NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR (UNITED STATES)

The 'Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs', commonly referred to as the 'National Security Advisor' (abbreviated 'NSA', or sometimes 'ANSA' to avoid confusion with the abbreviation of the National Security Agency), serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. This person serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the President.
The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the United States Senate. As such, they are not connected to the bureaucratic politics of the Departments of State and Defense, and are therefore able to offer independent advice. The power and role of the National Security Advisor varies from administration to administration.
In times of crisis, the National Security Advisor mans the White House Situation Room, updating the President on the latest events of a crisis.
The current holder of the post is Stephen Hadley, who succeeded Condoleezza Rice upon her appointment to Secretary of State by President George W. Bush in 2005.
List of National Security Advisors and the Presidents under whom they served:

Name	Term	President
Robert Cutler	1953–1955	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dillon Anderson	1955–1956	Dwight D. Eisenhower
William Jackson	1956	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert Cutler (2nd time)	1957–1958	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Gordon Gray	1958–1961	Dwight D. Eisenhower
McGeorge Bundy	1961–1966	John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson
Walt Rostow	1966–1969	Lyndon Johnson
Henry Kissinger	1969–1975	Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford
Brent Scowcroft	1975–1977	Gerald Ford
Zbigniew Brzezinski	1977–1981	Jimmy Carter
Richard V. Allen	1981–1982	Ronald Reagan
William P. Clark, Jr.	1982–1983	Ronald Reagan
Robert McFarlane	1983–1985	Ronald Reagan
John Poindexter	1985–1986	Ronald Reagan
Frank Carlucci	1986–1987	Ronald Reagan
Colin Powell	1987–1989	Ronald Reagan
Brent Scowcroft (2nd time)	1989–1993	George H. W. Bush
Anthony Lake	1993–1997	Bill Clinton
Sandy Berger	1997–2001	Bill Clinton
Condoleezza Rice	2001–2005	George W. Bush
Stephen Hadley	2005–present	George W. Bush

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Fictional portrayals

See also

Fictional portrayals

Anna Deavere Smith played National Security Advisor Nancy McNally on the NBC television series, ''The West Wing''.
Tom Everett played ANSA Jack Doherty in the film ''Air Force One''. The character is killed in the film.
Harris Yulin played National Security Advisor James Cutter in the 1994 motion picture, ''Clear and Present Danger,'' and also Director of the National Security Agency (also NSA) Roger Stanton during the second season of ''24.''
Stan Kelly played National Security Advisor [Roman Wolfe for President Bridges's administration and the beginning of President Mackenzie Allen's, and was succeeded by National Security Advisor Anthony Prado, played by Alex Fernandez on ''Commander in Chief''.
Alan Alda played National Security Advisor Alvin Jordan in the movie ''Murder at 1600''.
Richard Jordan played National Security Advisor Dr. Jeffrey Pelt in the movie ''The Hunt for Red October''.
Jayne Atkinson's fictional character Karen Hayes in ''24'' became National Security Advisor in Day 6; she was forced to resign at about noon by fictional White House Chief of Staff Tom Lennox, but was reinstated to her position hours later by fictional President Wayne Palmer.
Jack Ryan is fictional ANSA in the Ryanverse novel ''Debt of Honor'' by Tom Clancy.
Bruce McGill portrayed fictional ANSA Gene Revell in ''The Sum of All Fears''
Bruce Greenwood portrayed fictional ANSA Dick Sokal in the film ''Rules of Engagement''.
Paul Sorvino portrayed National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger in the film ''Nixon''.
Adjoa Andoh portrayed National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in the Royal National Theatre's original production of ''Stuff Happens'', by English playwright David Hare.
Gloria Reuben portrayed National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in The Public Theater's 2006 production of the 2004 play, ''Stuff Happens'', by English playwright David Hare.

See also

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