US President Barack Obama on Friday completed a shuffle of his White House foreign policy team, naming close aide Denis McDonough as deputy national security advisor. McDonough, 40, will occupy the post formerly held by Obama's new national security advisor Tom Donilon, who is stepping up following the retirement of General James Jones this month.
A former congressional staffer, McDonough, currently chief of staff of the National Security Council, has been at Obama's side during his election campaign and during the biggest national security crises of his presidency. "For years, I have counted on Denis McDonough's expertise and counsel on national security issues," said Obama in a statement.