Donald Trump taps Jewish defence analyst as new National Security Advisor

Donald Trump has appointed a Jewish defence analyst who worked with Ronald Reagan to replace John Bolton as his interim National Security Advisor.

Charles Kupperman, 68, a defence analyst under the Reagan administration, was immediately labelled the wrong choice by commentators who cited his ties to the Centre for Security Policy, described as an “anti-Muslim think-tank”.

Among the theories pushed by the CSP is the suggestion that the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the US government, according to reports.

Kupperman is Trump’s fourth National Security Advisor in three years, after Bolton went the way of Michael Flynn and H. R. McMaster. Keith Kellogg also filled the role briefly, in 2017.

He follows a long line of distinguished post-holders, including Henry Kissinger, in a role defined as chief in-house advisor to the president on all national security issues, including Iran, over which Trump and Bolton clashed.

After Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal, Bolton – who favours military action – ordered a US troop and carrier build-up in the Gulf, as well as a cyber-offensive, and urged Trump to bomb Iran in response to its downing of a US drone. Trump later said he aborted the mission at the last minute, joking that Bolton had “never seen a war he didn’t like”.