View source for Counselor to the President

{{short description|American political position}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox US Cabinet
|post                = Counselor to the President
|insignia            = US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
|insigniasize        = 175px
|image               = Steve Ricchetti.jpg
|incumbent           = [[Steve Ricchetti]]
|incumbentsince      = January 20, 2021
|department          = [[Executive Office of the President]]<br />[[White House Office]]
|appointer           = [[Joe Biden]]
|appointer_qualified = as [[President of the United States]]
|formation           = {{Start date and age|1969|01|20|mf=y}}
|first               = [[Arthur F. Burns]]
|website             = [https://www.whitehouse.gov/ The 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 officeholder is [[Steve Ricchetti]]. The position should not be confused with the office of [[White House Counsel|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 [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet rank]]. It remained a Cabinet-level position until 1993.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=clayton-yeutter&pid=184350162|title=Clayton Yeutter's Obituary|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

During Nixon's presidency, eight people held the position, with there sometimes being two or three concurrent incumbents.

During the presidency of [[Gerald Ford]], the post was shared by longtime communications advisor [[Robert T. Hartmann]] and national security aide [[John Otho Marsh Jr.|John O. Marsh]], with former [[United States Secretary of Commerce|United States secretary of commerce]] [[Rogers Morton]] briefly joining them as a domestic policy advisor in early 1976.

The position was vacant during the [[Jimmy Carter]] administration, as Carter initially left many senior White House positions unfilled (such as [[White House Chief of Staff|White House chief of staff]]) and preferred a smaller corps of advisors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1977/01/15/carter-names-12-key-staff-aides/38a5c4a6-98f7-4f94-9487-11659d59bed1/|title=Carter Names 12 Key Staff Aides|first1=Edward|last1=Walsh|first2=Washington Post Staff Writer; Washington Post staff writer Robert G. Kaiser contributed to this|last2=article|date=January 15, 1977|access-date=January 24, 2018|via=www.WashingtonPost.com}}</ref>

[[Edwin Meese]] held the position during the first term of President [[Ronald Reagan]], and was highly influential inside the White House. Meese, Chief of Staff [[James Baker]] and [[Deputy White House Chief of Staff|Deputy Chief of Staff]] [[Michael Deaver]] were nicknamed "the troika" and considered the most influential advisors to the president.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/19/magazine/the-presidential-troika.html?pagewanted=all |title=The Presidential Troika |work=The New York Times |date=April 19, 1981 |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref> Meese became [[United States 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]] following his resignation 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 [[Presidency of George W. Bush|administration of George W. Bush]], the position oversaw the communications, media affairs, speechwriting, and press offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/bartlett-bio.html |title=Former Counselor to the President, Dan Bartlett's Biography |date=October 22, 2008 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref>

Under the [[Obama Administration|Obama administration]], the position was initially abolished and the duties of the office transferred to three senior advisors: [[David Axelrod (political consultant)|David Axelrod]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/david_axelrod/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122234325/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/david_axelrod/ |archive-date=January 22, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=Change>{{cite web |url=http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/president_elect_obama_and_vice_presiden_elect_biden_announce_key_white_hous/ |title=President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden announce key White House staff &#124; Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team |access-date=April 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422150803/http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/president_elect_obama_and_vice_presiden_elect_biden_announce_key_white_hous/ |archive-date=April 22, 2009 }}</ref> [[Pete Rouse]],<ref name=Change/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/pete_rouse/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122234327/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/pete_rouse/ |archive-date=January 22, 2009 }}</ref> and [[Valerie Jarrett]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/valerie_jarrett/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122234319/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/valerie_jarrett/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 22, 2009 |title=Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett |publisher=whitehouse.gov |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref> who also held the title Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison.<ref name=Change/> On January 6, 2011, President Obama appointed Rouse as counselor to the president where he was responsible for assisting the president and chief of staff with the day-to-day management of White House staff operations.<ref name="Daley chief of staff appointment">{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/01/06/132712318/obama-picks-william-daley-for-chief-of-staff-post|title=Obama Picks William Daley As Chief Of Staff|work=NPR |access-date=January 6, 2011 |date=January 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/08/daleys-duties/|title=Daley's duties|access-date=February 28, 2012|archive-date=September 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906035644/http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/08/daleys-duties/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[John Podesta]] was the last person to hold the position before he left to join the [[Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016|Hillary Clinton presidential campaign of 2016]] as chairman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/john-podesta |title=Counselor to the President John Podesta |publisher=WhiteHouse.gov |access-date=October 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141001032553/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/john-podesta |archive-date=October 1, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Soon after the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]] election, President-elect [[Donald Trump]] announced his intention to name his campaign manager during the general election, [[Kellyanne Conway]], to the position<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/kellyanne-conway-counselor-president-trump-232911 |title=Trump Picks Kellyanne Conway to Serve as Counselor to the President |publisher=Politico |date=December 22, 2016 |access-date=December 22, 2016}}</ref> and his campaign CEO [[Steve Bannon]] as a senior counselor and chief strategist.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-s-pick-steve-bannon-chief-strategist-sparks-backlash-n683386 |title=Trump's Pick of Steve Bannon as Chief Strategist Sparks Backlash |work=NBC News |date=November 14, 2016 |access-date=June 15, 2019 }}</ref> With equivalent standing to the chief of staff and a portfolio that hewed closely to the pre-Clinton iteration of the position, Bannon was named to the Principals Committee of the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] in a January 2017 executive order that also removed the [[Director of National Intelligence|director of national intelligence]] and the [[chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] from the committee.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/stephen-bannon-donald-trump-national-security-council.html|title=Bannon is Given Security Role Usually Held for Generals|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 30, 2017|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie}}</ref> Following vociferous public opposition to the decision, Trump removed Bannon from the council in April 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39508351|title = Steve Bannon loses National Security Council seat|work = BBC News|date = April 5, 2017|access-date=July 30, 2022}}</ref>

After Bannon's departure from the White House in August 2017, [[Johnny DeStefano]] was appointed to the job<ref>{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-announces-appointments-executive-office-president/ |title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Appointments for the Executive Office of the President |date=February 9, 2018 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=June 15, 2019 }}</ref> 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|White House communications director]] [[Hope Hicks]] would return to the [[White House Office]] in the role.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/us/politics/hope-hicks-white-house-return.html |title=Hope Hicks to Return to the White House After a Nearly Two-Year Absence |date=February 13, 2020 |newspaper=The News York Times |first=Maggie |last=Haberman |author-link=Maggie Haberman |access-date=January 14, 2021 }}</ref> In May 2020, [[White House Staff Secretary|White House staff secretary]] [[Derek Lyons]] was also given the title of counselor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/498884-trump-taps-brooke-rollins-as-acting-domestic-policy-chief/ |title=Trump taps Brooke Rollins as acting domestic policy chief | date=May 21, 2020 |work=The Hill |first=Brett |last=Samuels |access-date=July 30, 2022 }}</ref>

President [[Joe Biden]] named [[Steve Ricchetti]], the chairman of his 2020 presidential campaign, as counselor to the president upon taking office.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Glueck|first2=Katie|date=2020-11-17|title=Biden to Name Campaign Manager, Congressional Ally, and Close Friend to Key Staff Jobs|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/16/us/politics/biden-white-house-staff.html|access-date=2020-11-17|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Jeffrey Zients]] was also given the title in his role as [[White House COVID-19 Response Team|White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000176-3cd4-df42-af7f-bcd7e6b60001 |title=President-elect Joe Biden Announces Key Members of Health Team |date=December 7, 2020 |work=Politico |page=1 |publisher=Biden-Harris Transition |access-date=July 30, 2022}}</ref>

==List of counselors to the president==
=== Counselors to [[Richard Nixon|President Richard Nixon]] (1969–1974) ===
[[File:Donald Rumsfeld and Richard Nixon.png|right|thumb|Counselor to the President Donald Rumsfeld confers with President Richard Nixon on the White House grounds.]]

All of President Nixon's counselors were members of his [[Presidency of Richard Nixon#Cabinet|Cabinet]] during their respective tenures.
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
<!--!Portfolio-->
!Party
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:ArthurBurns USArmyPhoto 1955.jpg|100px|Arthur Burns]]
| [[Arthur F. Burns]]<br />(1904–1987)
| January 20, 1969 – November 5, 1969
<!--| Domestic Policy-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:DanielPatrickMoynihan.jpg|100px|Pat Moynihan]]
| [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan|Pat Moynihan]]<br />(1927–2003)
| November 5, 1969<ref name="query.nytimes.com">[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A00EEDD1E3AEF3BBC4D53DFB7678382679EDE&legacy=true–] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023054714/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A00EEDD1E3AEF3BBC4D53DFB7678382679EDE&legacy=true|date=October 23, 2016}}</ref> – December 31, 1970<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/31/archives/a-white-house-farewell.html |title=White House Farewell |work=The New York Times |date=December 31, 1970 |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref>
<!--| [[Family Assistance Plan]]-->
|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Bryce Harlow.jpg|100px|Bryce Harlow]]
| [[Bryce Harlow]]<br />(1916–1987)
| November 5, 1969<ref name="query.nytimes.com"/> – December 9, 1970<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/10/archives/harlow-resigns-as-aide-to-nixon-will-return-to-lobbyist-post-with.html |title=Harlow Resigns As Aide to Nixon; Will Return to Lobbyist Post |work=The New York Times |date=December 10, 1970 |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref>
<!--| Legislative & Congressional Affairs-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Robert Finch, 1967.jpg|100px|Robert Finch]]
| [[Robert Finch (American politician)|Robert Finch]]<br />(1925–1995)
| June 23, 1970<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/10/archives/washington-finch-and-the-postwar-economy.html |title=Finch and the Postwar Economy |work=The New York Times |date=June 10, 1970 |access-date=November 18, 2016|last1=Reston |first1=James }}</ref> – December 15, 1972<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1995–10–11/news/mn-55826_1_richard-nixon Los Angeles Times]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} </ref>
<!--| n/a-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Rumsfeld Ford admin Secretary of Defense.jpg|100px|Donald Rumsfeld]]
| Donald Rumsfeld<br />(1932–2021)
<!--| Economic Policy & Advisement-->
| December 11, 1970<ref name="nytimes.com">https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/16/archives/tax-aide-chosen-to-head-enforcement-of-phase–2-tax-official-is.html {{dead link|date=November 2016}}</ref> – October 15, 1971<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Anne Armstrong 1982.jpg|100px|Anne Armstrong]]
| [[Anne Armstrong]]<br />(1927–2008)
| January 19, 1973 – August 9, 1974
<!--| [[White House Council on Women and Girls|Women's Programs]]-->
|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Dean Burch Cabinet.jpg|100px]]
| [[Dean Burch]]<br />(1927–1991)
| March 8, 1974<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/06/archives/burch-under-senate-pressure-to-step-up-fcc-departure-3-vacancies.html |title=Burch Under Senate Pressure to Step Up FCC Departure 3 Vacancies |work=The New York Times |date=March 6, 1974 |access-date=November 18, 2016|last1=Brown |first1=Les }}</ref> – August 9, 1974<ref name="Burch Resigning as White House Advi">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/03/archives/burch-resigning-as-white-house-adviser-notes-on-people.html |title=Burch Resigning as White House Adviser Notes on People |work=The New York Times |date=December 3, 1974 |access-date=November 18, 2016|last1=Krebs |first1=Albin }}</ref>
<!--| n/a-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Kenneth-Rush-1977.jpg|100px|Kenneth Rush]]
| [[Kenneth Rush]]<br />(1910–1994)
| May 29, 1974<ref name="Rush Sworn as Counselor to Presiden">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/30/archives/rush-sworn-as-counselor-to-president-on-economy.html |title=Rush Sworn as Counselor to President on Economy|work=The New York Times |date=May 30, 1974 |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> – August 9, 1974<ref name="History.state.gov">{{cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/rush-kenneth |title=Kenneth Rush – People – Department History – Office of the Historian |publisher=History.state.gov |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref>
<!--| Economic Policy-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Gerald Ford|President Gerald Ford]] (1974–1977) ===
[[File:Photograph of President Gerald Ford and Adviser Robert Hartmann Looking at Documents Regarding Vice Presidential Candidates in Hartmann's Office - NARA - 7347180.jpg|right|thumb|President Ford and Counselor Robert Hartmann looking over paperwork concerning the selection of a new vice president, 1974]]

All of President Ford's's counselors were members of his [[Presidency of Gerald Ford#Cabinet|Cabinet]] during their respective tenures.
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
<!--!Portfolio-->
!Party
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Anne Armstrong 1982.jpg|100px|Anne Armstrong]]
| [[Anne Armstrong]]<br />(1927–2008)
| August 9, 1974 – December 18, 1974
<!--| [[White House Council on Women and Girls|Women's Programs]]-->
|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Dean Burch Cabinet.jpg|100px]]
| [[Dean Burch]]<br />(1927–1991)
| August 9, 1974<ref name="The New York Times"/> – December 31, 1974<ref name="Burch Resigning as White House Advi"/>
<!--| n/a-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Kenneth-Rush-1977.jpg|100px|Kenneth Rush]]
| [[Kenneth Rush]]<br />(1910–1994)
| August 9, 1974<ref name="Rush Sworn as Counselor to Presiden"/> – September 19, 1974<ref name="History.state.gov"/>
<!--| Economic Policy-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Robert T. Hartmann.png|100px]]
| [[Robert T. Hartmann]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Dennis Hevesi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/us/politics/19hartmann.html?_r=0 |title=Robert Hartmann, 91, Dies; Wrote Ford's Noted Talk |work=The New York Times |date=April 19, 2008 |access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref><br />(1917–2008)
| August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977
<!--| Presidential Speeches, Statements,<br>Messages & Correspondences-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Marsh, John O 2.jpg|100px|John O. Marsh]]
| [[John Otho Marsh Jr.|John Marsh]]<br />(1926–2019)
| August 9, 1974<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/11/archives/ford-bids-cabinet-and-agency-heads-remain-in-posts-indefinite-stays.html |title=Ford Bids Cabinet and Agency Heads Remain in Post Indefinite Stays|work=The New York Times |date=August 11, 1974 |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> – January 20, 1977<ref>{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A05EED6173DE034BC4D53DFB767838D669EDE&legacy=true |title=Ford Making Plans For Handing Over Controls to Carter |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023060500/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A05EED6173DE034BC4D53DFB767838D669EDE&legacy=true |archive-date=October 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
<!--| n/a-->
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:RogersClarkBallardMorton.jpg|100px]]
| [[Rogers Morton]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/guides/findingaid/mortonrfiles.asp#sfftl |title=Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum |publisher=www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov}}</ref><br />(1914–1979)
| February 2, 1976 – April 1, 1976
<!--| Domestic & Economic Policy-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Jimmy Carter|President Jimmy Carter]] (1977–1981) ===
President Carter did not appoint any counselors during his tenure in the [[White House Office|White House]].
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Counselor
!Term of Office
<!--!Portfolio-->
!Party
|-
| ''Vacant''
| January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981
| n/a
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] (1981–1989) ===
[[File:President Ronald Reagan holds an Oval Office staff meeting.jpg|right|thumb|President Reagan holds an oval office staff meeting on his first full day in office. Front left, Counselor to the President Edwin Meese.]]

[[File:James Baker, Edwin Meese, and Michael Deaver.jpg|right|thumb|"[[Troika (triumvirate)|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.]]

President Reagan only appointed a counselor during his first term in the [[White House Office|White House]].
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
<!--!Portfolio-->
!Party
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped12).jpg|100px|Edwin Meese]]
| [[Edwin Meese]]<br />(born 1931)
| January 20, 1981 – February 25, 1985
<!--| Domestic Policy and<br>National Security Council-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan= 2 | February 25, 1985 – January 20, 1989
|}

=== Counselors to [[George H.W. Bush|President George H.W. Bush]] (1989–1993) ===
President Bush only appointed a counselor, who was a member of his [[Presidency of George H.W. Bush#Administration|Cabinet]] during the last 11 months of his single term in the [[White House Office|White House]]. The position was vacant for the first 3 years of his presidency.
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
<!--!Portfolio-->
!Party
|-

|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan=2 | January 20, 1989 – February 1, 1992
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Clayton Yeutter, 23rd Secretary of Agriculture, February 1989 - March 1991..jpg|100px|Clayton Yeutter]]
| [[Clayton Yeutter]]<br />(1930–2017)
| February 1, 1992 – January 20, 1993
<!--| Domestic Policy-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Bill Clinton|President Bill Clinton]] (1993–2001) ===
[[File:David Gergen and Bill Clinton.png|right|thumb|Bill Clinton announces the appointment of David Gergen as Counselor to the President, 1993]]

President Clinton did not appoint a counselor for the first 5 months of his first term. He was the first president in over 20 years whose counselors were not members of his [[Presidency of Bill Clinton#Administration|Cabinet]].
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
<!--!Portfolio-->
!Party
|-

|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan=2 | January 20, 1993 – May 29, 1993
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped7).jpg|100px|David Gergen]]
| [[David Gergen]]<br />(born 1942)
| May 29, 1993 – June 10, 1994
<!--| Foreign Affairs-->
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan=2 | June 10, 1994 – July 17, 1994
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:MackMclarty.jpg|100px|Mack McLarty]]
| [[Mack McLarty]]<br />(born 1946)
| July 17, 1994<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-28-mn-9582-story.html |title=Panetta Named Chief of Staff in Major White House Shake-Up : Presidency: Clinton's friend McLarty will step aside and become the counselor to the President. Gergen will move to State Dept. and Rivlin will be a budget director in effort to add 'strength, vitality.' |last=NELSON |first=JACK |date=1994-06-28|work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=2017-11-15 |language=en-US |issn=0458-3035}}</ref> – June 30, 1998<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/25/us/president-s-friend-is-leaving-white-house-for-private-life.html |title=President's Friend Is Leaving White House for Private Life |last=Broder |first=John M. |date=1998-04-25 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2017-11-15 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
<!--| [[United States National Economic Council|National Economic Council]]<br>Special Envoy to the Americas-->
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| 
| [[Bill Curry (politician)|Bill Curry]]<br />(born 1951)
| February 21, 1995 – January 20, 1997
<!--| Domestic Strategy-->
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:PaulBegala.JPG|100px|Paul Begala]]
| [[Paul Begala]]<br />(born 1961)
| August 17, 1997<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/17/nyregion/news-summary-667552.html |title=News Summary |work=The New York Times |date=August 17, 1997 |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> – March 10, 1999
<!--| Policy, Politics<br>and Communications-->
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Ann Lewis (138) (13315485475).jpg|100px]]
| [[Ann Lewis]]<br />(born 1937)
| March 10, 1999 – January 20, 2001
<!--| Communications-->
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[George W. Bush|President George W. Bush]] (2001–2009) ===
[[File:Karen_Hughes_and_Laura_Bush.jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President [[Karen Hughes]] and [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Laura Bush]], June 28, 2002.]]

[[File: Dan Bartlett.jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett delivering a briefing on President George W. Bush's State of the Union Message, February 3, 2005.]]

[[File:David Addington and Ed Gillespie Review Document (19528508416).jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President [[Ed Gillespie]] (right) and [[Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States|Chief of Staff to the Vice President]] [[David Addington]] review a document, December 5, 2007.]]

President Bush did not appoint a counselor for the last 2 1/2 years of his first term. He continued predecessors footsteps to not include his counselors as members of his [[Presidency of George W. Bush#Administration|Cabinet]].
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
!Portfolio
!Party
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:KarenHughes.jpg|100px|Karen Hughes]]
| [[Karen Hughes]]<br />(born 1956)
| January 20, 2001 – July 8, 2002
| ''none''
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan=3 | July 8, 2002 – January 5, 2005
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Daniel Joseph Bartlett.jpg|100px|Dan Bartlett]]
| [[Dan Bartlett]]<br />(born 1971)
| January 5, 2005 – July 5, 2007
| Strategic Communication & Policy
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Ed Gillespie.jpg|100px|Ed Gillespie]]
| [[Ed Gillespie]]<br />(born 1961)
| July 5, 2007 – January 20, 2009
| Policy Development<br>and Strategic Planning
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Barack Obama|President Barack Obama]] (2009–2017) ===
[[File:P040213PS-0380 (8734868397).jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President [[Pete Rouse]], [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[Denis McDonough]] and [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Joe Biden]] talk with President [[Barack Obama]], April 2, 2013.]]

[[File:P012915PS-0378 (20894940882).jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President John Podesta meets with President Obama in the Oval Office, January 29, 2015.]]

President Obama did not appoint a counselor for the first 2 years of his first term and did not have one for the last 2 years of his second term. He continued predecessors' footsteps to not include his counselors as members of his [[Cabinet of Barack Obama|Cabinet]].
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
!Portfolio
!Party
|-
|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan=3 | January 20, 2009 – January 13, 2011
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Pete Rouse on December 09, 2009.jpg|100px|Pete Rouse]]
| [[Pete Rouse]]<br />(born 1946)
| January 13, 2011 – January 1, 2014
| Legislative Affairs
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:John Podesta official WH portrait.jpg|100px|JohnPodesta]]
| [[John Podesta]]<br />(born 1949)
| January 1, 2014 – February 13, 2015
| ''none''
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-

|colspan=3 |''Vacant''
|colspan=3 |February 13, 2015 – January 20, 2017
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Donald Trump|President Donald Trump]] (2017–2021) ===
[[File:Kellyanne Conway Speaks to the Press (47751382671).jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway talks to reporters and answers questions outside the West Wing entrance of the White House.]]

[[File:Steve Bannon & Reince Priebus (32289576414).jpg|right|thumb|Senior Counselor to the President Steve Bannon appears with White House Chief of Staff [[Reince Priebus]] at the 2017 [[Conservative Political Action Conference]].]]

President Trump was the first president since [[Gerald Ford|President Gerald Ford]] to have a counselor throughout the entirety of his tenure.
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
!Portfolio
!Party
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| |[[File:Steve Bannon by Gage Skidmore.jpg|100px|Steve Bannon]]
| [[Steve Bannon]]<br />(born 1953)<ref name="White House Office 2017"/><ref name="Senior Counselor"/>
| January 20, 2017 – August 18, 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/18/bannon-out-as-white-house-chief-strategist-241786 |title=Bannon out as White House chief strategist |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=January 24, 2018}}</ref>
| Political Strategy<br>(as "Chief Strategist and<br>Senior Counselor")
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Kellyanne Conway by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg|100px|Kellyanne Conway]]
| {{sortname|Kellyanne|Conway}}<br />(born 1967)<ref name="White House Office 2017">{{cite web |title=Executive Office Of The President Annual Report To Congress On White House Office Personnel White House Office As Of: Friday, June 30, 2017 |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/docs/disclosures/07012017-report-final.pdf |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |page=3}}</ref><ref name="Senior Counselor">Senior Counselor</ref>
| January 20, 2017 – August 31, 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/KellyannePolls |title=Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) |publisher=twitter.com}}</ref>
| Political and Polling Strategy<br>(as "Senior Counselor")
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Johnny DeStefano official photo.jpg|100px|Johnny DeStefano]]
| [[Johnny DeStefano]]<br />(born 1979)
| February 9, 2018 – May 24, 2019<ref>{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-announces-appointments-executive-office-president/ |title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Appointments for the Executive Office of the President |date=February 9, 2018 |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date=June 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/long-serving-trump-aide-destefano-to-depart-white-house/2019/05/21/a3faa8f8-7b4a-11e9-a66c-d36e482aa873_story.html |title=Long-serving Trump aide DeStefano to depart White House |last1=Dawsey |first1=Josh |first2=Felicia |last2=Sonmez |date=May 21, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 15, 2019}}</ref>
| Intergovernmental Affairs<br>and Political Affairs
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Hope Hicks November 2017.jpg|100px|Hope Hicks]]
| [[Hope Hicks]]<br />(born 1988)
| March 9, 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/27/trump-hope-hicks-coronavirus-crisis-210808 |title=Trump looks to Hope Hicks as coronavirus crisis spills over |date=April 27, 2020 |work=Politico |first1=Nancy |last1=Cook |first2=Meredith |last2=McGraw |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref> – January 12, 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/us/politics/hope-hicks-white-house-return.html |title=Hope Hicks to Return to the White House After a Nearly Two-Year Absence |date=February 13, 2020 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown|first1=Pamela |last2=Gangel |first2=Jamie |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Top White House adviser Hicks no longer works at the White House, a previously planned departure |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/politics/hope-hicks-white-house-trump-riot/index.html |access-date=2021-01-14|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
| Strategic Communications
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-

!style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Derek Lyons (cropped).jpg|100px|Derek Lyons]]
| [[Derek Lyons]]
| May 20, 2020<ref>{{cite web | url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/498884-trump-taps-brooke-rollins-as-acting-domestic-policy-chief/ | title=Trump taps Brooke Rollins as acting domestic policy chief | date=May 21, 2020 }}</ref> – January 20, 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/July-1-2020-Report-FINAL.pdf |date=June 26, 2020 |work=[[whitehouse.gov]] |title=Annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>
| Domestic Policy
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|}

=== Counselors to [[Joe Biden|President Joe Biden]] (2021–present) ===
[[File:P20211008AS-2427 (51761379896).jpg|right|thumb|Counselor to the President [[Steve Ricchetti]] (right) meets with White House Chief of Staff [[Ron Klain]] and President [[Joe Biden]] in the Oval Office, October 2021.]]

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" |Counselor
!Term of Office
!Portfolio
!Party
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Jeffrey Zients official portrait.jpg|100px|Jeff Zients]]
| [[Jeff Zients]]<br />(born 1966)
| January 20, 2021 – April 4, 2022
| [[White House COVID-19 Response Team|COVID Response Coordination]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
!style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
| [[File:Steve Ricchetti.jpg|100px|Steve Ricchetti]]
| [[Steve Ricchetti]]<br />(born c. 1957)
| January 20, 2021 – present
| Legislative & Governmental Relations
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|}

==See also==

*[[Senior Advisor to the President of the United States]]
*[[White House Counsel]]
*[[White House Chief Strategist]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{White House Office}}
{{EOP agencies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Counselor to the President}}
[[Category:White House Office]]
[[Category:Executive Office of the President of the United States]]
[[Category:Counselors to the President| ]]