Presidents and Their National Security Council

Under each presidency, there are changes made to the National Security Council (NSC) and sometimes even the structure of the National Security Community. The NSC has many responsibilities to list a few: It is in charge of coordinating security policy across federal agencies as well as managing the flow of information between the president and different departments. The NSC is reflective of each president’s personalities and comfort levels. An example of that is Eisenhower vs. Kennedy. President Eisenhower came to the Presidency after a long military career. He graduated from West Point in 1915 and served until his retirement from active service in 1952 as a 5-star general. His military career carried over to how he organized his National Security Council. According to the 2011, National Security Enterprise by Roger Geroge and Harvey Shishkoff President Eisenhower set up a 4 stage NCS system that was both structured and systematic but still allowed for vigorous discussion. Comparatively, President Kennedy entered his presidency with a much different background than President Eisenhower. President Kennedy wanted and had a much less formal NSC. Instead of a 4 stage approach to the NSC, President Kennedy favored private informal conversation with a variety of diverse staff. President Kennedy did not want his information to bound by bureaucratic protocol. Just like those before him, President Trump’s personality has played a large role in shaping his NSC. President Trump has had a non-traditional approach towards his time in the Oval Office and that has carried over to his NSC. What is especially unique about President Trump’s NSC is the number of people that have come and gone from it. President Trump is currently looking for his 4th National Security Advisor after John Bolton’s recent departure and 2017 saw the departure of the Senior Director for Africa, Senior Director for Middle East and North Africa, and Senior Director for intelligence programs, just to list a few. The National Security Council was created with the intention of creating stability and order; however, under the Trump administration, it has been more so a source of conflict. Hopefully, President Trump’s next National Security Advisor will be able to create a more stable National Security Council for the Trump administration.