After President Trump tapped Robert O’Brien to replace John Bolton as national security adviser, the third in less than three years, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., called on O’Brien to resurrect the cyber coordinator position last held in May 2018 by Rob Joyce and eliminated by Bolton soon thereafter.
“Mr. O’Brien, President Trump’s fourth National Security Advisor, is named when threats facing the nation have evolved and our adversaries are exploiting cyberspace in new ways to advance their economic ambitions, assert influence, and undermine U.S. power,” Thompson, chairman of House Committee on Homeland Security, said in a statement. “His first act as National Security Advisor must be to bring back the position of White House cybersecurity coordinator.”
While the elimination of the position was troubling, “the White House has done little to address the vacuum left behind,” said Thompson. “With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and growing by the day, including the persistent threat to our election systems, there is no reason that the White House should have allowed this position to be eliminated.”
Trump appointed O’Brien, who has been serving at the State Department as the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, to replace Bolton who was booted last week.
