Biden's national security aide John Kirby gets expanded role

(Patria) - John Kirby, the chief national security spokesperson for President Joe Biden, is getting a promotion and an expanded role in the White House, a U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday.

Kirby, who in recent years served as the chief spokesperson at the Pentagon and the State Department, will have a new title - White House National Security Communications Advisor and will be promoted to assistant to the president from the current deputy assistant.

He will be tasked with coordinating national security communications across various agencies, the official said. Kirby will chair a separate team from the National Security Council press office, which will continue its daily press operations as usual.

At its helm is chief spokesperson Adrienne Watson. Kirby has been one of the most visible faces of Biden's White House, often holding briefings alongside press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to report on national security issues, especially since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza.

Kirby, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, has been the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications since he was transferred from the Pentagon in 2022.