Advisers Quote by Robert C. O'Brien
“While some national security advisers have eschewed the Scowcroft Model and sought to 'operationalize' the NSC or pursue their own policy agendas without regard to the cabinet, the president and the country are best served by the NSC's adherence to its intended 'honest broker' advisory role.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: National Security Council briefing, 2022
The NSC should remain a neutral advisor, not a tool for personal agendas.
In simple terms: Keep the NSC impartial and honest.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize honest counsel over politics.
Themes
governance
integrity
policy
advisory role
Mood
cautious
serious
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- government decision‑making
- crisis management
- inter‑agency coordination
Key Concepts
institutional design
political ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can the NSC safeguard its impartiality?
- What safeguards protect honest advice?
A Different Perspective
Political pressure can erode the NSC’s neutrality.
![“[Adviser is] the ones who do the job very well are the ones who lay out the range of options, filter down the range of options that are available to the president, lay them out in an honest, brokerage way and then let the president make the choice among those options.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c4c/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_adviser_adviser-is-the-ones-who-do-the-job-very_910002.jpg)
![“National security adviser is not a position that requires confirmation. This is a pick that like [Donald Trump] Chief of Staff, he gets to choose on his own and have installed.” quote by Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9e9/lawrence-o-donnell-1701_adviser_national-security-adviser-is-not-a-posit_3022825.jpg)
