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Counselor to the President

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Counselor to the President
since January 20, 2017
Executive Office of the President
White House Office
AppointerDonald Trump
as President of the United States
FormationJanuary 20, 1969; 55 years ago (1969-01-20)
First holderArthur F. Burns
WebsiteThe White House

Counselor to the President is a title used by high-ranking political advisors to the president of the United States and senior members of the White House Office.

The current office-holder is Kellyanne Conway.

It should not be confused with the office of White House counsel, who is the chief legal advisor to the president and the White House, which is also an appointed position.

History

The position was created during the administration of Richard Nixon, where it was assigned a cabinet rank. The position would be considered at cabinet level until 1993.[1]

During Nixon's presidency, no fewer than eight individuals held the position, with there sometimes being two or three "counselors to the president".

During the presidency of Gerald Ford, the post was shared by Robert T. Hartmann and John O. Marsh, with Rogers Morton briefly joining them in early 1976.

The position was vacant during the Jimmy Carter administration, as Carter left many senior White House positions unfilled (such as White House chief of staff) and preferred a smaller corps of advisers.[2]

Edwin Meese held the position during the first term of President Ronald Reagan, and was highly influential inside the White House. Meese, White House chief of staff James Baker and Deputy White House chief of staff Michael Deaver were nicknamed "the Troika" and considered the most influential advisors to the president.[3]

Meese became attorney general during Reagan's second term as president and the position was left vacant.

The position was left vacant in the first three years of President George H.W. Bush's term. In 1992 it was filled by Clayton Yeutter after he resigned as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

During the Bill Clinton administration, the post became much more focused on communications. Two of Clinton's counselors, David Gergen and Paul Begala, later became CNN political analysts.

During the administration of George W. Bush, the counselor oversaw the communications, media affairs, speechwriting, and press offices.[4]

Under the Obama administration, the position was initially abolished and the duties of the office transferred to three senior advisors: David Axelrod,[5][6] Pete Rouse,[6][7] and Valerie Jarrett,[8] who also held the title Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison.[6] On January 6, 2011, President Obama appointed Rouse as counselor to the president where he was responsible for assisting the president and White House Chief of Staff with the day-to-day management of White House Staff operations.[9][10] John Podesta was the last person to hold the position before he left to join the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign of 2016 as chairman.[11]

Soon after the 2016 election, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to name his campaign manager during the general election, Kellyanne Conway, as counselor to the president[12] and his campaign CEO Steve Bannon as a senior counselor and chief strategist.[13]

After Bannon's departure from the White House in August 2017, Johnny DeStefano was given the title of counselor[14] in February 2018, with responsibility for overseeing the offices of presidential personnel, political affairs, and public liaison.

In February 2020, it was announced that former White House communications director Hope Hicks would return to the White House Office as counselor to President Donald Trump.[15]

List of counselors to the president

Counselor to the President Donald Rumsfeld confers with President Richard Nixon on the White House grounds.
President Ford and Counselor Robert Hartmann looking over paperwork concerning the selection of a new Vice President, 1974
President Reagan holds an oval office staff meeting on his first full day in office. Front left, Counselor to the President Edwin Meese.
"The Troika". From left to right: White House Chief of Staff James Baker, Counselor to the President Ed Meese and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver at the White House, December 2, 1981.
Bill Clinton announces the appointment of David Gergen as Counselor to the President, 1993
Counselor to the President Karen Hughes and First Lady Laura Bush, June 28, 2002.
Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett delivering a briefing on President George W. Bush's State of the Union Message, February 3, 2005.
Counselor to the President Ed Gillespie (right) and Chief of Staff to the Vice President David Addington review a document, December 5, 2007.
Counselor to the President Pete Rouse, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Vice President Joe Biden talk with President Barack Obama, April 2, 2013.
Counselor to the President John Podesta meets with President Obama in the Oval Office, January 29, 2015.
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway talks to reporters and answers questions outside the West Wing entrance of the White House.
Counselor Term of office Party President
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Arthur Burns Arthur F. Burns
(1904–1987) 		January 20, 1969 –
November 5, 1969 		Republican Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Pat Moynihan Pat Moynihan
(1927–2003) 		November 5, 1969[16] –
December 31, 1970[17] 		Democratic
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Bryce Harlow Bryce Harlow
(1916–1987) 		November 5, 1969[16] –
December 9, 1970[18] 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Robert Finch Robert Finch
(1925–1995) 		June 23, 1970[19] –
December 15, 1972[20] 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Donald Rumsfeld Donald Rumsfeld
(born 1932) 		December 11, 1970[21] –
October 15, 1971[21] 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Anne Armstrong Anne Armstrong
(1927–2008) 		January 19, 1973 –
December 18, 1974 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Dean Burch
(1927–1991) 		March 8, 1974[22] –
December 31, 1974[23] 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Kenneth Rush Kenneth Rush
(1910–1994) 		May 29, 1974[24] –
September 19, 1974[25] 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Robert T. Hartmann[26]
(1917–2008) 		August 9, 1974 –
January 20, 1977 		Republican Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| John O. Marsh John O. Marsh
(1926–2019) 		August 9, 1974[27] –
January 20, 1977[28] 		Democratic
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Rogers Morton[29]
(1914–1979) 		February 2, 1976 –
April 1, 1976 		Republican
Vacant Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Edwin Meese Edwin Meese
(born 1931) 		January 20, 1981 –
February 25, 1985 		Republican Ronald Reagan
(1981–1989)
Vacant
George H.W. Bush
(1989–1993)
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Clayton Yeutter Clayton Yeutter
(1930–2017) 		February 1, 1992 –
January 20, 1993 		Republican
Vacant Bill Clinton
(1993–2001)
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| David Gergen David Gergen
(born 1942) 		May 29, 1993 –
June 10, 1994 		Republican
Vacant
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Bill Curry
(born 1951) 		February 21, 1995 –
January 20, 1997 		Democratic
Vacant
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Paul Begala Paul Begala
(born 1961) 		August 17, 1997[30] –
March 10, 1999 		Democratic
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Ann Lewis
(born 1937) 		March 10, 1999 –
January 20, 2001 		Democratic
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Karen Hughes Karen Hughes
(born 1956) 		January 20, 2001 –
July 8, 2002 		Republican George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
Vacant
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Dan Bartlett Dan Bartlett
(born 1971) 		January 5, 2005 –
July 5, 2007 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Ed Gillespie Ed Gillespie
(born 1961) 		July 5, 2007 –
January 20, 2009 		Republican
Vacant Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Pete Rouse Pete Rouse
(born 1946) 		January 13, 2011 –
January 1, 2014 		Democratic
style="background:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color;"| JohnPodesta John Podesta
(born 1949) 		January 1, 2014 –
February 13, 2015 		Democratic
Vacant
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Kellyanne Conway Kellyanne Conway
(born 1967) 		January 20, 2017 –
present[31] 		Republican Donald Trump
(2017–present)
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Steve Bannon Steve Bannon
(born 1953)[32] 		January 20, 2017 –
August 18, 2017[33]
(with Conway) 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Johnny DeStefano Johnny DeStefano
(born 1979) 		February 9, 2018 –
May 24, 2019[34][35]
(with Conway) 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Hope Hicks Hope Hicks
(born 1988) 		March 9, 2020[36] – present[37]
(with Conway) 		Republican
style="background:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color;"| Derek Lyons
 May 20, 2020[38] – present[39]
(with Conway) 		Republican

See also

References

  1. ^ "Clayton Yeutter's Obituary". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ Walsh, Edward; article, Washington Post Staff Writer; Washington Post staff writer Robert G. Kaiser contributed to this (January 15, 1977). "Carter Names 12 Key Staff Aides". Retrieved January 24, 2018 – via www.WashingtonPost.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "The Presidential Troika". NYTimes.com. April 19, 1981. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  4. ^ "Former Counselor to the President, Dan Bartlett's Biography". Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. October 22, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  9. ^ "Obama Picks William Daley As Chief Of Staff". NPR. January 6, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
  10. ^ "Daley's duties".
  11. ^ "Counselor to the President John Podesta". WhiteHouse.gov. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  12. ^ "Trump Picks Kellyanne Conway to Serve as Counselor to the President". Politico. December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  13. ^ "Trump's Pick of Steve Bannon as Chief Strategist Sparks Backlash". NBC News. November 14, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  14. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Appointments for the Executive Office of the President". The White House. February 9, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  15. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/us/politics/hope-hicks-white-house-return.html
  16. ^ a b [1] Archived October 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "White House Farewell". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  18. ^ "Harlow Resigns As Aide to Nixon; Will Return to Lobbyist Post". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  19. ^ "Finch and the Postwar Economy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  20. ^ [2] [dead link‍]
  21. ^ a b [3] [dead link‍]
  22. ^ "Burch Under Senate Pressure to Step Up FCC Departure 3 Vacancies". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  23. ^ "Burch Resigning as White House Adviser Notes on People". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  24. ^ "Rush Sworn as Counselor to President on Economy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  25. ^ "Kenneth Rush – People – Department History – Office of the Historian". History.state.gov. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  26. ^ Dennis Hevesi (April 19, 2008). "Robert Hartmann, 91, Dies; Wrote Ford's Noted Talk". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  27. ^ "Ford Bids Cabinet and Agency Heads Remain in Post Indefinite Stays". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  28. ^ "Ford Making Plans For Handing Over Controls to Carter". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  29. ^ "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.
  30. ^ "News Summary". The New York Times. August 17, 1997. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  31. ^ "Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls)". twitter.com.
  32. ^ "Executive Office Of The President Annual Report To Congress On White House Office Personnel White House Office As Of: Friday, June 30, 2017" (PDF). White House. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  33. ^ "Bannon out as White House chief strategist". Politico.com. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  34. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Appointments for the Executive Office of the President". White House. February 9, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  35. ^ Dawsey, Josh; Sonmez, Felicia (May 21, 2019). "Long-serving Trump aide DeStefano to depart White House". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  36. ^ https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/27/trump-hope-hicks-coronavirus-crisis-210808
  37. ^ "Hope Hicks to Return to the White House After a Nearly Two-Year Absence". The New York Times. February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  38. ^ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-announces-appointments-executive-office-president/
  39. ^ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/July-1-2020-Report-FINAL.pdf
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