger when it works with its allies.
The book was critical of the Obama administration's foreign policies. While he was National Security Advisor, O'Brien also helped edit a book. It was called "Trump on China: Putting America First." This book was a collection of speeches about China by government officials.
See also
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