Cohen-Watnick was brought into the United States National Security Council by Michael T. Flynn , the former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and President Donald Trump 's first National Security Advisor . He was named the NSC 's Senior Director for Intelligence Programs . This directorship was intermittently held by detailed CIA officers . Like Cohen-Watnick , the immediate preceding Senior Director from the Obama Administration was a political appointee . Some viewed Cohen-Watnick 's appointment as a sign of Trump 's mistrust of the CIA . Following Flynn 's resignation in February 2017 , the new National Security Advisor , H. R. McMaster , attempted to remove Cohen-Watnick , but he was overruled by Trump . McMaster attempted to replace Cohen-Watnick with CIA official Linda Weissgold , the author of the infamous Benghazi talking points and member of the " Benghazi dream team " , a group of intelligence community analysts assembled to counter the Congressional investigation into the Benghazi Affair
Benghazi Affair
2012 Benghazi attack
Ezra Cohen-Watnick