Biden names former Hillary Clinton aide as national security adviser

Vice President Biden appointed Jake Sullivan, the head of the State Department's policy think tank under Hillary Clinton, as his new national security adviser Wednesday.

Sullivan replaces Tony Blinken, who went to President Obama's national security staff after the reshuffling caused by former White House national security adviser Denis McDonough's appointment as chief of staff.

“Jake is the ideal person to serve as my National Security Advisor,” Biden said in a statement. “He is respected across the administration for his intellect, his dedication to our country, and the perspective he brings to even the most complex issues. He has been part of some of the biggest foreign policy challenges our nation has faced, and he’s always handled himself with incredible skill."

Sullivan was close with former Secretary of State Clinton, working on the former first lady's 2008 presidential campaign as a top adviser. At the State Department, he replaced Anne-Marie Slaughter as the Director of Policy Planning after she returned to Princeton University.

Sullivan also worked as an adviser to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and is a graduate of Yale and Oxford.

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