Trump National Security Adviser O’Brien Starts Consulting Firm

(Bloomberg) -- A group of Trump administration veterans, including former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, have started a consulting firm that’s advising companies on international politics, U.S. government and crisis management.

American Global Strategies is working with U.S. businesses interested in operating overseas, including Asia, Europe, Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East, according to Greg Smith, the firm’s vice president and a former White House deputy political director.

Some officials from President Donald Trump’s administration have struggled to land prestigious posts that typically follow White House service, especially after Trump encouraged protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 

O’Brien and others sidestepped that difficulty by starting their own businesses.

O’Brien, who was Trump’s national security adviser from fall 2019 through the end of the administration, was known for pushing for an increase in the shipbuilding budget and bolstering the Navy fleet of about 300 traditional warships to about 355 by 2035. 

Among those who have joined the firm are: Alexander Gray, who was National Security Council chief of staff; Brian Cavanaugh, who worked on resilience policy and countering weapons of mass destruction; Adrielle Churchill Wiese, who was NSC senior legislative affairs director; and Allison Hooker, who was senior director for Asia at the NSC.

American Global Strategies officials said they’ve advised executives in the technology, defense, private equity, maritime and manufacturing industries, including two Fortune 100 companies. They declined to name their clients, adding that they aren’t conducting any lobbying, nor any work that would require registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.