Pentagon’s Kirby to Lead Biden’s National Security Communications Team

President Joe Biden on Friday named Pentagon press secretary John Kirby as the new National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications.

Kirby “will coordinate interagency efforts to explain US policy and serve as a senior administration voice on related matters,” the White House said in a statement.

Biden said, “John understands the complexities of US foreign and defense policy, and he will skillfully represent the Administration on important national security issues.

As he accepted the White House job, Kirby thanked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “for his tremendous support and leadership over the past 18 months.” Kirby said that Austin “has been more than my boss; he’s been a mentor and a confidant, and he’s helped me become a better communicator.”

Austin said Kirby “will be an excellent addition to a strong team there, and his long experience in defense and foreign policy suits him perfectly to work with the National Security Council staff.”

Kirby, who also served as the top spokesman at the Pentagon and State Department during the Obama administration, will move to the White House as he navigates a variety of foreign policy challenges, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the North Korea’s nuclear program. Kirby has been a fixture on cable news, particularly during the Ukraine crisis, and is valued in the administration for seeming to handle even the most thorny foreign policy issues with ease.

The NSC under Biden has not previously had someone in a dedicated high-level strategic communications role.

(Only the headline and image in this report may have been modified by Business Standard staff; all other content is auto-generated from a syndicated source.)

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