Three factors suggest President Trump has chosen well in selecting Robert O’Brien to replace John Bolton as national security adviser — with one caveat.
On the positive side, as shown by Trump’s warm announcement of his selection on Twitter, O’Brien retains Trump’s trust. This is the most crucial ingredient to working effectively with Trump. Ivanka Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and CIA Director Gina Haspel have mastered this trust-effect calculation. They are able to give Trump honest assessments, even when those assessments conflict with Trump’s impulses. But they are able to do so because they don’t undercut the president in public or private and because they know when to shut up.
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