John O. Brennan - wikipedia John O. Brennan 5th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John O. Brennan 5th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency In office March 8, 2013 -- January 20, 2017 President Barack Obama Deputy Avril Haines David Cohen Preceded by Michael Morell ( Acting ) Succeeded by Mike Pompeo 5th United States Homeland Security Advisor In office January 20, 2009 -- March 8, 2013 President Barack Obama Preceded by Ken Wainstein Succeeded by Lisa Monaco Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Acting In office August 27, 2004 -- August 1, 2005 President George W. Bush Preceded by Position established Succeeded by John Redd Personal details John Owen Brennan ( 1955 - 09 - 22 ) September 22, 1955 ( age 62 ) North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. Spouse ( s ) Kathy Pokluda Children Education Fordham University ( BA ) University of Texas, Austin ( MA ) John Owen Brennan ( born September 22, 1955 ) is an American intelligence official who served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) from March 2013 to January 2017. He served as chief counterterrorism advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama ; with the title Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and Assistant to the President. His responsibilities included overseeing plans to protect the country from terrorism and respond to natural disasters, and he met with the president daily. Previously, he advised Obama on foreign policy and intelligence issues during the 2008 election campaign and presidential transition. Brennan withdrew his name from consideration for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) in the first Obama administration over concerns about his support, while serving under President George W. Bush, for transferring terror suspects to countries where they might be tortured. Instead, Brennan was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor, a position which did not require Senate confirmation. Brennan 's 25 years with the CIA included work as a Near East and South Asia analyst, as station chief in Saudi Arabia, and as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. After leaving government service in 2005, Brennan became CEO of The Analysis Corporation, a security consulting business, and served as chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an association of intelligence professionals. Brennan served in the White House as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security between 2009 and 2013. Obama nominated Brennan as his next director of the CIA on January 7, 2013. The ACLU called for the Senate not to proceed with the appointment until they confirmed that `` all of his conduct was within the law '' at the CIA and White House. Brennan was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 5, 2013, to succeed David Petraeus as the Director of the CIA by a vote of 12 to 3. On August 15, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that he revoked Brennan 's security clearance. Brennan harshly criticized Trump several times since he was elected, and he responded to the revocation by stating `` My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent. '' Brennan serves as a senior national security and intelligence analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. His inaugural appearance was on Meet the Press with Chuck Todd on Sunday, February 4, 2018. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Counterterrorism advisor to President Obama 2.1. 1 Drone program 2.2 CIA Director ( 2013 -- 2017 ) 2.2. 1 Nomination 2.2. 2 Tenure 3 WikiLeaks hack 4 Criticism of President Trump 4.1 Security clearance revocation 5 Criticism of Brennan 6 Personal life 7 See also 8 References 9 External links 9.1 Further reading 9.2 Interviews Early life Brennan is the son of Irish immigrants from Roscommon, Republic of Ireland. His father, Owen, a blacksmith, immigrated to New Jersey in 1948. Brennan was born in North Bergen, New Jersey, attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School and graduated from Saint Joseph of the Palisades High School in West New York, New Jersey. He received a B.A. in political science from Fordham University in 1977. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin, receiving a Master of Arts in government with a concentration in Middle East studies in 1980. He speaks Arabic fluently. His studies included a junior year abroad learning Arabic and taking courses at the American University in Cairo. While riding a bus to class at Fordham, he saw an ad in The New York Times that said the CIA was recruiting. He decided that a CIA career would be a good match for his `` wanderlust '' and his desire for public service. During his application to the CIA he admitted in a lie - detector test that he had voted for the U.S. Communist Party candidate for president, Gus Hall, in 1976. He explained to the interviewer that his vote was a way of `` signaling my unhappiness with the system '', and he later described his vote as a protest against partisanship of the Watergate era. He emphasized after leaving office that his entry into the CIA showed that freedom of speech in the U.S. does not disqualify a person for a career in government. Career Brennan with Kathleen Sebelius and Rahm Emanuel, White House, April 2009 Brennan began his CIA career as an analyst and spent 25 years with the agency. He was a daily intelligence briefer for President Bill Clinton. In 1996, he was CIA station chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when the Khobar Towers bombing killed 19 U.S. servicemen. In 1999, he was appointed chief of staff to George Tenet, then - Director of the CIA. Brennan became deputy executive director of the CIA in March 2001. He was director of the newly created Terrorist Threat Integration Center from 2003 to 2004, an office that sifted through and compiled information for President Bush 's daily top secret intelligence briefings and employed the services of analysts from a dozen U.S. agencies and entities. Brennan then left government service for a few years, becoming Chairman of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance ( INSA ) and the CEO of The Analysis Corporation ( TAC ). He continued to lead TAC after its acquisition by Global Strategies Group in 2007 and its growth as the Global Intelligence Solutions division of Global 's North American technology business GTEC, before returning to government service with the Obama administration as Homeland Security Advisor on January 20, 2009. On January 7, 2013, President Obama nominated Brennan to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. On January 20, 2017, Brennan 's CIA appointment ended, and he was replaced by President Trump 's nominee Mike Pompeo on January 23, 2017. In September 2017, Brennan was named a Distinguished Non-Resident Scholar at The University of Texas at Austin, where he also acts as a Senior Advisor to the University 's Intelligence Studies Project. He serves as a consultant on world events for Kissinger Associates. Counterterrorism Advisor to President Obama Brennan was an early national security adviser to then - candidate Obama. In late 2008, Brennan was reportedly the top choice to become the Director of the CIA in the incoming Obama administration. However, Brennan withdrew his name from consideration because of opposition to his CIA service under President George W. Bush and past public statements he had made in support of enhanced interrogation and the transfer of terrorism suspects to countries where they might be tortured ( extraordinary rendition ). President Obama then appointed him to be his Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, the president 's chief counterterrorism advisor and a position that did not require Senate confirmation. Brennan and President Barack Obama at a meeting of the Homeland Security Council, May 2009 In August 2009, Brennan criticized some Bush - administration anti-terror policies, saying that waterboarding had threatened national security by increasing the recruitment of terrorists and decreasing the willingness of other nations to cooperate with the U.S. He also described the Obama administration 's focus as being on `` extremists '' and not `` jihadists ''. He said that using the second term, which means one who is struggling for a holy goal, gives `` these murderers the religious legitimacy they desperately seek '' and suggests the US is at war with the religion of Islam. Brennan told The New York Times in January 2010, `` I was somebody who did oppose waterboarding, '' a claim that he repeated in 2013, during the Senate 's hearings about whether to confirm him as Obama 's CIA director. None of Brennan 's superior officers at the CIA, however, recall hearing his objections, and in 2018, Brennan admitted to The New York Times, `` It was n't as though I was wearing that opposition on my sleeve throughout the agency. I expressed it privately, to individuals. '' In an early December 2009 interview with the Bergen Record, Brennan remarked, `` the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities have to bat 1.000 every day. The terrorists are trying to be successful just once. '' At a press conference days after the failed Christmas Day bomb attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Brennan said U.S. intelligence agencies did not miss any signs that could have prevented the attempt but later said he had let the president down by underestimating a small group of Yemeni terrorists and not connecting them to the attempted bomber. Within two weeks after the incident, however, he produced a report highly critical of the performance of U.S. intelligence agencies, concluding that their focus on terrorist attempts aimed at U.S. soil was inadequate. In February 2010, he claimed on Meet the Press that he was tired of Republican lawmakers using national security issues as political footballs, and making allegations where they did not know the facts. Brennan was present in the Situation Room in May 2011 when the United States conducted the military operation that killed Osama bin Laden. He called Obama 's decision to go forward with the mission one of the `` gutsiest calls of any president in memory ''. In the aftermath of the operation, Brennan said that the U.S. troops in the raid had been `` met with a great deal of resistance '', and bin Laden had used a woman as a human shield. Drone program In April 2012, Brennan was the first Obama administration official to publicly acknowledge CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. In his speech he explained the legality, morality, and effectiveness of the program. The ACLU and other organizations disagreed. In 2011 - 2012, he also helped reorganize the process, under the aegis of the Disposition Matrix database, by which people outside of war zones were put on the list of drone targets. According to an Associated Press story, the reorganization helped `` concentrate power '' over the process inside the White House administration. According to The New York Times, Brennan was the `` principal coordinator '' of U.S. kill lists. Former Obama administration counter-terrorism official Daniel Benjamin has stated that Brennan `` probably had more power and influence than anyone in a comparable position in the last 20 years ''. In June 2011, Brennan claimed that US counter-terrorism operations had not resulted in `` a single collateral death '' in the past year because of the `` precision of the capabilities that we 've been able to develop ''. Nine months later, Brennan claimed he had said `` we had no information '' about any civilian, noncombatant deaths during the timeframe in question. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism disagreed with Brennan, citing their own research that initially led them to believe that 45 to 56 civilians, including six children, had been killed by ten US drone strikes during the year - long period in question. Additional research led the Bureau to raise their estimate to 76 deaths, including eight children and two women. According to the Bureau, Brennan 's claims `` do not appear to bear scrutiny ''. The Atlantic has been harsher in its criticism, saying, `` Brennan has been willing to lie about those drone strikes to hide ugly realities. '' According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Brennan 's comments about collateral death are perhaps explained by a counting method that treats all military - aged males in a strike zone as combatants unless there is explicit information to prove them innocent. CIA Director ( 2013 -- 2017 ) Nomination Brennan being sworn in as CIA Director, March 8, 2013 Brennan at the White House in April 2013, discussing the Boston Marathon bombing Obama twice nominated Brennan to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Morris Davis, a former Chief Prosecutor for the Guantanamo Military Commissions compared Brennan to Canadian Omar Khadr, who was convicted of `` committing murder in violation of the law of war ''. He suggested that Brennan 's role in targeting individuals for CIA missile strikes was no more authorized than the throwing of the grenade of which Khadr was accused. On February 27, 2013, the Senate Intelligence Committee postponed a vote on the confirmation of Brennan, expected to be taken the next day, until the following week. On March 5, the Intelligence Committee approved the nomination 12 -- 3. The Senate was set to vote on Brennan 's nomination on March 6, 2013. However, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul began a talking Senate filibuster prior to the vote, citing Obama and his administration 's use of combat drones against Americans, stating `` No one politician should be allowed to judge the guilt, to charge an individual, to judge the guilt of an individual and to execute an individual. It goes against everything that we fundamentally believe in our country. '' Paul 's filibuster continued for 13 hours, ending with the words : `` I 'm hopeful that we have drawn attention to this issue, that this issue will not fade away, and that the president will come up with a response. '' After the filibuster, Brennan was confirmed by a vote of 63 -- 34. He was sworn into the office of CIA Director on March 8, 2013. Tenure Two months after assuming his post at the CIA, Brennan replaced Gina Haspel as head of the National Clandestine Service and placed another unidentified, career intelligence officer and former Marine in her place. In June 2013, Brennan installed Avril Haines as Deputy Director of the Agency. In April 2014, Brennan visited Kiev where he met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema and purportedly discussed intelligence - sharing between the United States and Ukraine. In the summer of 2014, Brennan faced scrutiny after it was revealed that some CIA employees had improperly accessed the computer servers of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the wake of oversight of the CIA 's role in enhanced interrogation and extraordinary rendition. Brennan apologized to Senators and stated that he would `` fight for change at the CIA '', and stated he would pass along the findings of the Inspector General on the incident. After the incident, Senator Mark Udall ( D - CO ) stated he had `` lost confidence in Brennan ''. Brennan and James Clapper at the LBJ Presidential Library, September 16, 2015 Brennan and former National Security Advisers Sandy Berger and Brent Scowcroft in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2015 In December 2014, Brennan again came under fire when he defended the CIA 's past interrogation tactics as having yielded `` useful '' intelligence, during a news conference. While admitting that the actions of the CIA officers were `` abhorrent '', worthy of `` repudiation '', and had, at times, exceeded legal boundaries Brennan stated the CIA had also done `` a lot of things right during this difficult time to keep this country strong and secured ''. During testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee in June 2016, Brennan warned of the threat posed by ISIL claiming it had the ability to draw on a `` large cadre of Western fighters '' and reiterated the threats posed by lone wolf attackers, calling them `` an exceptionally challenging issue for the intelligence community ''. Brennan detailed ISIL 's size to the committee, specifying they had more fighters than al - Qaeda at its height and that they were spread between Africa and southwest Asia. While director, Brennan created ten new `` mission centers '' in his campaign to focus the CIA on threats in cyberspace, where analysts and hackers work in teams with focuses on specific areas of the globe and particular issues. In addition, he created the Directorate for Digital Innovation ( DDI ) to hone the Agency 's tradecraft in the information technology sector and create new tools dedicated to cyber-espionage. Despite general praise for his actions from within the intelligence community about Brennan 's shift towards cyber, some CIA officials said they held reservations in moving away from traditional human intelligence. In January 2017, Brennan, alongside FBI director James Comey, NSA director Mike Rogers, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper briefed President - elect Donald Trump in Trump Tower on the findings of the intelligence community in regards to Russian election interference and the allegations contained in the Steele dossier. Less than a week before Brennan left office in January 2017, he expressed several criticisms of incoming President Trump. Brennan said `` I do n't think he has a full appreciation of Russian capabilities, Russia 's intentions and actions that they are undertaking in many parts of the world. '' Brennan stated that it was `` outrageous '' that Trump was `` equating the intelligence community with Nazi Germany ''. WikiLeaks hack In October 2015, the contents of Brennan 's personal e-mail account were stolen by a hack and posted on WikiLeaks. The e-mails did not contain classified information but did include sensitive personal information, including a draft of Brennan 's Standard Form 86 ( SF - 86 ) application. During a subsequent security conference at George Washington University, Brennan proclaimed his `` outrage '' at the hack but also demonstrated the need to `` evolve to deal with these new threats and challenges ''. In January 2017, a North Carolina college student, who was represented by attorneys Marina Medvin and Jay Leiderman, pleaded guilty in a Virginia federal court to charges relating to hacking Brennan 's e-mail. Criticism of President Trump Since leaving office, Brennan has been harshly critical of President Trump. In March 2018, Brennan said Trump had `` paranoia '', accused him of `` constant misrepresentation of the facts '', and described him as a `` charlatan ''. Following the firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe later that month, Brennan tweeted to Trump, `` When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but will not destroy America... America will triumph over you. '' Axios quoted Brennan tweeting a response to Trump 's harsh comments about James Comey : `` Your kakistocracy is collapsing after its lamentable journey... we have the opportunity to emerge from this nightmare stronger & more committed to ensuring a better life for all Americans, including those you have so tragically deceived. '' On July 16, 2018, Brennan tweeted his reaction to Trump 's comments at the 2018 Helsinki summit meeting with Russisan president Vladimir Putin : John O. Brennan ✓ via Twitter @ JohnBrennan Donald Trump 's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of `` high crimes & misdemeanors ''. It was nothing short of `` treasonous ''. Not only were Trump 's comments `` imbecilic '', he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots : Where are you ? ? ? July 16, 2018 Trump responded by calling Brennan a `` total lowlife ''. Security clearance revocation On August 15, 2018, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read a statement from President Trump dated July 26, 2018, in which he revoked Brennan 's security clearance. The statement said Brennan 's `` lying and recent conduct, characterized by increasingly frenzied commentary, is wholly inconsistent with access to the nation 's most closely held secrets and facilitates the very aim of our adversaries, which is to sow division and chaos ''. The statement said further, that Brennan had `` recently leveraged his status as a former high - ranking official with access to highly sensitive information to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations -- wild outbursts on the internet and television -- about this Administration ''. On August 16, Brennan stated that Trump 's claims of no collusion with Russia were `` hogwash '' : `` The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of ' Trump Incorporated ' attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets. '' Following the announcement, 15 former senior intelligence officials and 60 other high - ranking former CIA officers protested the Trump decision in an open letter saying, ``... former government officials have the right to express their unclassified views on what they see as critical national security issues without fear of being punished for doing so. '' Calling Brennan `` one of the finest public servants I have ever known, '' retired Navy admiral William H. McRaven addressed President Trump in an op - ed saying, `` I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency. '' In an extensive interview on August 17, Brennan responded to Trump 's decision to remove his security clearance, expressing alarm for the nation 's national security in the statement : `` ( the country ) is in a crisis in terms of what Mr. Trump has done and is liable to do. Are the Republicans on the Hill who have given him a pass -- are they going to wait for a disaster to happen before they actually find their backbones and spines to speak up against somebody who clearly, clearly, is not carrying out his responsibilities with any sense of purpose and common sense from the standpoint of national security ? '' On August 19, Brennan told the host of NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' that he was considering legal action to prevent Trump from doing the same to others. Criticism of Brennan In a tweet on July 23, 2018, Senator Rand Paul accused Brennan of making money from his security clearance and called for Brennan 's clearance to be revoked. Adding in a second tweet, Paul said, `` Today I will meet with the President and I will ask him to revoke John Brennan 's security clearance ! '' Later at a press conference on that date Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that President Trump was considering removing the clearances of several of Obama 's intelligence officials, including Brennan, saying, `` The president is exploring the mechanisms to remove security clearance because they politicize and in some cases monetize their public service and security clearances. '' Personal life Brennan is married to Kathy Pokluda Brennan, with whom he has had one son and two daughters. Wikiquote has quotations related to : John O. Brennan See also Disposition Matrix References ^ Jump up to : James Gordon Meek ( January 9, 2010 ). `` White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan : Out of the shadows and into the spotlight ''. New York Daily News. ^ Jump up to : Marquis ' Who 's Who in the South and Southwest, 36th, 37th Editions ; Who 's Who in the East, 37th, 38th Editions ; Who 's Who in American Politics, 22nd, 23rd Editions ; Who 's Who in America, 64th, 65th Editions ^ Jump up to : Erickson, Amanda ( January 7, 2013 ). `` Profile : John O. Brennan ''. Who Runs Gov. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 8, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Annual Report To Congress On White House Office Staff '' ( PDF ). Executive Office of the President of the United States. July 1, 2009. p. 3. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on May 13, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Jackson, Herb ( December 5, 2009 ). `` North Bergen man is homeland security assistant for President Obama ''. The Bergen Record. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Jump up ^ Karen DeYoung ( February 8, 2009 ). `` Obama 's NSC Will Get New Power ; Directive Expands Makeup and Role Of Security Body ''. The Washington Post. p. A01. Jump up ^ Kate Bolduan ( March 22, 2008 ). `` Chief of firm involved in breach is Obama adviser ''. CNN. ^ Jump up to : Mark Mazzetti ; Scott Shane ( December 3, 2008 ). `` After Sharp Words on C.I.A., Obama Faces a Delicate Task ''. The New York Times. p. A1. ^ Jump up to : Niall O'Dowd ( June 6, 2010 ). `` John Brennan, son of Irish immigrants, now Obama 's top gun ''. Irish Central. Retrieved October 31, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Judith Mbuya ( December 12, 2005 ). `` New at the Top : John O. Brennan ''. The Washington Post. p. D08. ^ Jump up to : Glenn Greenwald ( January 7, 2013 ). `` John Brennan 's extremism and dishonesty rewarded with CIA Director nomination : Obama 's top terrorism adviser goes from unconfirmable in 2008 to uncontroversial in 2013, reflecting the Obama legacy ''. London : The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. As it typically does in the US National Security State, all of that deceit and radicalism is resulting not in recrimination or loss of credibility for Brennan, but in reward and promotion. At 1 pm EST today, Obama will announce that he has selected Brennan to replace Gen. David Petraeus as CIA chief : the same position for which, four short years ago, Brennan 's pro-torture - and - rendition past rendered him unfit and unconfirmable. ^ Jump up to : Julie Pace ( January 7, 2013 ). `` Obama to nominate counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead Central Intelligence Agency ''. Washington, D.C. : Postmedia News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Obama considered Brennan for the top CIA job in 2008. But Brennan withdrew his name amid questions about his connection to enhanced interrogation techniques while serving in the spy agency during the George W. Bush administration. Jump up ^ `` Brennan Nomination to Head CIA Raises Concerns ''. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved June 18, 2016. Jump up ^ Shane, Scott. `` John Brennan, C.I.A. Nominee, Clears Committee Vote ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Singman, Brooke ( 2018 - 08 - 15 ). `` Trump revokes ex-CIA Director John Brennan 's security clearance ''. Fox News. Retrieved 2018 - 08 - 16. Jump up ^ `` President Trump revokes security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan ''. KMGH - TV. CNN. 2018 - 08 - 15. Retrieved 2018 - 08 - 15. ^ Jump up to : Allen, Jonathan. `` Trump revokes former CIA Director John Brennan 's security clearance ''. NBC News. Retrieved 15 August 2018. Jump up ^ `` Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan Signs as MSNBC / NBC as Contributor ''. TheWrap. February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018. ^ Jump up to : Schwartz, Mattathias ( June 27, 2018 ). `` A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows ''. The New York Times Magazine. Jump up ^ Kopan, Tal ( September 15, 2016 ). `` Polygraph panic : CIA director fretted his vote for communist ''. CNN. ^ Jump up to : Anne E Kornblut ( June 6, 2010 ). `` A forceful voice on Obama 's security team ; Counterterror director Brennan has emerged as key adviser ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 1, 2010. Jump up ^ Timothy J. Burger. ; Viveca Novak and Elaine Shannon ( Mar 29, 2004 ). `` Threat Analysis : Decoding The Chatter ''. Time. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Jump up ^ Landler, Mark. `` Obama Picks Hagel as Defense Secretary, Brennan for C.I.A. '' The New York Times. Jump up ^ Former CIA Director Brennan Joins UT Austin as a Distinguished Scholar University of Texas at Austin ( Sep7. 19, 2017 ). Jump up ^ Massimo Calabresi ( February 10, 2010 ). `` Counterterrorism : The Debate Moves Right ''. TIME. ^ Jump up to : Mike Memoli ( August 16, 2009 ). `` Brennan Outlines Terror Strategy, Rebutting Critics ''. Real Clear Politics. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Jump up ^ Baker, Peter ( January 4, 2010 ). `` Obama 's War over Terror ''. The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2018. Jump up ^ McGreal, Chris ( February 13, 2013 ). `` Brennan rejects CIA torture claims in confident display at Senate hearing ''. The Guardian. Retrieved July 2, 2018. Jump up ^ Schwartz, Mattathias ( June 27, 2018 ). `` A Spymaster Steps out of the Shadows ''. The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2018. Jump up ^ Time staff ( January 4, 2010 ). `` There is no smoking gun ''. TIME. Retrieved October 31, 2010. Jump up ^ Reuters staff ( February 8, 2010 ). `` GOP plays ' political football ' with terror fear, President Obama aide John Brennan says ''. New York Daily News. Reuters. Jump up ^ `` Trail leading to bin Laden began with his trusted courier ''. CNN. July 5, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Montopoli, Brian ( May 5, 2011 ). `` How did bin Laden resist Navy SEALs without a weapon ? ''. CBS News. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` On Whether Bin Laden Was Armed, Here 's What Officials Said ''. NPR. May 4, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ John O. Brennan ( April 30, 2012 ). `` The Ethics and Efficacy of the President 's Counterterrorism Strategy ''. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Savage, Charlie ( April 30, 2012 ). `` Top U.S. Security Official Says ' Rigorous Standards ' Are Used for Drone Strikes ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` White House in first detailed comments on drone strikes ''. BBC News. April 30, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ACLU Credits White House for Drone Strike Transparency, but Says Program Still Unlawful ''. ACLU. April 30, 2012. Jump up ^ Kimberly Dozier ( May 21, 2012 ). `` Who will drones target ? Who in the US will decide ? ''. The Boston Globe. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Jump up ^ Brian Bennett ; David S. Cloud ( April 30, 2012 ). `` Obama 's counter-terrorism advisor defends drone strikes ''. Los Angeles Times. Jump up ^ Worth, Robert ; Mazzetti, Mark ; Shane, Scott ( 5 February 2013 ). `` Drone Strikes ' Dangers to Get Rare Moment in Public Eye ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ John Brennan, Advisor, White House Office of Homeland Security ( June 29, 2011 ). Obama Administration Counterterrorism Strategy : John Brennan talked about the campaign against al - Qaida, and the Obama administration 's counterterrorism strategy since the killing of Osama bin Laden. John McLaughlin moderated questions from the audience ( Video ). Paul H. Nitz School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland : C - SPAN. Event occurs at Events occur at 49 : 05 in video. Retrieved August 3, 2014. One of the things that President Obama has been insistent on is that we 're exceptionally precise and surgical in terms of addressing the terrorist threat. And by that I mean if there are terrorists within an area where there are women and children or others, we do not take such action that might put those innocent men, women, and children in danger. In fact I can say that the types of operations that the US has been involved in, in the counterterrorism realm, that nearly for the past year there has n't been a single collateral death because of the exceptional proficiency, precision of the capabilities that we 've been able to develop. ^ Jump up to : Woods, Chris ( January 9, 2013 ). `` New questions over CIA nominee Brennan 's denial of civilian drone deaths ''. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved August 3, 2014. Claims by the Central Intelligence Agency 's new director - designate that the US intelligence services received ' no information ' about any civilians killed by US drones in the year prior to June 2011 do not appear to bear scrutiny... Nine months later, George Stephanopoulos of ABC News challenged Brennan on his original claims. ' Do you stand by the statement you have made in the past that, as effective as they have been, ( drones ) have not killed a single civilian ? ' the interviewer asked. ' That seems hard to believe. ' Brennan was robust, insisting that ' what I said was that over a period of time before my public remarks that we had no information about a single civilian, a noncombatant being killed. '... A later report in the New York Times provided a possible explanation for Brennan 's robustness. The paper revealed that Washington ' counts all military - age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent. '... The Bureau has now raised its estimate of the number of civilians killed in the period Brennan claimed none had died to 76, including eight children and two women. The new figures are based in part on our own research and on studies by Associated Press and Stanford and New York universities. Jump up ^ `` ' This Week ' Transcript : John Brennan, Economic Panel ''. ABC News. April 29, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2014. Well, what I said was that over a period of time before my public remarks that we had no information about a single civilian, a noncombatant being killed. Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population. Jump up ^ Woods, Chris ( July 18, 2011 ). `` US claims of ' no civilian deaths ' are untrue ''. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved August 3, 2014. To date, the Bureau has identified 45 -- 56 civilian victims across 10 individual strikes -- the most recent in mid-June 2011. The dead include six children. Jump up ^ Friedersdorf, Conor ( August 1, 2014 ). `` Does John Brennan Know Too Much for Obama to Fire Him ? ''. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 3, 2014. In the past, Brennan has been willing to lie about those drone strikes to hide ugly realities. For example, he stated in the summer of 2011 that there had been zero collateral deaths from covert U.S. drone strikes in the previous year, an absurd claim that has been decisively debunked. Jump up ^ Jo Becker ; Scott Shane ( May 29, 2012 ). `` Secret ' Kill List ' Proves a Test of Obama 's Principles and Will ''. The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved August 3, 2014. Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military - age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent. Jump up ^ Morris Davis ( February 8, 2013 ). `` The law of war does not shield the CIA and John Brennan 's drone kill list ''. London : The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Jack Goldsmith, former assistant attorney general in the George W Bush administration and now a professor at Harvard Law School, argues the past decade shows that the United States needs a new statutory framework governing how it conducts secret warfare. Perhaps that would be a positive step, but a new domestic statutory scheme would not make a civilian working for a civilian agency a lawful combatant entitled to immunity under the law of war for acts committed outside the United States. Jump up ^ `` Sen. Paul holds floor for hours in filibuster of CIA nominee, over drone concerns ''. Fox News. March 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` ( CSPAN2 VIDEO ) Sen. Paul holds floor for over 12 hours in filibuster of CIA nominee ''. March 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Memmott, Mark ( March 7, 2013 ). `` Nearly 13 Hours Later, Sen. Paul Ends His Filibuster ''. NPR. Retrieved November 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` CIA faces diverse challenges amidst tight budgets : Brennan '' Archived April 13, 2013, at Archive.is The Statesman, March 9, 2013. Jump up ^ Mazzetti, Mark ( March 6, 2013 ). `` New Head of C.I.A. 's Clandestine Service Is Chosen ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Gina Haspel, new CIA director, is a `` seasoned spymaster '' ``. CBS News. March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ AFP ( June 13, 2013 ). `` Avril Haines appointed first female CIA deputy director ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Why CIA Director Brennan Visited Kiev : In Ukraine The Covert War Has Begun ''. Forbes. April 16, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Heres What the CIA Director Was Really Doing in Kiev ''. The Daily Beast. April 16, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Hattem, Julian ( July 31, 2014 ). `` CIA admits to spying on Senate ''. The Hill. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` CIA director John Brennan apologizes for search of Senate committee 's computers ''. The Washington Post. July 31, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Bradner, Eric ( December 11, 2014 ). `` John Brennan defends CIA after torture report ''. CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Starr, Barbara ; Browne, Ryan ( June 16, 2016 ). `` CIA director grave warning : ISIS dangerous as ever ''. CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Rohde, David ( November 2, 2016 ). `` John Brennan 's attempt to lead the CIA into the age of cyber-warfare ''. Reuters. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Shabad, Rebecca ( January 6, 2017 ). `` Will Trump accept U.S. intelligence assessment on Russia hacking after briefing ? ''. CBS News. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Perez, Evan ; Sciutto, Jim ; Tapper, Jake ; Bernstein, Carl ( January 10, 2017 ). `` Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him ''. CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Decker, Cathleen ( January 15, 2017 ). `` CIA director John Brennan takes aim at Donald Trump for his criticism of the intelligence community ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 17, 2018. Jump up ^ Kopan, Tal ( October 27, 2015 ). `` CIA Director John Brennan ' outraged ' by email hack ''. CNNPolitics. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Walker, Alissa ( October 21, 2015 ). `` WikiLeaks Drops CIA Director John Brennan 's Personal Emails ''. Gizmodo. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Josh Gerstein ( January 6, 2017 ). `` Student pleads guilty in hacking ring that targeted CIA Director John Brennan ''. Politico Under The Radar blog. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 21. Jump up ^ Tweene, Alayna ( March 5, 2018 ). `` Former CIA Director Brennan calls Trump a paranoid `` charlatan '' ``. Axios. Retrieved March 17, 2018. Jump up ^ Rossman, Sean ( March 17, 2018 ). `` Ex-CIA chief John Brennan to Trump : ' America will triumph over you ' ''. USA Today. Retrieved March 17, 2018. Jump up ^ Treene, Alayna ( April 13, 2018 ). `` War of words : Trump vs. former intelligence officials ''. Axios. Retrieved July 16, 2018. Jump up ^ @ JohnBrennan ( July 16, 2018 ). `` Donald Trump 's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of `` high crimes & misdemeanors ''. It was nothing short of `` treasonous ''. Not only were Trump 's comments `` imbecilic '', he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots : Where are you ? ? ? '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ Mark Landler ; Eileen Sullivan ( July 18, 2018 ). `` Trump Says He Laid Down the Law in His Latest Account of His Meeting With Putin ''. The New York Times. p. A1. Jump up ^ Sheth, Sonam ( August 15, 2018 ). `` The White House waited 3 weeks to announce Trump was revoking Brennan 's security clearance, and some are speculating it was to get people to stop talking about Omarosa and Manafort ''. Business Insider. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Epstein, Jennifer ; Sink, Justin. `` Trump Revokes Security Clearance for Critic and Obama Official John Brennan ''. Bloomberg Quint. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Brennan, John O. ( August 16, 2018 ). `` Opinion - John Brennan : President Trump 's Claims of No Collusion Are Hogwash ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Segers, Grace. `` 60 ex-CIA members condemn Trump for revoking Brennan 's security clearance ''. CBS News. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ William H. McRaven ( August 16, 2018 ). `` Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Ex-CIA Director John Brennan : Trump is ' drunk on power ' ''. CNN. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Rachael Maddow. John O. Brennan : I Gave Trump A Year To Live Up To The Office. He Did n't. MSNBC. Retrieved August 18, 2018 -- via YouTube. Jump up ^ `` Brennan is considering legal action to hit back after Trump revoked his security clearance ''. SFGate. 2018 - 08 - 19. Retrieved 2018 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` WH : Trump exploring taking away security clearances of Brennan, Comey, Hayden, Rice, McCabe ''. CBS News. Retrieved August 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Wise, Justin. `` Rand Paul to ask Trump to eliminate Brennan 's security clearance ''. The Hill. Retrieved 18 August 2018. Jump up ^ `` Director of Terrorist Threat Integration Center Appointed ''. Central Intelligence Agency. March 11, 2003. Retrieved June 17, 2008. External links Further reading Brennan, John O. ( April 30, 2012 ). `` Text of John O. Brennan 's Speech on Drone Strikes at the Wilson Center ''. Lawfare Blog. Cole, David ( February 21, 2013 ). `` 13 Questions for John O. Brennan ''. New York Review of Books. Shane, Scott ( March 5, 2013 ). `` Senate Committee Approves Brennan for C.I.A. Director ''. The New York Times. Nomination of John O. Brennan to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency : Hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session February 7, 2013, March 5, 2013 Appearances on C - SPAN Interviews Lake, Eli ( June 24, 2010 ). `` Dozens of Americans believed to have joined terrorists ''. The Washington Times. Retrieved February 25, 2013. `` Q&A : John Brennan -- The Counterterror Campaign ''. National Journal. March 7, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2013. `` The Dark Side : Interviews -- John Brennan ''. Frontline. WGBH. June 20, 2006. Government offices New office Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Acting 2004 -- 2005 Succeeded by John Redd Preceded by Michael Morell Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency 2013 -- 2017 Succeeded by Meroe Park Acting Political offices Preceded by Ken Wainstein Homeland Security Advisor 2009 -- 2013 Succeeded by Lisa Monaco Directors of Central Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency Central Intelligence Souers Vandenberg Hillenkoetter Smith Dulles McCone Raborn Helms Schlesinger Colby Bush Turner Casey Webster Gates Woolsey Deutch Tenet Goss Central Intelligence Agency Goss Hayden Panetta Petraeus Brennan Pompeo Haspel United States Homeland Security Advisors Ridge Gordon Townsend Wainstein Brennan Monaco Bossert Joyce ( acting ) Fears Currently styled as Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Directors of the National Counterterrorism Center Brennan ( acting ) Redd Leiter Olsen Rasmussen Obama Administration personnel Cabinet and cabinet - level Office Name Term Office Name Term Secretary of State John Kerry 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter 2015 -- 2017 Attorney General Loretta Lynch 2015 -- 2017 Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack 2009 -- 2017 Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell 2014 -- 2017 Secretary of Education Secretary of Transportation John King Jr. Anthony Foxx 2016 -- 2017 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro 2014 -- 2017 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald 2014 -- 2017 Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz 2013 -- 2017 Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson 2013 -- 2017 Vice President Joe Biden 2009 -- 2017 White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough 2013 -- 2017 Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shaun Donovan 2014 -- 2017 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Gina McCarthy 2013 -- 2017 Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power 2013 -- 2017 Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Jason Furman 2013 -- 2017 Trade Representative Michael Froman 2013 -- 2017 Administrator of the Small Business Administration Maria Contreras - Sweet 2014 -- 2017 Below solid line : Granted Cabinet rank although not automatically part of the Cabinet. See also : Confirmations of Barack Obama 's Cabinet Executive Office of the President Office Name Term Office Name Term White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel 2009 -- 10 National Security Advisor James L. Jones 2009 -- 10 Pete Rouse 2010 -- 11 Thomas E. Donilon 2010 -- 13 William M. Daley 2011 -- 12 Susan Rice 2013 -- 17 Jack Lew 2012 -- 13 Deputy National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon 2009 -- 10 Denis McDonough 2013 -- 17 Denis McDonough 2010 -- 13 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Mona Sutphen 2009 -- 11 Tony Blinken 2013 -- 14 Nancy - Ann DeParle 2011 -- 13 Avril Haines 2015 -- 17 Rob Nabors 2013 -- 15 Dep. National Security Advisor, Homeland Security John O. Brennan 2009 -- 13 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Jim Messina 2009 -- 11 Lisa Monaco 2013 -- 17 Alyssa Mastromonaco 2011 -- 14 Dep. National Security Advisor, Iraq and Afghanistan Douglas Lute † 2009 -- 13 Anita Decker Breckenridge 2014 -- 17 Dep. National Security Advisor, Strategic Comm. Ben Rhodes 2009 -- 17 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning Mark B. Childress 2012 -- 14 Dep. National Security Advisor, Chief of Staff Mark Lippert 2009 Kristie Canegallo 2014 -- 17 Denis McDonough 2009 -- 10 Counselor to the President Pete Rouse 2011 -- 13 Brooke D. Anderson 2011 -- 12 John Podesta 2014 -- 15 White House Communications Director Ellen Moran 2009 Senior Advisor to the President David Axelrod 2009 -- 11 Anita Dunn 2009 David Plouffe 2011 -- 13 Daniel Pfeiffer 2009 -- 13 Daniel Pfeiffer 2013 -- 15 Jennifer Palmieri 2013 -- 15 Shailagh Murray 2015 -- 17 Jen Psaki 2015 -- 17 Senior Advisor to the President Pete Rouse 2009 -- 10 Deputy White House Communications Director Jen Psaki 2009 -- 11 Brian Deese 2015 -- 17 Jennifer Palmieri 2011 -- 14 Senior Advisor to the President and Valerie Jarrett 2009 -- 17 Amy Brundage 2014 -- 16 Assistant to the President for Liz Allen 2016 -- 17 Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs 2009 -- 11 Director, Public Engagement Christina Tchen 2009 -- 11 Jay Carney 2011 -- 13 Jon Carson 2011 -- 13 Josh Earnest 2013 -- 17 Paulette L. Aniskoff 2013 -- 17 Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton 2009 -- 11 Director, Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Muñoz 2009 -- 12 Josh Earnest 2011 -- 13 David Agnew 2012 -- 14 Eric Schultz 2014 -- 17 Jerry Abramson 2014 -- 17 Director of Special Projects Stephanie Cutter 2010 -- 11 Director, National Economic Council Lawrence Summers 2009 -- 10 Director, Speechwriting Jon Favreau 2009 -- 13 Gene Sperling 2011 -- 14 Cody Keenan 2013 -- 17 Jeffrey Zients 2014 -- 17 Director, Digital Strategy Macon Phillips 2009 -- 13 Chair, Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer 2009 -- 10 Chief Digital Officer Jason Goldman 2015 -- 17 Austan Goolsbee 2010 -- 13 Director, Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro 2009 -- 11 Jason Furman 2013 -- 17 Rob Nabors 2011 -- 13 Chair, Economic Recovery Advisory Board Paul Volcker 2009 -- 11 Katie Beirne Fallon 2013 -- 16 Chair, Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Jeff Immelt 2011 -- 13 Miguel Rodriguez 2016 Director, Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes 2009 -- 12 Amy Rosenbaum 2016 -- 17 Cecilia Muñoz 2012 -- 17 Director, Political Affairs Patrick Gaspard 2009 -- 11 Director, Office of Faith - Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois 2009 -- 13 David Simas 2014 -- 17 Melissa Rogers 2013 -- 17 Director, Presidential Personnel Nancy Hogan 2009 -- 13 Director, Office of Health Reform Nancy - Ann DeParle 2009 -- 11 Johnathan D. McBride 2013 -- 14 Director, Office of National AIDS Policy Jeffrey Crowley 2009 -- 11 Valerie E. Green 2014 -- 15 Grant N. Colfax 2011 -- 13 Rodin A. Mehrbani 2016 -- 17 Douglas M. Brooks 2013 -- 17 White House Staff Secretary Lisa Brown 2009 -- 11 Director, Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrión Jr. 2009 -- 10 Rajesh De 2011 -- 12 Racquel S. Russell 2010 -- 14 Douglas Kramer 2012 -- 13 Roy Austin Jr. 2014 -- 17 Joani Walsh 2014 -- 17 Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner 2009 -- 11 Director, Management and Administration Bradley J. Kiley 2009 -- 11 White House Counsel Greg Craig 2009 -- 10 Katy A. Kale 2011 -- 15 Bob Bauer 2010 -- 11 Maju S. Varghese 2016 -- 17 Kathryn Ruemmler 2011 -- 14 Director, Scheduling and Advance Alyssa Mastromonaco 2009 -- 11 Neil Eggleston 2014 -- 17 Danielle Crutchfield 2011 -- 14 White House Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu 2009 -- 13 Chase Cushman 2014 -- 17 Danielle C. Gray 2013 -- 14 Director, White House Information Technology David Recordon 2015 -- 17 Broderick D. Johnson 2014 -- 17 Director, Office of Administration Cameron Moody 2009 -- 11 Personal Aide to the President Reggie Love 2009 -- 11 Beth Jones 2011 -- 15 Brian Mosteller 2011 -- 12 Cathy Solomon 2015 -- 17 Marvin D. Nicholson 2012 -- 17 Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren 2009 -- 17 Director, Oval Office Operations Brian Mosteller 2012 -- 17 Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra 2009 -- 12 Personal Secretary to the President Katie Johnson 2009 -- 11 Todd Park 2012 -- 14 Anita Decker Breckenridge 2011 -- 14 Megan Smith 2014 -- 17 Ferial Govashiri 2014 -- 17 Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. Orszag 2009 -- 10 Chief of Staff to the First Lady Jackie Norris 2009 Jack Lew 2010 -- 12 Susan Sher 2009 -- 11 Jeffrey Zients 2012 -- 13 Christina Tchen 2011 -- 17 Sylvia Mathews Burwell 2013 -- 14 White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers 2009 -- 10 Brian Deese 2014 Julianna Smoot 2010 -- 11 Shaun Donovan 2014 -- 17 Jeremy Bernard 2011 -- 15 Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra 2009 -- 11 Deesha Dyer 2015 -- 17 Steven VanRoekel 2011 -- 14 Chief of Staff to the Vice President Ron Klain 2009 -- 11 Tony Scott 2015 -- 17 Bruce Reed 2011 -- 13 United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk 2009 -- 13 Steve Ricchetti 2013 -- 17 Michael Froman 2013 -- 17 White House Chief Usher Stephen W. Rochon † 2009 -- 11 Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske 2009 -- 14 Angella Reid 2011 -- 17 Michael Botticelli 2014 -- 17 Director, White House Military Office George Mulligan 2009 -- 13 Chair, Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley 2009 -- 14 Emmett Beliveau 2013 -- 15 Michael Boots 2014 -- 15 Dabney Kern 2016 -- 17 Christy Goldfuss 2015 -- 17 † Remained from previous administration. Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Steve Ricchetti Counsel to the Vice President Cynthia Hogan Counselor to the Vice President Mike Donilon Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Evan Ryan Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Shailagh Murray Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Shailagh Murray Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Brian McKeon Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady Carlos Elizondo National Security Adviser to the Vice President Colin Kahl Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Catherine M. Russell Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President Moises Vela Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Terrell McSweeny Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Jared Bernstein Press Secretary to the Vice President Elizabeth Alexander Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President Annie Tomasini Director of Legislative Affairs Sudafi Henry Director of Communications for the Second Lady Courtney O'Donnell MSNBC personalities Anchors Peter Alexander Dara Brown Chris Jansing Richard Lui Craig Melvin Andrea Mitchell Ayman Mohyeldin Milissa Rehberger Frances Rivera Stephanie Ruhle Chuck Todd Ali Velshi Brian Williams Alex Witt Hosts Mika Brzezinski Willie Geist Chris Hayes Hugh Hewitt Kasie Hunt Steve Kornacki Rachel Maddow Chris Matthews Lawrence O'Donnell Joy Reid Joe Scarborough Al Sharpton Nicolle Wallace Correspondents Kasie Hunt Hallie Jackson Trymaine Lee Kelly O'Donnell Jacob Soboroff Katy Tur Kristen Welker Political analysts Jonathan Alter Michelle Bernard Jonathan Capehart Chris Cillizza Robert Costa Michael Eric Dyson Howard Fineman Harold Ford Jr. John Heilemann Ezra Klein Mike Murphy Ron Reagan Ed Rendell Eugene Robinson Steve Schmidt Michael Steele David Weigel Legal analysts Lisa Bloom Ari Melber Military analysts Lt. Col. Rick Francona ( Ret. ) Col. Jack Jacobs ( Ret. ) National Security analysts John O. Brennan LCCN : no2012051909 VIAF : 241265304 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_O._Brennan&oldid=856927155 '' Categories : 1955 births American chief executives American intelligence analysts American people of Irish descent Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency Fordham University alumni George W. Bush administration personnel Living people Obama administration personnel People from North Bergen, New Jersey United States National Security Council staffers United States presidential advisors University of Texas at Austin alumni People associated with Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections MSNBC people Hidden categories : Webarchive template archiveis links Use mdy dates from July 2018 Articles with short description Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Беларуская Deutsch Eesti فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Русский Simple English Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 August 2018, at 12 : 42 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: who was head of the cia in 2016
Answer: John Owen Brennan