Senior Advisor to the President of the United States facts for kids

A Senior Advisor to the President is a very important helper to the President of the United States. These advisors don't make official government decisions themselves, but they give a lot of advice and ideas to the President. They help the President think through big issues and make smart choices for the country.

Senior Advisors are key members of the White House Office, which is the President's main team. The official title "Senior Advisor" has been used since 1993.

Quick facts for kids Senior Advisor to the President
Incumbent Massad Boulos since January 20, 2025
Executive Office of the President White House Office
Reports to	President of the United States
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	January 20, 1993; 32 years ago (1993-01-20)
First holder	Rahm Emanuel
Website	The White House

What Senior Advisors Do

Senior Advisors help the President with many different important tasks. They often focus on specific areas. In the past, Senior Advisors have been in charge of groups that deal with:

• White House departments (areas previously led by a Senior Advisor)

* Planning big projects * New ideas for America * Political matters * How the President's office runs * Clean energy and new technologies * Working with states and local governments * Connecting with the public * White House messages and news * Talking to the news media * Helping with big plans like the American Rescue Plan and COVID-19 relief * Managing White House documents * Making sure new roads and bridges get built

Senior Advisors Through History

Even before 1993, Presidents had important advisors who did similar jobs, even if they weren't called "Senior Advisor." For example, Edward M. House advised President Woodrow Wilson, and Louis Howe advised President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Also, many other parts of the government, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Department of the Interior, have their own "Senior Advisors" who help with specific topics, like science or issues in Alaska.

List of Senior Advisors to the President

Here are some of the people who have served as Senior Advisors to different Presidents:

Senior Advisors to Bill Clinton

Senior Advisor			Portfolio	Term of office	Party
		Rahm Emanuel (born 1959)	Political Affairs Strategic Planning Policy	January 20, 1993 – November 7, 1998	Democratic
		George Stephanopoulos (born 1961)	Strategic Planning Policy	June 7, 1993 – December 10, 1996
		Sidney Blumenthal (born 1948)	Political Affairs Communications Policy	August 19, 1997 – January 20, 2001
		Doug Sosnik (born 1959)	Political Affairs Strategic Planning Policy	November 7, 1998 – January 20, 2001
		Joel Johnson (born 1961)	Communications Policy	May 20, 1999 – January 20, 2001

Senior Advisors to George W. Bush

Senior Advisor			Portfolio	Term of office	Party
		Karl Rove (born 1950)	Political Affairs Strategic Planning Communications	January 20, 2001 – August 31, 2007	Republican
		Barry Steven Jackson (born 1960)	Political Affairs Strategic Planning Communications	September 1, 2007 – January 20, 2009

Senior Advisors to Barack Obama

Senior Advisor			Portfolio	Term of office	Party
		Valerie Jarrett (born 1956)	Public Engagement Intergovernmental Affairs	January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017	Democratic
		Pete Rouse (born 1946)	Strategic Planning	January 20, 2009 – October 1, 2010
		David Axelrod (born 1955)	Political Affairs Communications	January 20, 2009 – January 10, 2011
		David Plouffe (born 1967)	Political Affairs Communications	January 10, 2011 – January 25, 2013
		Daniel Pfeiffer (born 1975)	Political Affairs Communications	January 25, 2013 – March 6, 2015
		Brian Deese (born 1978)	Climate and Energy	February 13, 2015 – January 20, 2017
		Shailagh Murray (born 1965)	Communications	April 3, 2015 – January 20, 2017

Senior Advisors to Donald Trump

First Presidency

Senior Advisor			Portfolio	Term of office	Party
		Jared Kushner (born 1981)	Strategic Planning	January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021	Republican
		Stephen Miller (born 1985)	Policy	January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
		Kevin Hassett (born 1962)	Economic Issues	April 15, 2020 – July 1, 2020
		Eric Herschmann (born 1962)	Legal issues	August 3, 2020 – January 20, 2021

Second Presidency

Senior Advisor			Portfolio	Term of office	Party
		Elon Musk (born 1971)	Government Efficiency	January 20, 2025 – May 30, 2025	Independent
		Massad Boulos (born 1971)	Arab, Middle Eastern and Africa Affairs	January 20, 2025 – present	Republican

Senior Advisors to Joe Biden

Senior Advisor			Portfolio	Term of office	Party
		Cedric Richmond (born 1973)	Public Engagement	January 20, 2021 – May 18, 2022	Democratic
		Keisha Lance Bottoms (born 1970)		July 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023
		Julie Chávez Rodriguez (born 1978)	Intergovernmental Affairs	June 15, 2022 – May 16, 2023
		Neera Tanden (born 1970)	Health care Policy United States Digital Service	May 17, 2021 – May 26, 2023
		Mitch Landrieu (born 1960)	Infrastructure Implementation Coordination	November 15, 2021 – January 8, 2024
		Mike Donilon (born 1958)	Chief Strategist	January 20, 2021 – January 23, 2024
		Anita Dunn (born 1958)	Communications	1st: Jan. 20 – August 12, 2021 2nd: May 5, 2022 – July 31, 2024
		Gene Sperling (born 1958)	COVID-19 Relief (American Rescue Plan)	March 15, 2021 – August 2024
		John Podesta (born 1949)	Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation and International Climate Policy Advisor (effective January 31, 2024)	September 2, 2022 – January 20, 2025
		Stephen K. Benjamin (born 1969)	Public Engagement	April 1, 2023 – January 20, 2025
		Tom Perez (born 1961)	Intergovernmental Affairs	June 12, 2023 – January 20, 2025
		Annie Tomasini	Deputy Chief of Staff	June 2023 – January 20, 2025
		Ben LaBolt (born 1981)	Communications	August 8, 2024 – January 20, 2025
		Karine Jean-Pierre (born 1974)	Press Secretary	October 7, 2024 – January 20, 2025

See Also

• Counselor to the President
• Senior advisor